Methods of Communication

Picture from: https://www.malmstrom.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/836410/the-air-force-and-social-media

One of the most popular features of the internet is communicating at a distance. There are multiple methods of communicating and staying in touch online:

1. Social Networking: One of the primary uses of the Internet has become social networking. There are a variety of methods to network with those around you through media sharing, status updates, and even instant messaging services. Popular social networking sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, and even Instagram focus on microblogging, or short status updates to share with the public and house thousands of daily users. 
2. Email: Electronic Mail is a quick method of communication that does not require immediate response from the intended recipient. Email continues to be the most popular method of communicating for businesses, schools, and even personal use (though this is seeing a slow decline). There are multiple platforms that host email servers including the most popular: Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook. 
3. Wikis and Blogs: Blogging sites, such as what you are viewing now, are great methods of online journaling and sharing with others. Blogs allow for a user to post content and share it with a wide audience based on specific interests. Additionally, Wikis are another resource where multiple users can submit information. A Wiki is very similar to the ultimate in online collaboration as information on a particular subject is gathered (such as resources, text information, related links, etc.). 
4. Pod and Webcasts: While most communication is asynchronous, meaning the information does not need an immediate response from a user, there are most live methods of communication. Podcasts are audio only live streams of broadcasting that delivers content, typically on a regular basis. Podcasts can be recorded and viewed later and function almost like a radio show, except online. Additionally, webcasts work very similarly only they include video with the audio. 

References: https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/beyondemail/all-about-online-communication/1/, https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/wikis/, https://www.twitch.tv/, https://www.facebook.com/