Connect with Australia’s newest Social Networking site

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While most Australians were busy preparing for Christmas and New Year celebrations, one of the country’s largest independently owned and operated websites for women, Australian Women Online, was building the nation’s first social networking site of 2010.

In the weeks during construction of AWO Connect, the site has attracted a lot of interest from those looking for a free social networking site with a uniquely Australian flavour and the site will be officially launched on 2nd January 2010 with 70 registered members – including members of the Book Club forum which has now been integrated with AWO Connect. Although we are expecting a lot of interest from women in Australia and New Zealand – men, community groups and organisations are also welcome to join this uniquely Australian social network.

The AWO Connect site will launch on 2nd January 2010 with an extensive list of social networking features including: live chat and private messaging; forums; groups; polls; events; photos; videos; blogs; and personal address book.

Whilst operating independently, AWO Connect also enables members to integrate content they have created on other social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, with the free social networking features being offered on the site at www.australianwomenonline.com/community.

Current Applications on AWO Connect include:

Connect with Facebook
For those with a Facebook account signing up with AWO Connect is as easy as clicking on the “Connect with Facebook” button located in the Members Login box at www.australianwomenonline.com/community. Furthermore, if you don’t currently have a Facebook account you can easily create one from AWO Connect using the “Connect with Facebook” feature.

My twitter updates
This application enables members to integrate their Twitter account so that all your published tweets automatically appear in your profile at AWO Connect.

Wall
This application is similar to the wall used on Facebook where other members of the site can write messages on your profile.

Eventlist
This application works with the Events feature at AWO Connect which is where members of the site can list events other members of the community may be interested in. If you click on the ‘register’ button in an event listing your intention to attend the event will show up in your profile.

Addressbook
This application enables members to maintain a personal Addressbook in their profile.

MyBlog
This application will publish your blog entries on your profile.

Current social networking features at AWO Connect include:

• Friends: like all social networking sites you can make connections with other members of AWO Connect and invite friends to join you on the site.

• Private Messaging: using this feature you can send private messages to your friends and other members of AWO Connect.

• Blog: all members of AWO Connect can maintain a blog on the site.

• Videos: share your favourite videos from YouTube, Yahoo Video, Google Video, MySpace Video, Flickr and many more.

• Photos: upload photos to the site and keep them organised them by creating photo albums.

• Groups: join a group or create your own. When you create a group you also have the option to keep your group private. The site will launch with four groups: weight loss; small business; quit smoking; and book club. Any registered member of AWO Connect can create and manage one or more groups.

• Chat: members can chat live on AWO Connect with other members of the community. Members also have the option to chat privately with their friends by creating a private chat room.

• Forums: all members of AWO Connect can participate in forum discussions. Each group on the site has a forum with related topics of discussion.

• Polls: if you are interested in what others think about particular topic or issue, as a member of AWO Connect you can create polls and allow members of the public to vote.

• Karma points: to encourage participation in the social network, members are awarded points for performing activities and participating in discussions on AWO Connect. Soon members will be able to use these points to send virtual gifts to their friends on the network and later in the year, members who accumulate the highest number of points will be able to earn real rewards.

For more information about applications and social networking features available at AWO Connect please visit the website www.australianwomenonline.com/community