How do Networking Sites work?

Here is a step-by-step process of how a generic social networking website works:

  1. A user registers an email address and password with the site, thus creating a unique account.

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  2. Typically, the site sends a confirmation email to the user’s address to validate that person’s identity.

  3. Next, the user may create his profile. This profile may contain whatever information he/she deems worthy and decides to publish online. He/she may choose, at this point, whether to make his/her profile public or private. A user may change or manipulate information in his profile whenever he/she so chooses. In this step, the new user can become a member of a number of networks. These networks can be based on high school, hometown, job, church, and any other type of social group.

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  4. Anyone may search for another user by name or email address, and request to be that user’s friend. That user can deny or agree to that friend request.

  5. When adding a user as a friend, that new friend can now see your profile, all the personal information the user entered. The new friend can also see any new information the user may post along the way, such as an online journal entry or photographs, which may be posted at any time.

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  6. Repeat steps four and five. The user will gradually accumulate a large list of friends, effectively adding himself/herself to the social network.