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Social software encompasses a range of software systems that allow users to interact and share data. This computer-mediated communication has become very popular with social sites like MySpace and Facebook, media sites like Flickr and YouTube, and commercial sites like Amazon.com and eBay. Many of these applications share characteristics like open APIs, service oriented design, and the ability to upload data and media. The terms Web 2.0 and (for large-business applications) Enterprise 2.0 are also used to describe this style of software.

Social network services allow people to come together online around shared interests, hobbies, or causes. For example, some sites provide dating services where users post personal profiles, locations, ages, gender, etc, and are able to search for a partner. Other services enable business networking (Ryze, XING, and LinkedIn) and social event meetups (Meetup).

A social network service focuses on building online communities of people who share interests and activities, or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others. Most social network services are web based and provide a variety of ways for users to interact, such as email and instant messaging services.

Social networking has created powerful new ways to communicate and share information. Social networking websites are being used regularly by millions of people, and it now seems that social networking will be an enduring part of everyday life. The main types of social networking services are those which contain directories of some categories (such as former classmates), means to connect with friends (usually with self-description pages), and recommender systems linked to trust.

Elgg

Elgg is a white label, open source social networking platform. It offers blog, networking, community, collecting of news using feeds aggregation and file sharing features. Everything can be shared among users with access controls and everything can be cataloged by tags as well.

It runs on Apache, PHP and MySQL - the same open source platform that the majority of web applications are written in. Elgg is compatible with enterprise technologies like the Zend Platform and any server environment that can run the Apache web server.

Elgg supports technologies like OpenDD, OpenID and OpenSocial, and the developers are directly involved in community efforts to push the envelope when it comes to data portability, federation and the user experience. Elgg is a great way to future-proof your social applications.

Development Status: Production/Stable.
License: GNU General Public License (GPL).
Operating System: Cross Platform.
Available Languages: English.
http://elgg.org

osDate

osDate dating and matchmaking script fully integrates with major bulletin boards (phpBB, vBulletin, etc.) and provides several payment modules, multiple skins, and free upgrades. Some features:

• Add multiple administrators, and specify super users.
• Dozens of global configuration options, easily accessible and changeable within the admin panel.
• Affiliates system with administrator controls and statistics.
• Advanced, web-based banner management. Specify start and end dates for which banners should be displayed.
• Powerful extended search option. Search for profiles using any of a dozen search criteria.
• Multiple payment methods are available, and fully configurable via the admin panel.

Development Status: Production/Stable.
License: GNU General Public License (GPL).
Operating System: Cross Platform.
Available Languages: English.
http://www.tufat.com/s_free_dating_system.htm

Dolphin

YouTube, MySpace, Odeo, Flickr, Match and Facebook - all in one, customizable and under your full control. You're limited only by your imagination - not by software. Dolphin Smart Community Builder is universal, free, open source software that allows you to build any kind of online community. With a huge variety of features & options, you can quickly develop your very unique and successful website.

Create dating sites, social networks, content sharing portals. Dolphin includes all the features of dating scripts and adds more. You just build the site of your dreams and deploy it instantly with the ease and elegance that only Dolphin can provide.

Dolphin provides simple yet sophisticated tools to build your own community site, but you can go further with the power of open source and a large, helpful and active community.

Development Status: Production/Stable.
License: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Operating System: Cross Platform.
Available Languages: English.
http://www.boonex.com/products/dolphin/

The base of this text is researched from different sources. The facts that are presented are checked and double-checked to be as correct and accurate as possible. However, Success Webmasters makes no representations or warranties as to the completeness or accuracy of the information.