I have a question for you: how would you like to make money, simply by posting messages on the Twitter social networking web site? Now, I am sure that you’ve heard this pitch before, and it comes across as one of those “get rich quick” schemes. Well, this isn’t of them; I can guarantee it from firsthand experience. This is an actual Web site, dedicated to bringing you, the Twitter user, and advertisers together, allowing you to monetize your Twitter account and bring in the big bucks.

I will be the first to admit that I am a fan of the Facebook social networking site, even if I am most commonly found on rivaling sites like Twitter and MySpace. It allows me to keep in contact with friends that I have made both online and in my personal life. As a matter of fact, the majority of my contact list on Facebook is comprised of people I met while attending high school here in West Virginia. Over time, however, Facebook, and I have had a falling out, due to the high amount of application spam (namely, YoVille and Farm Town) that has begun to spread virally throughout my inbox. Today, Facebook intends to fix that with the release of Facebook Lite.

Facebook Lite is just like Facebook, except that it only displays what it is absolutely necessary. Instead of having numerous sponsored advertisements, the sidebar only displays a link to Facebook’s Create An Ad program and a minimum of three suggested users (still based on mutual friends or location). The header bar, which usually contains a large amount of links, only displays links to your profile page, your events calendar, and your message inbox, making it easier to keep track of user activity on the Facebook site. Everything else appears normally, complete with avatars and the ability to like/comment on users’ posts.

It seems like there is still much work to be done on Facebook Lite, but Facebook is definitely off to a good start. What has your experience with Facebook Lite been like? Do you think that this new feature could help Facebook compete with other social networking sites? You can also become my friend on Facebook by heading over to my Facebook profile.

If there is any piece of gadgetry that I have always wanted to own, it is a smartphone. So you could imagine the excitement that was brewing inside me as I purchased the LG 840 Spyder II from my local wireless provider.

The first thing I noticed about the Spyder was its slide-out QWERTY keyboard, which would allow me to send text messages at a much faster rate (which is important in my line of work). It, with the addition of the integrated Web browser, would allow me to post status updates to Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube (the only social networks supported by Appalachian Wireless at this point), which allows me to keep my numerous readers informed as to what I am doing or what unique location I am visiting.

I also happened to notice that, unlike the Apple iPhone, the Spyder has four menu screens, each with a specific name and purpose. The first, simply known as the Main Screen, contains your general information, such as a custom banner and a clock showing the time. The second houses Widgets, or icons that lead directly into the numerous programs integrated into the smartphone (more on those later). In the third menu, I have the ability to separate my contact list, which mostly consists of friends and family, into three separate groups. The final menu handles all of the multimedia programs, such as video, images, and audio.

Speaking of multimedia, you should see the integrated digital camera! You can record high-quality video or take even higher quality photos (all the way to 2048×1536 resolution) with the Spyder’s built-in three megapixel digital camera. What sets this smartphone apart from its competition, however, is the ability to choose between the phone’s internal memory or a Micro SD card for storage, whereas most other phones only use the internal memory.

I know what you’re probably thinking: the features are great, but how is the sound quality? The answer to that is that it is the clearest-sounding cellphone I have ever owned. Voices (even in places with limited to no service) come across as though the other party is standing in the room with you, even through the included hands-free headset.

I must say that I am thoroughly pleased with this purchase, and would highly recommend this phone to anyone who has ever wanted to own a smartphone but was too afraid of “breaking the bank”. The LG 840 Spyder II is currently available at all wireless outlets for $49.99 (with two year contract).

So many social networking opportunities, so little Internet. Unfortunately, sharing your content on sites like Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, or FriendFeed leaves you at the mercy of another person. Fortunately, Boonex has created an open source, independent social network software that allows you to create your very own social network or dating site, with features like video chat, personal blogs, event and classified postings, instant messaging, and much more.