Social Networking: Fun & Games

So, you've written the great American novel, recorded a platinum album, sold your first painting to MOMA for a few million, and cataloged your entire book collection. How about some pure fun and games with a side order of sillyness?

Game On
Gaia Online--Gaia (pronounced "guy-uh") is a hybrid of Second Life and Pogo with a dash of LiveJournal and anime. It started as a hangout for anime and manga fans but you will find Gaians have a wide range of interests. The discussion boards range from America's Next Top Model to X-Men. Like Second Life, you have to work to earn virtual gold to buy clothes and items for your avatar. You can play games, sell items in the marketplace or shake the trees in towns for gold (yes, in Gaia, money does grow on trees!). You can watch movies or tv shows in the Gaia cinema and then create a YouTube playlist for everyone else to watch. Gaia also features Quests sponsored by movie and anime companies where you can earn special items.

Habbo--Similar to Gaia Online but less traveled.

This Space is Going to the Dogs [and Cats]

more cat pictures

The past two weeks, you have learned about the myriad of social networking opportunties available to you but what about your dog or cat? Don't they deserve their own site? Never fear! You can create their own social network at Dogster or Catster. Even though the concept seems silly, it's a great way to connect with other pet owners and learn more about your best friend.

Are you on Facebook? Try Catbook or Dogbook instead.

RickRoll

You were promised silliness in the introduction and here it is. No, someone hasn't hacked our links. If you clicked on any links and found yourself viewing a copy of Rick Astley's video "Never Gonna Give You Up", then you've been RickRolled (not a RickRoll, I promise)! RickRolling reached critical mass this April Fool's Day when YouTube turned all their top videos into RickRolls. If you clicked on a link about chess, you got Rick Astley. If you wanted to watch a video of Tila Tequila in her bikini, you got Rick Astley. If you clicked on a link to win an iPhone, you got a big dose O'Rick. It quickly spread to all the social networking sites and that day, you could barely go a few hours without being RickRolled.

Discovery Exercises

1. Explore Gaia Online or Habbo. Play some mini-games (Pinball is my favorite) and explore the towns.

2. If you have a pet, get them online!

3. RickRoll someone.