Social networking has proven to be a phenomenon in the virtual world. Almost every Internet user has an account in at least one in the long list of social networking websites. It has changed the way we keep in touch with our friends and how we meet people from different places. We keep our family and friends updated with our photos, videos, and blogs.

People who engage in social networking are brought together to a single community by common interests or purpose. Thus, the list of social networking websites provided here are categorized according to their focus:

General Audience/ Personal Contact Management

MySpace – considered as the most widely-used social networking site. It boasts an approximately 200 million users

Facebook – the site ranks next to MySpace. It was originally made for Harvard students, then extended to university students, until it has become open to anyone who is 13 years old and above.

Friendster – before the two the two sites mentioned above came to the picture, the site used to be considered as the number one social networking service on the Web.

Bebo – it is said to provide a tight competition for MySpace. It ranks third in the United States, but it is the largest social networking site in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and New Zealand.

Business

LinkedIn – it is one of the most popular business networking websites, with over 23 million professionals from around the world, representing 150 industries.

Xing – it is formerly known as OpenBC, and it has over users million users, majority of whom are from Germany.

Specific Interests

Flickr – a photo management and sharing site, which allows its users to upload and share photos.

Flixster – the social networking site for movie fans.

Sportsvite – allows its users to find and join teams as well as organize sports activities.

Shelafri – allows its member, generally book lovers, to build virtual bookshelves, discover, rate, and discuss books.

GuildCafe – the social networking site for online gamers.

The list of social networking websites would not end if we gather all the social networking sites. These sites may be ranked by different critics and ranking services, but at the end of the day, it is your personal preference that really matters.