alternatives to facebook
Top 10 Alternatives to Facebook
Facebook almost revolutionized the way two individuals interacted online with each other. However, we humans have a tendency to always look for newer stuff and can never settle down on anything for long! And Facebook too, is no exception for those of you who want to try something different. So we, at Buzzle, have listed out some of the best alternatives to Facebook.
Did You Know?
Walmart, Target, Subway, Amazon, and, Samsung Mobile USA are the five most popular brands on Facebook in the United States.
Facebook is an online social networking site which connects millions of users all across the world. Started in 2004, by Mark Zuckerberg and his college roommates, Facebook was initially used only by Harvard students. Later, in 2006, it was launched for the general public. Facebook now allows anybody who claims to be 13 years old and over, to log in. Gradually, the popularity of Facebook increased, and as of June 2014, there were around 1.32 billion active users across the globe.
The popularity of Facebook can be gauged from the fact that users share every little detail about their themselves, right from which song they are currently listening to, to where they went for lunch to how they are feeling right now. The downside to this ability to share information has led to complaints about lack of privacy.
Another major issue has been the many fake accounts that have been reported to exist, not to mention security and privacy concern about hackers. Well, to put things into perspective, it largely depends on how an individual uses his account and his precious time. As a user of social networking sites, a list of worthy alternatives to Facebook is always welcome, so here is Buzzle's pick of 10 social networking sites that are similar to Facebook.
Social Networking Alternatives to Facebook
Twitter
An online social networking platform wherein users can send and read messages or 'tweets' consisting 140 characters or less, Twitter is ideal for people who lead very busy lives, but still want to stay in touch with their online friends and community. According to a 2013 survey, Twitter was one of the most visited websites and was also named the "SMS of the internet". You need to be a registered user to post and read tweets, you can follow people, and they can follow you back. The site was established in the year 2006, and currently, serves over 400 million users. You can even re-tweet somebody's message on your walls. Some of the popular accounts on Twitter are Katy Perry, Barack Obama, YouTube, Justin Bieber, etc. There also is an option wherein a user can group together similar posts or tweets using a hashtag. It is rapidly gaining popularity among the masses and could soon be the most popular social networking platform on the planet.
Website: Twitter
Pinterest
What I interpret from the name is? Pin what interests you, not in the exact sense, anyway, coming down to the 2nd alternative, this site is by far the most visual. It mainly consists of photos that can be shared across the board, and if you like anything in particular you can always pin it on your board. Images can be put into various categories, and you can follow other users, it revolves around the idea of virtual pinboards. Suitable for people who need shopping inspiration and DIY ideas. The site is beautifully decorated and is a treat to your eyes. It is one of the most visited sites with a record 17 million unique visitors.
Website: Pinterest
Google+
It is a sort of blog where in you can write about any topic that interests you, and you can add your friends, family members, colleagues to your social circle and specifically share your posts with them. Unlike Twitter, it does not have any word limit, and the page can be customized according to your preferences. Owned and operated by Google, it surpassed Twitter in the year 2013. You can even follow people whom you don't know personally, for example celebrities. If you haven't tried Google+, you should definitely give it a try!!
Website: Google+
Instagram
Launched in 2010, it already has over 100 million viewers, It's basically communicating by sharing pictures with a tag option, wherein you can tag a person or thing. Recently they have enabled a video-sharing option, in which you can record a video and post it. Privacy guidelines and rules are fairly strict as many people lock their profile, and you need to send them a request. Like Twitter, Instagram also has a follow option, so when you follow somebody you are basically sending them a friend request. You can edit your images using the many editing options available. It has become a smart way to connect with just a click.
Website: Instagram
LinkedIn
This platform is used mainly for professional networking. It allows users to create and maintain connections with individuals who they have worked with before, users can invite anyone and increase their connections. Off late, this platform is also used by many employers and corporations to hire suitable candidates for interviews by browsing their LinkedIn account. Another advantage is that LinkedIn is available in 20 languages.
Website: LinkedIn
Path
Started in 2010 in a small apartment located in San Francisco, with a small team of smart and passionate engineers and designers. It's a social networking app suitable for photo-sharing and messaging service for mobile phones. Initially, this app was compatible only with the iPhone, later they launched apps for Android, iPad, and, Windows phone. Their biggest competitor is Instagram, since they too employ photo-sharing. Path limits each users connection to 150 people, as they believe many people are comfortable sharing their images or posts with their closest friends or relatives. Indonesia is the world's largest Path user, it's a good to go app and is available in many languages.
Website: Path
MySpace
This site's main emphasis is on music, launched in August 2003, by April, 2014, MySpace has about 1 million unique visitors. It had an influence on pop culture and music and was a launching pad for many new artists and singers. The company started making URLs for artists and companies. They introduced MySpace IM (Instant Messaging), wherein a user has to log in with their email ID and get instant notification about messages and friend requests or any notification. MySpace also has features like status updates, mood updates, profile customization, and history feature.
Website: MySpace
Tumblr
It's a micro-blogging platform and a social networking website, which is owned by Yahoo Inc. It allows users to post multimedia and short-blogs, users are free to follow other people's blogs and make their blogs private. A dashboard is like a live feed of recent posts and blogs that a user follows just like your Facebook wall. Users are allowed to post blogs, images, videos and quotes on their dashboard, and it's already connected with Twitter and Facebook, so the moment you put something on your dashboard, it will be sent as a tweet and status update on Facebook. Other features includes tagging and HTML, this app also runs on almost all the smart phones.
Website: Tumblr
YouTube
More of a video-sharing platform, you can always interact with other users through the comments section. YouTube also has the subscribe feature that is similar to the follow feature on Facebook and Twitter. You follow a certain user and get notifications in your email account if they have uploaded any new videos or liked any video or have commented on any video. They are pretty strict with their privacy thing, users are required to log in to their account to view highly censored content. Users can create channels which other people can subscribe to.
Website: YouTube
Foursquare
It is a location-based app and touted to be the next big thing in the world of social networking. Foursquare uses the GPS and tracks your location through games and apps, and you earn badges if you visit any restaurant or local cafes often. Many restaurants and coffee shops are using this app to promote their place and offer vouchers to individuals who visit often. Users can rate and recommend places and also review and comment. They can also follow other users.
Website: Foursquare
All the above mentioned sites are similar to Facebook, and they can be accessed via smartphones, iPad, or any tab. If you know of a good social network that seems like a worth alternative, do let us know through the comments section given below.