By Gary Le Marquand

Micro blogging is a form of multimedia blogging that allows users to send brief text updates to be viewed by anyone or by a restricted group/friends These messages can be submitted by a variety of means, including text messaging, instant messaging, E-mail, digital audio or the web.The content of a microblog differs from a traditional blog in that it is typically smaller in actual size. A single entry could consist of a single sentence or fragment. But, still, its purpose is similar to that of a traditional blog. Users microblog about particular topics that can range from the simple, such as "what one is doing at a given moment," while they are out and about on their travels. Many microblogs provide short commentary on a person-to-person level, share news about a company's products and services, or it is used just to provide current events in that persons life.

Other leading social networking websites Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, and XING also have their own microblogging feature, better known as status updates. These sites have more content to them so therefore are not microblogging sites

Microblogging services have also emerged as an important source of real-time news updates for recent crisis situations, such as Mumbai terror attacks or Iran protests. The short nature of updates allow users to post news items quickly in real-time, reaching its audience in seconds.

With the growth of microblogging, many users want to maintain presence in more than one of these social networks.

Famous microbloggers: Lance Armstrong, Steven Fry, Al Gore, Shaquille O'Neill and Demi Moore

The main issues with micro blogging are privacy, security and integration. Privacy is a major issue due to the concerns of broadcasting social or work information to everyone who follows their feed. For about security. people are worried about the public seeing possible sensitive work information on public microblogging sites like Twitter. On example of this is NFL Running back Larry Johnson has been suspended by the Kansas City Chiefs while they investigate his alleged outburst against head coach Todd Haley and gay slurs made at the media on his twitter account. Integration could be the hardest issue to overcome because the company and its employees would have to adopt microblogging into the corporate culture. This would take time since companies would need to recognize its value before they could embrace it

Social networking sites are sites which allow users to build personal web pages and then share their content with just their friends or the world if they choose.

The most popular social networking sites are Facebook, MySpace and Bebo.

Facebook- Started in 2007 in the UK. Sice then the popularity has “rocketed”1. The site allows users to use applications for free. For example, playing each other on Farmville to compare against friends, to see how good they can build their farm.

MySpace- It has special music pages for artists who want to be recognised. It has over 200 registered accounts2. However, it has become less popular since the arrival of Facebook.

Bebo- This site is aimed at younger children as it is based around school groups. Surprisingly, it has the most account holders out of the three most popular sites.

Institutions are now using these sites to market their product/s. For example, Nike Football have a Facebook page which has content that markets their products.

1,2-http://www.icrossing.co.uk/fileadmin/uploads/eBooks/What_is_Social_Media_iCrossing_ebook.pdf

They give users a way of being part of a virtual society and being able to communicate with other users in a way that was not possible before Web 2.0

Give people a sense of community Another way for institutions to

market their product/s