A
social networking service (also
social networking site or
SNS) is a platform to build
social networks or
social relations among people who share similar interests, activities, backgrounds or real-life connections. A social network service consists of a representation of each user (often a profile), his or her social links, and a variety of additional services such as career services. Social network sites are web-based services that allow individuals to create a public profile, create a list of users with whom to share connections, and view and cross the connections within the system. Most social network services are
web-based and provide means for users to interact over the
Internet, such as
e-mail and
instant messaging. Social network sites are varied and they incorporate new information and communication tools such as mobile connectivity, photo/video/sharing and blogging.
Online community services are sometimes considered a social network service, though in a broader sense, social network service usually means an individual-centered service whereas
online community services are group-centered. Social networking sites allow users to share ideas, pictures, posts, activities, events, and interests with people in their network.