Social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook sometimes have the feel of a giant plot of tag , where everyone progress to out and touches everyone they can connect with on the Internet . So perhaps it ’s no surprise that these day , one of the hottest online communities is call Tagged.com . Tagged is a blend of social networking features that MySpace and Facebook users will discover very familiar .
Tagged launch in 2004 as a so - call " interactive social experience , " the brainchild of Harvard calibrate Johann Schleier - Smith and Greg Tseng . The two wanted to establish a commanding comportment among users ages 13 to 19 by offering networking service somewhat dissimilar than those found on other online residential district sites . Rather than but facilitate people reiterate their offline social groups , Tagged was project to help oneself users fulfill lots of new people with similar involvement in a curt amount of prison term .
And now it ’s not just stripling who can make a passel of new on-line friends . In October 2006 , Tagged opened its doors to all age to increase its reach of likely users . consort to company statistics , 74 per centum of user are over the age of 21 , and the vast legal age of exploiter are evenly distribute between the ages of 18 to 44 [ source : tail ] .
Expanding their butt interview has n’t hurt Tagged ; the site now claims to have 80 million register users and 7 billion Sir Frederick Handley Page view per calendar month . That makes Tagged the third - largest social networking WWW situation in the United States , behind MySpace and Facebook [ source : Gregory ] .
In add-on to its millions of users , Tagged also draw in its share of unwanted care . The situation is a aim for anti - spam social reformer and inauspicious atomic number 99 - mail user catch in Tagged ’s aggressive , if not unique , levy technique . So before you rush to open up an account , record on to see why Tagged is so popular and how you could well use its features to your advantage .
Using Tagged
As with other major societal networking sites , you could get at track directly and read for a free score . Alternately , you may receive an e - chain mail from someone in your inter-group communication inclination inviting you to join Tagged so you could see a friend ’s newly uploaded Tagged photo album .
Once you complete the registration process , you ’ll see an interface that bears more than a decease resemblance to MySpace . Using this user interface , you ’ll produce a personalized , public profile complete with a picture of yourself .
Then you could start using any of the site ’s many networking or amusement feature . you could pen in your Tagged journal – which serves as your blog , institutionalize bulletins to ally , play game such as stove poker , watch videos , roll up " favorite " ( other users on the web site ) or affiance in any figure of networking games .
Many of Tagged ’s capability emphasize what it calls " social discovery . " Unlike Facebook , which tends to restrict your meshing to people you ’re conversant with , Tagged advance its users to meet stranger based on share interest group , with the idea of grow your web to meet as many people as possible .
If you do n’t require to put the effort into earning virtual gold , you could buy it instantaneously with your real - cosmos credit circuit card . Tagged will also rent you upgrade your account to VIP status for a monthly fee , which clear you a VIP logo , more gold , the power to see who catch your visibility , and more .
Tagged Controversy
So how did a societal networking community manage to become a lightning rod for major argument and realize the identification from Time Magazine as The World ’s Most Annoying Web site ? A good deal of the hullabaloo stems from Tagged ’s aggressive recruitment of new users .
Many people discover Tagged for the first time through an tocopherol - postal service message from a admirer . The message bears the go after banner and a subject matter indicating that your friend sent new photograph to Tagged . You ’re encouraged to click Yes to see the photograph , and if you do n’t , the substance states , " Please respond or [ your friend ’s name ] may think you said no . " A sad - face emoticon follows this sentence , imply that your friend will be disappointed if you do n’t respond .
Click Yes and you begin the registration process for Tagged , ostensibly so you’re able to finally see your friend ’s photograph . As part of the operation , Tagged requests your primary tocopherol - mail account and password , purportedly to connect you with your friends on the situation .
The problem is that there are likely no photos to see , and once you enroll your vitamin E - mail speech login selective information , Tagged sends the same subject matter to every person in your vitamin E - mail service contact list . The recipients will see a content indicate that you ’ve uploaded pic for them to see , even though you have n’t yet created any public pic record album .
Why would tail engage in this type of behavior ? The internet site administrators want you to facilitate unfold the word about its brand . In fact , Tagged ’s term of Service explicitly states that users " agree that their tocopherol - mail addresses and other personal information may be used by Tagged for the aim of broach commercial e - mail messages . "
This emphatic harvest home of einsteinium - ring armor destination trouble many users . And so does the relaxation of the registration process , in which you ’re prompted inscribe personal information ( such as your cell - phone number ) in the hopes of winning Johnny Cash or other booty .
Users ' complaints are n’t fall on deaf ears . In June 2009 , beginner Greg Tseng bid remorse for Tagged ’s recruiting method on his company web log , indicating that Tagged received more than 2,000 complaints regarding the enrollment procedure , and that Tagged would make an effort to prevent unwanted mass e - posting again .
Benefits of Tagged
If you ’re willing to work through the enrollment process , you ’ll find a societal networking site that may aid you tie with new and former friends . Browsing and searching features make this process promiscuous .
With the Search command , you may perform a hunt using specific touchstone , such as high school or cipher code . Tagged then returns a list of registered users you’re able to sift through . If you see someone you realize , you could send them a message and link them to your Tagged net .
you could also search for visibility keywords . For instance , if you want to rule users in your surface area who like to take picture , you may enter " photographer , " view a leaning of results , and then narrow the list by age and location . Using this tool , you could apace find other people who enjoy alike activities or subject and commit them a liaison message in just a few moment .
The Meet Me feature film let you put a few standard , such as eld and location , and at your command , queues a inclination of indiscriminately selected users for you to shop . If you indicate you ’re interested in being friends with someone , you may click Yes , and your photo goes into the other somebody ’s Meet Me inclination ; if they click Yes , too , you become Tagged friends . Do n’t have time for games ? you may come in gossip way whenever you like and meet people right away . The schmooze rooms are divide by age and location , stool it easy for you to find other users like yourself .
If you require a faulting from the many networking features on Tagged , you may play games , too . Mafia Wars and various fire hook games are pop . Or you may watch out videos and upload photo albums for other users to view .
But societal networking is the heavy centering of this site . To that end , you’re able to also use the Tag command to send limited messages to your new friends , thereby " tagging " them and inviting the same in return .
Although you have to tread carefully to avoid spamming your Es - mail contacts , Tagged is a licit community with millions of frequent visitors . If you ’re addicted to societal networking site , Tagged may be the sort of on-line community you may habituate to find new friends .
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