The investigation into guidelines for use of social networking sites by University units is moving along. One of the items we're discussing is a definition of "social networking." We all agree that sites like Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace obviously fit the criteria. But what about a listserv or a forum discussion? Does the ability to Digg a site have anything to do with social networking?

Webster's defines social networking as " the use of a website to connect with people who share personal or professional interests, place of origin, education at a particular school, etc." This definition limits social networking to Web sites, so a listserv would not qualify.

I recently came across a page on the Chartered Institute of Public Relations site for social media guidlines. Listservs are not mentioned in these guidelines either, but content sharing sites, such as flickr and You Tube are. So, would that mean that NetFiles would be considered a social networking site for the U of M? It doesn't seem likely. Perhaps we need to stipulate that a social networking site be interactive, not passive.

If you have any ideas that may help us define social networking, please comment on this entry or send them my way.

I thought I'd list a few of the other articles I've found about social networking, for anyone who might be interested.

• How Higher Ed is Using Facebook Pages
• Social Media Policies and Procedures
• Sample Social Networking Policy
• How Non-profits Can Use Social Media (this one has a lot of great links at the end)