The joys of chasing links

Sometimes following links on the SLJ website can lead to fascinating destinations, making it worth the time I sometimes spend doing it. Not all link-chasing leads to frivolous sites to find out the latest celebrity scandal; in fact, none of SLJ's links do that, but you can often find useful tools for helping patrons. If you've ever tried to explain social software to teachers or parents, you know how difficult the concept can be, so finding a clear, logical article that explains the components of social software is very helpful. Here is just such an article, called "Social Software Building Blocks" It's rather old now--dating from 2007--but the concepts are still relevant and can help to explain the appeal of social networks for so many young people. The more understanding librarians and other adults have about social networking, the less likely they will be to try to block youngsters from using them. The faster we get schools and libraries on board to support constructive uses of social networking, the better we can serve the young people who use them.