Meet new people

Interestingly It is almost impossible to go anywhere or talk to anyone these days who is not involved in a social network of some sort. Blasts from the past, childhood buddies, work colleagues, boyfriends and best friends alike all make up our own bespoke online communities. However, until now, it has been very challenging to find a way (outside of the dating arena) to branch out and meet new people who share our interests.

The web has erupted waves of UK internet users, all flooding to a new and highly anticipated Social Network. Bloggers recount that the site, bongal, fills the ultimate gaping void in the social networking show-ground.

The co-founder of the site, Rory Marshall tells us that “I strongly feel that bongal will be huge as it is firmly planting its feet in an untapped niche by connecting users based on their interests and locations rather than just their existing friendship circles. When you work, study or relocate, it can be difficult to meet likeminded people to discuss your interests and hobbies in both the real world and online.” When asked about the future of bongal, Marshall added “being a new site we are able to quickly react to user requests and adjust as the site gathers momentum, especially during the initial stages”.

The site had been developed by Marshall and his agency Rippleffect. It has now been live for a few months and is already approaching 20k members. Further to the popularity of ‘The Social Network’ movie in theatres across the globe, the story of this innovative venture is sure to cause a stir.

Will Rob Green be in goals come Friday?

Will Rob Green be in goals come Friday?

What were everyone’s expectations before the match kicked off on Saturday evening? The optimists were expecting a resounding win, the pessimists a loss and the realists were hanging-out for a draw or at best, a very narrow England win.
England has, without a doubt, one of the best squads in the World Cup, only Spain, Brazil and Argentina blatantly have a stronger group of players. Gerrard, Lampard and Rooney can easily be mentioned in the same breath as Xavi, Kaka and Messi, but it’s the rest of the squad that soon falters.  Where Spain has Torres, Fabregas, Alonso and Villa, we have Heskey, Crouch and an outstanding but constantly injured centre-back, in King.
And this brings me nicely to our goal-keeping debacle. We haven't had a standout goalkeeper since David Seaman. James has been in good form, but is partial to the odd mistake. Hart hasn't had enough experience yet to step up to the plate and after Green's howler of a mistake on Saturday, I don't think he has the mental capacity to get it out of his head before the next game on Friday.
Compare this to Spain's situation (I know I keep bringing up our Mediterranean friends, but you can't ignore them at this World Cup) and they have three of the best goalkeepers in the tournament with Reina, Casillas and Valdes. What a situation to be in! Imagine having some of the best goalkeepers, best strikers and best midfielders in the world, all playing for the same country.
I’m not saying England can't win the World Cup, its the best squad we've had for maybe 20 years, but to win then they must get some luck, as we will no doubt run into the Argies, the Spanish or the Brazilians at some point in the tournament, and there's not much our boys can do without a little bit of luck.
Will Green be there to see us through to the final though? Thankfully that’s not my decision!

Faceparty vs Bongal

As a concept bongal grew from looking at sites like Faceparty and Bebo etc and realising that there was something missing. People are chatting away on these sites with random strangers which is fine. But there is so much wasted time realising that a large number of people who you chat to don't share any of your hobbies or interests. After doing some research into what actually makes for an interesting conversation, the team at bongal realised that it is chatting about interests. That is what we all do every day in the real world, whether it be with friends or family. Reading the paper, watching the news, its all stuff we are interested in.

That is where the next step came in the evolution of bongal.com. The focus on interests. We asked ourselves, what is the best way to connect people based on their interests? Then it came to us. We could use groups like so many other sites do so badly, bongal would do well. A group is after all an "interest group".

In bongal there are thousands of groups already connecting users. You join a group related to your interests, start or get involved with a discussion, then from there the connections can start. You will meet some really interesting people as well as catching up with all the things that interest you.

By doing this bongal takes a giant leap away from Faceparty and alike and moves into its own niche. No other site connects people in this unique way. This is what makes the whole bongal experience so exciting. What could be more entertaining than catching up with all the news and gossip that interests you while at the same time meeting new and exciting people who actually interest you and want to talk to you about your shared interests.

Bongal is free to join and already has 10s of thousands of members connecting every day. It really is worth a look but make sure you join a few groups to get the bongal gears in motion.

So what is bongal

What is bongal? We here you ask.

Bongal is the first interests based social network connecting users based on interests, lifestyles and locations. The aim of the site is not to try to pull members from other social networks like Facebook or Twitter etc. It is simply to offer a brand new service for members to be able to chat and connect with each other based on their interests.

After joining bongal users are encouraged to join groups because by doing this it enables bongal to learn the interests of each user. This enables bongal to recommend other groups and other people based on those interests. The site also includes a fantastic chat facility meaning that as members make friends in the site, they will be able to chat to whoever is on-line.

Members are also able to create their own groups in the site. When they create a group, they are able to tag it to up to 3 different interests. The group will then be suggested to other users that share those interests. This is a great way to promote your business or events. Groups are a great place to start discussions on what interests you. As users come into the groups they will see the discussions laid out in a forum style.

Bongal is continually being updated and improved by the admins. These improvements are made after continually asking for feedback from the members in order to ensure the site is always changing to suit the needs of the users.

Social Networking

What Is a Social Network?

Social Networking - perhaps you've heard of it before, but are not quite sure what it means.

Social network is the grouping of individuals into specific groups, like small rural communities or a neighborhood subdivision, if you will. Although social networking is possible in person, especially in the workplace, universities, and high schools, it is most popular online. This is because unlike most high schools, colleges, or workplaces, the internet is filled with millions of individuals who are looking to meet other people, to gather and share first-hand information and experiences about any number of topics. . . from golfing, gardening, developing friendships and professional alliances.

When it comes to online social network, websites are commonly used. These websites are known as social sites. Social networking websites function like an online community of internet users. Depending on the website in question, many of these online community members share common interests in hobbies, religion, or politics. Once you are granted access to a social networking website you can begin to socialize. This socialization may include reading the profile pages of other members and possibly even contacting them.  

The friends that you can make are just one of the many benefits to social networking online. Another one of those benefits includes diversity because the internet gives individuals from all around the world access to social networking sites. This means that although you are in the United States, you could develop an online friendship with someone in Denmark. Not only will you make new friends, but you just might learn a thing or two about new cultures or new languages and learning is always a good thing.

As mentioned, social network often involves grouping specific individuals or organizations together. While there are a number of social networking websites that focus on particular interests, there are others that do not. The websites without a main focus are often referred to as "traditional" social networking websites and usually have open memberships. This means that anyone can become a member, no matter what their hobbies, beliefs, or views are. However, once you are inside this online community, you can begin to create your own network of friends and eliminate members that do not share common interests or goals.

As I'm sure you're aware, there are dangers associated with social networking including data theft and viruses, which are on the rise. The most prevalent danger though often involves online predators or individuals who claim to be someone that they are not. Although danger does exist with networking online, it also exists with networking out in the real world, too. Just like you're advised when meeting strangers at clubs and bars, school, or work -- you are also advised to proceed with caution online. By being aware of your cyber-surroundings and who you are talking to, you should be able to safely enjoy social networking online. It will take many phone conversations to get to know someone, but you really won't be able to make a clear judgement until you can meet each other in person.  Just use common sense and listen to your inner voice; it will tell you when something doesn't feel right about the online conversations taking place.

Once you are well informed and comfortable with your findings, you can begin your search from hundreds of networking communities to join. This can easily be done by performing a standard internet search. Your search will likely return a number of results, including MySpace, FriendWise, FriendFinder, Yahoo! 360, Facebook, Orkut, and Classmates.