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Print ArticleSOCIAL NETWORKING SITES/WEB 2.0 SITES
What is it?
Social networking sites (also known as “Web 2.0”) are websites that specialize in forums, blog postings, and other user-created content. Examples include MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Twitter is one of the newer technologies where users can post short messages even from mobile devices such as cell phones and IPods. It has quickly been adopted by major press outlets and celebrities and has been instrumental in getting news out of Iran during the recent protests.
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These sites not only allow for free communication, but they can be great advertising tools. They can promote products and services, as well as deliver links back to the fabricator’s main webpage to further increase its visibility.
YouTube videos of products and services are very likely to show up high on Google/Yahoo/MSN search results, and can offer a far more in-depth view to the customer. For example, fabricators can take a video camera to a finished jobsite and post the tour as a YouTube video, with links in the description back to their website.
MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter are great for networking with people who can spread word of mouth or make in roads with other people in the industry. They can serve as outlets to tell customers about new discounts, materials, changes in the industry, and other valuable information.
More industry-specific social networking sites, such as thefabricatornetwork.com and stoneadvice.com offer information to fabricators on how to save money in the shop, product recommendations, sink .DXFs, tutorials, and the pleasure of sharing experiences with fabricators from around the country and the world.
What’s the catch?
They take time and work. Getting any social networking going requires lots of posts with interesting content and time to search out and befriend people of similar interests. One may also have to monitor and censor comments sections that can be abused by people with too much free time.
FREEWARE
What is it?
Freeware is free or extremely cheap software downloadable from various websites such as download.com and sourceforge.net. This software can range from simple applications to alternatives to major brand-name software packages. Search engines like Google can also find freeware alternatives to expensive software. Try searching for the brand name plus the word “alternative.”
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Not only is freeware free/cheap, it is also a great way to get specific feature sets rather than having to buy a much larger and more complex software package. For instance, a fabricator not looking for a whole CAD/CAM system can find simpler drawing applications. A fabricator who does not want to pay for Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access) could try OpenOffice, which is a free alternative.
Freeware sites contain many useful standalone applications and add-ons to popular software as well. Data recovery software, file converters (such as from Word to .PDF), anti-spyware/malware software, video editing software, mobile phone applications, and many other categories too numerous to name here, can all be found on freeware sites.
What’s the catch?
The saying “you get what you pay for” is unfortunately true. Freeware will almost never come with technical support, may lack the quality controls of a paid package, and may have been a one-time flight of fancy of a bored programmer who will never update it with new features or bug fixes. Some free software sites will be rife with spyware, pop-ups, and other annoyances, which are often used to offset the cost of the software’s development. Lastly, the download sites are not always clear about what is totally free, a free demo, or a paid package up front.
Wrapping It Up
The Internet’s continued integration with all aspects of our everyday lives makes it increasingly necessary for businesses to harness its power. While learning and using these technologies can seem overwhelming at first, the potential benefits are very high. With a little work every day, they can become valuable assets to any business. Best of all, each of them can build on the others until the business using them is not merely surfing the web but actually out there making waves.
