Social Networking. The term is everywhere these days-on the news we watch, in the articles we read and now, it's even beginning to show up in our work places. But what does social networking mean?

At its simplest, social networking can be imagined as a "map" of all our connections. An individual person may have four close friends, but each of those friends has their own network and so on. In the past, it took a direct introduction to really get the opportunity to use those connections in a meaningful way. But now, with the expansion of both the Internet and the computer skills of those who use it, people are able to take advantage of those connections via online social networking outlets.

In the past, these outlets-which first gained wide recognition around 1994 with Geocities Web groups-were used primarily for fostering personal relationships for leisure and hobby sharing. Now, however, companies and employees are taking advantage of the wide audiences and large visibility of popular social networking sites, making this a better time than ever to gain professional contacts and build business relationships.

The National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA) realized the potential to keep our members engaged and up-to-date using these sites. The cancer registry profession is, in some ways, aging; many registrars are nearing retirement age and a need is there to attract young professionals into the field, which is busier than ever. But antiquated methods of communication such as printed newsletters and paper mailings don't appeal to many on-the-go professionals of ANY age. We had to reach our members at their own level.

NCRA started with Facebook (www.facebook.com). The site, originally designed to help Harvard students communicate with one another, is now open to any person 13 or older. Members can create personal pages, but they can also become "friends" with their peers and join groups of members with similar interests. NCRA took advantage of this free marketing and communication tool by creating a Facebook group-where members can join to directly chat with their peers-as well as a "fan page," where members can get NCRA and cancer registry related updates on their screen the moment they log in and have them sent directly to their e-mail. This helps NCRA to promote membership benefits, but beyond that it helps members and even those not yet in the registry profession to learn about the field and the association, and have an outlet to communicate both with staff and other registrars. Through Facebook, NCRA has made more than 500 contacts who keep spreading the word to one another, and members are happy to have a less formal way to contact NCRA.

But, like everything, online culture is constantly changing, and with it goes the flow of easily accessible information. The most recently popular social networking site, Twitter (www.twitter.com), allows members of that site to post short "Tweets"-140-character updates about various things going on in their lives and to follow the "Tweets" of other friends. NCRA has created a Twitter page, so that registrars can get little bursts of information on hot registry topics that will keep them up-to-date and informed. This site will launch in the next few months.

As HIM professionals, most ADVANCE readers are probably already computer savvy, but may feel a little intimidated by social networking sites. There is nothing to be afraid of, though! Nor does maintaining a page on these sites require constant updating. A page can be created with your basic information and interests, which will draw potential business contacts right to you when they search for those interests! On a personal level, you may end up being reconnected with old friends or colleagues. On a professional level, NCRA's Facebook page is the perfect example of how hundreds of people can be brought together by a mutual career or passion - with questions being answered at your fingertips and instant career connections for future professional development-all because you took 2 minutes to create a page. For such a little investment-a few minutes of time, and zero dollars-it's hard to lose.

Lauren E. Hefner is membership and credentialing manager, NCRA.