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The more I started using social networking sites, the more I began feeling disoriented.
Multiple login-password combinations or single passwords across multiple sites, photos scattered everywhere, and bookmarks in disarray.
I no longer knew what I had dugg, found delicious, or stumbled upon.
If this sounds familiar, don’t lose heart: these tips may help.
Don’t be disheartened because it may be a mess.
Define Your Target Audience
For each connection where you share data, define your target audience.
Who are the target audience of your blog, your photo-sharing account, your Facebook/MySpace account?
Whom do you want to interact with on email, IM, Twitter?
Do not mix family with friends, or friends with business.
Use multiple accounts in Twitter so that your tweets are relevant to your followers.
The problem with using different passwords was remembering all of them.
WithPassword Managersto the rescue, it’s possible for you to now have both security and convenience.
Never use the same password for multiple sites.
Use a web client-independent desktop utility likeKeePass, or LastPass, which integrates with all the major browsers.
Separate Private & Public Photo-Sharing
Use two or more photo-sharing sites for different types of photos.
One example: private photos go to Picasa, friendly photos go to Facebook, public images/photos go toFlickr.
Do not spread your bookmarks across different sites.
Choose Digg, Delicious, Redditt, or any other service you fancy and stick to it.
If you’re spread out across different sites, look for export/import options to consolidate.
If you are starting afresh, check out Twine.
Twine uses artificial intelligence to automatically tag and sort your bookmarks.
Using a gravatar helps you get a consistent avatar across multiple sites.
Gravatars also help create a brand identity for your profile, allowing people to instantly recognize you.
Not sure how to get a gravatar?
Or keep several tabs open to check updates in Twitter, Facebook, and Friendfeed?
If you’re using IE or Firefox, get the Yoono plugin to make life easier.
Yoono also supports popular IM networks.
Or if you’re a power social user, try using the Flock net internet ride.
Both of them support all popular webmail accounts, IM networks, and social networking sites.
Use a Consistent Username
For people to easily recognize you, use a common username across all sites.
Use specialized sites likeKnowem, Namechk, or Usernamecheck to check availability of your preferred username.
Maintain consistent brand names across networks using these tools.
As individuals, avoid signing up on services you are never going to use.
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Image Credit:Brian Solis, NvI dNI Ia ci14N NI
