Before everyone had their own blog, Twitter account and Flickr page, the way to express yourself was with your own zine (short for magazine and usually produced via a copy machine at Kinkos). Though it’s much cheaper these days to get your point of view across electronically, that doesn’t mean zines no longer have a role to play. If you are a zine writer, editor, or even an enamored reader, We Make Zines is the social network for you.

Lest you think zines have gone the way of the 8-track, check out the forums of We Make Zines. The more than 500 members of the network are discussing the zines they make themselves, retired zines they’d like to see make a comeback and the best books on zines. The forums are limited only to specifically talking about zines. The zine culture was — and still is — heavily connected with music, so there are mixtape (er, CD?) exchanges to get involved with as well.

It isn’t an either/or. You can publish both online and in print, and the vibrancy of the We Make Zines network (and its associated blog posts) is a testament to the ability of zine authors to thrive in both mediums. If you make zines, or want to start, then take a break from the photo copier, and join We Make Zines!

Congrats to MyarchN, your “friendly network about architecture,” for being nominated in the second annual Mashable Open Web Awards in the niche social network category!

When last we checked in with MyarchN, in March of this year, things were looking a little different on the network. Since then, Network Creator Rafael Marxuach has further developed his network, both in its overall design and its content. With almost 2,000 members, the network truly is the place for architecture buffs to connect with each other and talk about their favorite subject.

Online voting starts today and goes through Nov. 30. It’s easy to vote; just cast your ballot here.

What issues are on your mind? Whether you are dieing to discuss politics, entertainment or anything in between, Slungle, a socially liberating jungle, is the place to speak up.

Slungle is described by its Network Creators as “a real-time, interactive, authentic social community of meaningful ideas.” Members are encouraged stand up and be heard. As you might expect, the Network’s groups are a great place to share your opinions and ideas with like-minded people. Topics vary from business to fashion, education to faith.

For some real-time discussion, Slungle takes the forum to the next level and offers Slungle Brew, a weekly broadcast that involves engaging and informative issues. Every Wednesday night, host Joanna Repsold brings up topics from the news and forum that affect your life. The rest is up to you!

Slungle Brew was created to “impact this generation for a significant tomorrow”. Join Slungle today to participate in the interactive discussion!

Despite what you see in the media, gay marriage isn’t the only issue that GLBT Americans are concerned about. Homosexual people face a host of health issues, from HIV and STDs to issues with hospital access for partners. The online meeting place for gay men who are actively working to advocate for health issues is Gay Mens Health Summit.

The focus of the network is engaging and empowering gay men to make both good decisions in their own lives, and to promote healthy living for others, as well. Network members have a group to create a strategy for advancing a pro gay-men’s health storyline in the media. In the forum, they’re discussing ways to reduce risky health situtations and debating different organizations’ approaches to dealing with HIV.

While many members have differences, the social network provides a valuable space for collaboration, disagreement and planning. If the health of gay men in your community is of importance to you, make yourself heard when you attend the Gay Mens Health Summit.

Forget what you know about a cappella from listening to glee clubs in college dorm rooms and student unions. Straight No Chaser is the real deal — talented, funny and even better, always in tune. The 10 members interact with fans, post concert info and blog about the latest group happenings on the Straight No Chaser social network.

It’s great to see the different members of Straight No Chaser use the network blogs to reach out to their fans. Randy Stine used his to thank fans for purchasing their new Christmas album and give an update about ways that fans can access a bonus track. Group mate Dan Ponce wrote about the thrill of being able to purchase his own album — a longtime dream come true. Finally Michael Itkoff mentioned the thrill of getting cell phone pictures of the SNC album in stores sent to him from friends and family. Reading what the talented members of the group have to say is a lesson in humility and not letting fame get to your head. Even better? It allows fans to get a glimpse of what life is like for their favorite a cappella group.

With a new album out, and a tour underway, Straight No Chaser is about to head in to the limelight. Say you knew them — and networked with them — back in the day, when you asked for Straight, No Chaser.

If the words VH1, Mystery and “negging” mean nothing to you, then you’ve probably never settled in on a Sunday night for an episode of The Pick-up Artist.

The show follows the trials and tribulations of a group of lovable losers as they attempt to learn how to pick up unsuspecting ladies from a trio of “expert” hosts: Mystery, Matador and Tara, who offers a female perspective to the struggling Casanovas. Now you can connect with Tara directly through Pick Up Tara, her own social network.

Not surprisingly, it’s the videos that rule this network. Catch up on all the latest Pick Up Artist hilarity by watching clips from resent episodes, like this one where the guys need to stay calm when a sexy nurse is brought in. For Tara’s perspective on how to get over a broken heart, you’ll want to watch this network video. If you really want to know what Tara — and the contestants — are thinking, make sure to catch up on her blog, where she interviews those who have been kicked off the show and recaps the episodes from an insider’s perspective.

Think you have what it takes? Then Pick Up Tara if you can!

For many women, it’s easy to think it has to be an either/or. Either have a successful career or be a successful mother. The women of The Integrated Mother know that it’s possible to do both, but that it helps to have a supportive network of women who’ve been there before guide them along the way.

Groups help the network’s members find women to connect with who are in similar situations. There’s the group of breadwinner moms and another one for ladies who work in management. For single moms who also hold full-time jobs, the pressures and stresses of keeping it all together can be intense, which is why the group for these hard-working women is such an asset.

These days, women can have it all — but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Mothers who thrive both at home and in the office can find support, advice and more when they join The Integrated Mothers network.

We believe in social networking for fun or profit. Especially with the hard economic times many of us are facing everyday, there are a few ways to generate a little extra cash from your social network on Ning. With the exception of running your own advertising, all of these options are free to try and probably worth the ten minutes it takes to set up them up.

Here are a few ways you can make money on Your Social Network on Ning, in order of ease:

Run your own advertising

We’ve built a fast and easy way for you to run your own advertising on your social network on Ning with a credit card and a few clicks. While it does require purchasing one of our premium services, you can try it for a month and, if you can drive more than $24.95 in advertising or sponsorships, it may be worth it to subscribe to this option on an ongoing basis. To give this a try, purchase our premium service to “Control the Ads”. To get there, first go to your network’s Manage page and choose Premium Services:

From the Premium Services page, then choose the option to “Control the Ads” and follow the instructions to copy and paste whatever advertising you want to add. While you can use any advertising network that offers you the ability to copy and paste HTML code into your network, Google AdSense is the best known and probably the easiest to get up and running quickly.

Once you’ve added the code, sit back, relax and watch the dollars start rolling in. Ok, for many this might be a trickle, but what’s important is that it is cheap, easy and may be a great way to earn a little extra cash from your social network on Ning.
Continue reading We Love Capitalism (Recession Edition)…

Today we passed 600,000 social networks on Ning! We’re seeing new networks come fast and furious and the breadth and depth of them continue to make us giddy. Thank you for your support and phenomenal creativity. It continues to motivate and inspire us. Thanks!

“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”

So said Ben Franklin, a native of Pennsylvania. It’s only fitting to quote him when discussing Beer Valley, a social network created with the express purpose of advancing beer culture in the Delaware Valley, which includes New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware.

Maybe if this network was about water, it would have normal tabs, but it’s about beer, so it has extra-awesome tabs that animate (the bottles go empty and the tops pop off) when you roll over them. Coupled with the beer-inspired background image, and cheeky license plate header, there’s no question what the focus of Beer Valley is on; celebrating Delaware Valley’s favorite drink through events, reviews and spirited discussion.

The beer-guzzling members of Beer Valley are discussing life’s most important issues on the network forums. For example, what are America’s five best bars for beer lovers? And what foods go well with beer (besides peanuts and French fries, of course)? Whether you are looking for a specific type of beer and don’t know where to get it, or you just want more information, there’s a wealth of helpful information (and members) living in the Beer Valley.

Whether you believe beer is proof of a higher being, or just evidence that when you combine hops and malt you can get a delicious beverage, the beer-loving community in Delaware Valley is reading to welcome you with a proverbial pint glass.