Do you use Facebook, MySpace or Twitter? If so, then you are part of a social network. Social networking sites allow us to see our social connections.
When you create a profile (a description of somebody that gives useful information) on a social networking site, you open up a number of possible social connections. You can look up old friends, make new friends, and share music, photos and videos with them. You can also join groups according to your interests or hobbies, favourite TV shows or music.
Setting up a social networking account(账号) is simple. You just create and post a personal profile. For this you need a login name, password, and an e-mail account. Then you add some personal information such as name, age, sex, location, interests, etc. You can also add a photo of yourself. You can control who sees your profile. The next step is to look for new ones, and add them to your network. Then you can search your friends' connections for anyone else you'd like to add to your network.
Different social networking sites allow people to communicate in different ways. There are sites that allow you to enlarge your personal community such as Facebook. Then there are ones that include media(媒体) sharing, such as YouTube, where members upload and look at other people's pictures and videos. There are also ones that specialize in sharing music, such as Last FM, and finally, ones that allow bloggers to form online communities, such as Live Journal.
The latest trend(趋势) in social networking is to create your own independent social network. Companies do this to make their products sell well and people do it to create their own communities.
How to Recognize a True Friend
Sometimes it can be hard to recognize a true friend. Hopefully this article will help you recognize which friends are the keepers.
Be able to trust your friends. You ought to be able to trust true friends and they should return this trust. Do your friends tell you secrets that no one else knows? Ask you for advice? However, if your friends tend to hide things from you and act secretly, then this is a sign that they may not trust you.
Think about it. How comfortable are your friends when they are around you? Are they being themselves around you? Are they acting fake or perhaps hiding something? True friendships can take a while to develop, but if your friends are true they should feel comfortable with you, and vice versa (You with them).
Think about loyalty(忠诚). If you are in need of a helping hand, your true friends should be there to offer it to you. True friends don't try to get one another into trouble. A true friend will always be loyal to you and will not reveal secrets.
Think about nicknames. A lot of true friends love to give each other nicknames! If your friend is giving you nicknames, then this is a great sign. Think of the nickname your friend has given you, does it suit you well?
Look at how you fight. Nearly all best friends fight. True friends will find their way through a fight, no matter what the size is. True friends will remain "faithful" to each other even during a fight. They will not divulge(泄露) each other's secrets, and they still care about each other.
A. Consider comfort.
B. Choose your friends carefully.
C. True friends are always there for one another.
D. Both are sure signs that your friends trust you.
E. If so, this shows your friend must know you quite well.
F. So if you and your friend have a little argument, don't worry!
G. An inside joke shows that you share a special connection with your friend.
