Wednesday Words: Social Networks

This one is more of a fun word to define, because we are all part of social networks these days.  But the dictionary definitions are a lot of fun to look at, then realize how much further our social networks have grown beyond just the people we associate with day in and day out, to friends of friends and acquaintances and sometimes people we don't even know when we add them to our online social networks.

According to Dictionary.com:

social network

noun
1. a network of friends, colleagues, and other personal contacts: Strong social networks can encourage healthy behaviors.2. Computers.a. an online community of people with a common interest who use a website or other technologies to communicate with each other and share information, resources, etc.: a business-oriented social network.b. a website or online service that facilitates this communication.

Google defines it as:

so·cial net·worknoun1. a network of social interactions and personal relationships.
2. a dedicated website or other application that enables users to communicate with each other by posting information, comments, messages, images, etc.

I find that the changes in definitions over time to be quite interesting.

But it also serves as a good reminder.  Online social networks are great, but being a part of a social network in a social atmosphere is even better.  Don't forget that!

Wednesday Words are a series of definitions released on Wednesday each week regarding a word found specific to Facebook's social media platform, or may be a generic word dealing with social media.  These definitions are to help provide you with a better understanding of common and uncommon terms associated with Facebook and social media.   You can find all the Wednesday Words by clicking on the Wednesday Words tag below.