tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76778015248804963762012-02-16T19:55:21.383-05:00Dennis Estrellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09948175398582413600noreply@blogger.comBlogger11100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677801524880496376.post-56463675543762555632011-05-04T12:06:00.001-04:002011-05-04T12:08:48.663-04:00"Social Media is for geeks!" That's what I would've said five years ago. In fact, I am willing to bet that five years ago, more than half of the people reading this article didn’t even know what Social Media was.<br />Well, times sure have changed. Today, it would almost be considered taboo to utter in public the words “Facebook” and “I don’t have an account” in the same sentence.<br /><br />I first got involved with Social Media back when Friendster was the big craze. I remember sitting at the computer lab in school, sandwiched between two “geeks” staring at familiar photos on similar sites. In the corner of my eye, I swore I recognized an old friend of mine. Using my detective skills, I glanced at my neighbor’s browser and copied her URL. While the person in the picture wasn’t exactly who I thought it was, little did I know a new hobby was born. This was almost seven years ago.<br /><br />Today, my hobby turned obsession consumes my everyday life. Not only do I spend a good part of my leisure time trolling Facebook seeking for old friends or searching for new themes to “trick out” my MySpace profile, but I even spend work hours chatting away on Social Networks. That’s because, I managed to make a career out of it!<br /><br />My second job out of college was for a company called <span style="color: red;">(name hidden)</span>.<span style="color: red;"> (name hidden)</span> was the first company to embed and stream voice and video chat through online instant messaging. Although it first originated as a software company, part of the reason I was hired was to help grow the company into an international social network. As the Marketing Manager for <span style="color: red;">(name hidden</span><span style="color: red;">)</span>, I had the privilege and opportunity to help build a social network from the ground up. The company now has four million members worldwide and counting! This was just over three years ago.<br /><br />I currently hold a position as the Sr. Research and Marketing Manager for <span style="color: red;">(name hidden), </span>a niche online community of over three million moms. In case you were wondering, no I am not a mom, not even close. I’m actually male with no children. But my fascination isn’t exactly with the community itself, but how the community is formed, how conversations are made, and what the users get out of the website. It’s nothing short of amazing what goes on in the <span style="color: red;">(name hidden)</span> community. <br /><br />Mothers, from all around the country, gather every day, not just to post pictures or say hi to old friends, but to meet new people, get parenting advice, and genuinely share a connection with another human being. In my three short years at <span style="color: red;">(name hidden),</span> I’ve witnessed reunions between siblings separated at birth, entire schools gather for online PTA meetings, and even offline memorials take place for deceased fellow members.<br /><br />For many of us, social networks are merely a form of entertainment; something to do to pass the time. But for some, social networks are an outlet; a place where we can vent, connect with others, and finally be ourselves. Long gone are the days where social networks are considered geeky anti-social. Society has embraced the notion of virtual communication with friends, strangers, organizations, businesses, and even products. I am proud to call myself a social networker.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7677801524880496376-5646367554376255563?l=pageclimber.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Dennis Estrellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09948175398582413600noreply@blogger.com0