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INTRODUCTION: THE SOCIAL NETWORKS: With the advent of technologies like broadband internet and live streaming has made tremendous strides influencing the lives of individuals including veterinarians. Recent ones such as the launch of 3G services in our country has revolutionized the way people connect each other. It's a much faster and smarter means of communicating among professionals from varied dialects. One should not forget the transformations brought about by the mobile telephony services in our country. It has led to an era of modernization and improvised civilization among the masses, especially rural India in the recent past. Connectivity among the people offers a wide range of possibilities. People can exchange ideas, view, opinions, discuss issues, debate and arrive to conclusions, avoid panic and solve vital issues including one having national importance. It is noteworthy mentioning the role played by the social networking websites in the mutation of our daily lifestyles. Social networks like Facebook, Orkut, Twitter, Blogger, etc offers a free space discussion forum for people to exchange their ideas and connect to others. A single user having say, 10 friends will be connected indirectly to more than one lakh individuals. These can range from a wide array of people including healthcare and veterinary professionals, technical persons, software experts, political leaders, celebrities, decision makers, media persons etc. This has created a virtual world which is ever growing and expanding. This article will focus the benefits of social networking with special reference to our beloved veterinary community. Initially, social networks were created with an idea to serve the people indulged in heavy workload to get rid of their loneliness and to add a crunch of spice to their lives. They used it as a means of relaxation from their busy schedule. In the recent times, there has been a shift of the user attitude towards a more of commercial and objective usage of social networks. Today, social networks are made use of to promote brands by companies, hire candidates by corporate, find a match by individuals, discuss various issues of national and international significance, express oneself, find solutions for problems by experts, get advice from doctors, find treatments to common maladies, connect with the world, shopping and purchasing and professional talks. To quote an example, a veterinarian has treated a case recently in his hospital and has uploaded the pictures and videos of that case on Facebook. Another veterinarian has seen them and with his curiosity and interest added satisfying comments on the treatment advocated. He was very pleased to see the photographs of the clinical case and had learned a lot from this forum. In this way, with the help of social networking he came in contact with a renowned expert in his field. As another example, one budding veterinary graduate came across with an unusual case of hermaphrodite kid during his internship days and was curious to share it with others. He uploaded the photographs of the case on Orkut. He got several responses, including expert comments from senior veterinarians. In this way he was enlightened about that condition. Thus, with the help of social networking sites, veterinarians can share ideas, discuss therapeutic protocols, share newer technologies, enlighten fellow vets about recent innovations of animal research, comment and debate on differing opinions, arrive at a common consensus, join hands and support each others for areas of common interest and stay connected with fellow veterinarians across the globe. With a view to expand possibilities and diversify the resources, social networks has become an integral part of the veterinary corporate and individuals including practitioners and research faculty. › They are used by pharmaceutical companies to create awareness about their brand and act as a marketing tool by popularizing it. › Used by amateur vets as means of upgrading their knowledge, acquiring practical skills, getting insight into the technical field problems and discuss case studies. › Researchers utilize social networks to kill boredom and discuss their prospective research with their counterparts. › Academic faculties utilize it to interact with their students and discuss their issues and problems outside the restricted classroom environment. › The higher ups such as the key officers of centre and state use it to update their status to the fellow vet fraternity for their perusal. THE COMMERCIAL ASPECTS OF SOCIAL NETWORKS: › Employers make use of this facility wisely by peeping through the profile of the desired candidate to know his/her personal interests, habits, hobbies, social profile etc so as to facilitate their recruiting process. › Field vets use it to highlight their brave therapeutic encounters under limited framework. › Student faculties share their common interests and make new friends among the profession and interact with a widely diversified population. › It provides a means of remedy for the home-sick people who dwell away from their residence by photo sharing, video chatting etc. › By this, we are creating a sort of virtual world, where each and every vet is connected with other by one way or another, thereby creating a Vetworld. One can never deny the role played by the newer communication technologies in TRANSFORMATION OF RURAL INDIA WITH ENHANCED CONNECTIVITY: revolutionizing the rural India. With proper implementation of schemes and introduction of new projects, the rural farming community has noticed a technology revolution by improvised communication, which is the backbone of any commercial activity in today`s fast moving population. Today, the rural farming community is enjoying the services of mobile telephony, satellite televisions, broadband internet access and even wireless connectivity in few of the villages. Gone are those days, when it used to take weeks and months for information to reach the far-most villages. This has totally changed the outlook of the rural community and has set new dimensions in animal husbandry sector. People are now aware of even the minutest details related to animal husbandry and livestock and are more adaptive to new innovations. Technology has come a long way in abolishing the myths and taboos of rural India and helped to develop a broader outlook among the members of rural community. This has to be tapped upon in a phased and prospective manner. It is inexorable to limit the expanding possibilities of the role played by social networks in the life of a veterinarian and the related prospects. It has become a pre- requisite tool for modern veterinary practice. It has certain limitations with respect to infrastructure availability at the field dispensary level. Hence, owing to its ever increasing horizons, basic amenities like computer systems with broadband internet access facility should be made available to every veterinarian, especially the field veterinarians. This initiative will come a long way in establishing a new identity for our veterinary community. THE FINAL VERDICT: SOCIAL NETWORKING As A Boon To Modern Veterinary Practice In India 1 2 Khaja Mohteshamuddin & Mahesh Dodamani 1) Veterinary Officer, Veterinary Dispensary, Kherda, Aurad, Dist: Bidar, Karnataka. 2) Assistant Professor and Hospital Head, Canine research & Information centre, Mudhol, Karnataka.
