Wetpaint enables private messaging!

Wetpaint, the online wiki community builder (that we have previously previewed), has released a major new feature, which is (surprisingly) about social networking (and communicating)! Teachers are finding Wetpaint a good tool to use - so this new enhancement lends itself to adaptation for education.

Wetpaint users can now send private messages to other users. The demand for a private messaging system became overwhelming for Wetpaint, and they’re happy to announce that messages can be sent from one user to another, from one user to many users, and from many users to many users. This is the first wiki of its kind to bring about this level of communication, and further blurs the lines between social networking and wikis. Many features are overlapping from various realms of communication tools, from widgets becoming available on social networks (and WetPaint wikis) to mainstream services incorporating social networking components.

Bringing in private messaging options for Wetpaint users really brings their community aspects full circle.

From: Mashable! - the Social Networking Blog.

If you want to keep in touch with the changes and developments in Web 2.0 tools, or want some of the latest code!, then take out an email feed from Mashable, or add it too your RSS reader. Mashable is the world's largest blog focused exclusively on social networks.

Ning - Create your own social network

Have a look at Steve Hargadon’s School 2.0 social network and see a social network in the making.
He’s using Ning, a social network builder, and then look at Bill Drew's very active Library 2.0 network (includes school libraries but not confined to education).

'Library 2.0' got the familiar look of the social networks that our students frequent, with the welcome of our own professional community. Almost all the 700 members are from the USA, but there are people from Sydney and China and almost every part of the globe amongst the membership. Once you join, you automatically have a personal space. Some are personalised, well developed and interactive spaces and others are very basic.

Consider it a sandbox to experience the social network world.

In a Diocese where there is a focus on Web 2.0 technologies, maybe there is a place for us to actually model it with a Library 2.0 community.

And its free!

Jan