NetHooks Blog

We are finally launching our NetHooks Facebook application - My Professional Network. Check out more details below.

Professional Networking on Facebook

NetHooks, Inc – a new professional networking site announces the launch of one of the first professional networking applications on Facebook, My Professional Network.

The introduction of professional networking on Facebook is one of the first steps NetHooks is taking to provide NetHooks users the ability to access their data and network externally through applications. The introduction of professional networking on social networking sites such as Facebook is in line with NetHooks’ vision to create an effective networking portal and make professional networking more convenient for users. NetHooks will soon be releasing their Professional Networking application on Bebo, MySpace, Hi5, Orkut and Friendster.

NetHooks’ My Professional Network application allows users to engage in professional networking right on the application without having to visit the main NetHooks website.

One of the unique features of NetHooks Facebook application is the ability for users to easily join NetHooks without having to go through the registration process. The application is also setup with an auto login feature which allows users to enter NetHooks website without having to input their username and password.

By using NetHooks professional networking application, users on Facebook will be able to search and network with professionals outside their Facebook network. Users are able to connect, contact and send recommendations to other professionals from the application.

Users’ privacy is important to NetHooks, especially in having a professional networking application on a social networking site. When using the My Professional Network application on Facebook, users’ Facebook profiles are kept private and are not linked to their professional profile.

Here is a brief demo of NetHooks Facebook Application:

Access NetHooks Facebook App here: http://www.new.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=10054611566

We have added 4 more widgets on Member Portal. We have added Techcrunch, Mashable, NY Times and CNN widgets which will allow you to view latest news from the respective sites while you are on NetHooks. In the next few days, we will be releasing more widgets on Member Portal. Check it out and let us know what you think.

Over the past months NetHooks team has been working hard to implement users’ feedback and suggestions on the site.  We have just completed a whole lot of changes on NetHooks from design to features and functionalities. Starting from the next few days, you will start seeing some of the changes that will be implemented on the site.

Thank you to all our users who have taken time to express ways that we can make the site better and more effective for users. Keep an eye out for our updates and if you don’t already have an account, we invite you to sign-up for our private beta.

NetHooks is getting ready for some major updates on our site. So check back in the next week or so to find out some of the new features that we will be rolling out soon.

Like we mentioned previously, Brenda McLaren, one of our co-founders was interviewed during the Mashable Open Awards event. In the video, Brenda shared some information on our future plans and our vision for NetHooks. To view the full article on Mashable, click here

We will be back at Austin again. We were just there this last Christmas. But this time, we are attending the SXSW Interactive event. We are looking forward to the event since it is the first time for us. So if any of you are attending, let us know, we can meet up and go for a drink or good ol’ Texas brisket. Also this time, we are going to bring Blue Bell Ice Cream home.

We would like to thank everyone for nominating NetHooks for the Crunchie awards. Even though we did not win, we were flattered that you thought of us and nominated us for the categories of Best User Interface Design and Best New Start-Up for 2007. 

We will work harder next year.

Cheers. 

By now I am sure you are aware that NetHooks provides its users the option to display a My Personal page where you can include a profile photo, pictures and other personal information.

The purpose of the My Personal Page is to include a personal / social touch to your professional profile. The motivation behind this feature is the thought that at some point in your professional networking, your connections might want to know the face behind the profile. They may also be interested to know what social traits you have in common.

Perhaps you are thinking …why do I need a My personal page on NetHooks when I already have a Facebook account? The NetHooks My Personal page is not meant to replace your Facebook account (in the very near future, you will be able to import your Facebook information into NetHooks). For the record, we love Facebook. But Facebook is a social networking site (and NetHooks is a professional networking site). Because of this, sharing all of the personal/social information from your Facebook account may not be appropriate for professional networking. The NetHooks My Personal page allows you to include appropriate photos and information for a social touch while still keeping things professional.

How will it work with HR and hiring managers since looking at photos while making hiring decisions could possibly lead to discrimination lawsuits? We have setup a privacy tool which allows users to decide who gets to see your My Personal profile. This privacy tool gives you 3 options.

Option 1 – Public: Allows you to display your My Personal page publicly to everyone on NetHooks. So when users visit your profile on NetHooks either directly or through the Search Network page, the My Personal tab will be visible.

Option 2 - Private: Allows you to completely shut your My Personal page on NetHooks. Although the page can still be viewed by you through your Member Portal, others will not be able to see this page. Making your my Personal page Private rather than deleting it completely, leaves it open for future use.

Option 3 – Public to select users: This option allows you to decide who gets to see your My Personal page. You will be presented with a list of your connections and from there you can select those who will see your Personal page. Those who are not selected to view your page will not even know that you have a My Personal page. In fact, you can even set a completely different url for your My Personal page than for your Profile page.

So back to the question, why did NetHooks include social elements in Professional Networking? Simple. Not everyone who uses NetHooks is looking for a job. Some are connecting with their professors, some are soliciting business or performing contract work and some are casually looking to connect with other professionals. For all these scenarios and more… social elements within a professional profile may be the icing on the cake for professional networking. Besides, since this feature is optional and can be turned off and on, you have full control on how you want to use it.

We wish you the best in your networking efforts. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or feedback.

Well, it is about time. We will start giving out invites starting tomorrow for our private beta. Please feel free to sign up for an invitation from the home page.

Here are some of the features of NetHooks that will be released as part of our Private Beta.

1. NetHooks is Free for everyone!!! (Even after we graduate from our Beta)
   
2. Social Elements – NetHooks is a professional networking site that provides social networking elements all on the same platform. This means that you can have a personal profile with pictures and comments on the same profile. The best part of this feature is the privacy feature where you can choose to display the page publically for everyone to see or privately to only selected individuals.
3. Q/A section – NetHooks offers a Q/A page which allows users to post specific questions to others.  Users have the option to display their answers publicly on their Q & A section for others to see (this prevents answering the same questions multiple times).
4. Sample Work – NetHooks allows university students to display some of their works as part of their profile. Users can post sample works such as sample codes, art, thesis paper, designs, blue prints and etc.
5. Screen Contacts - This privacy feature allows users to set screening questions before a user can start contacting you. The purpose of this feature is to allow you to control the quality of users who can connect with you.
6. Internship listings – NetHooks will be one of the only sites to provide a comprehensive list of internships online. Internship service is currently free for all users.
7. Job Postings – NetHooks also provides job posting services within the site. Job postings are currently free for all users.
8. Event Listings – NetHooks provides event listings for recruiting events, job fairs, workshops, networking events, and conferences currently throughout North America.