It’s 2010, and HIUG is getting with the times. We are excited to offer new and POPULAR ways to keep up with HIUG. We have launched groups on LinkedIn and Facebook. You can now find us on two of the most popular social median there is. Take your connections to the next level! What can you expect to find on these sites you might ask?

• HIUG Conference Updates
• Information about HIUG
• Relevant HIUG updates
• Relevant Oracle updates
• Like minded people that you can develop professional relationships

What you will not find is a replacement for the HIUG website. There are way too many features on www.hiug.org to change. Community Discussion threads, enhancement tracker and exclusivity are a few of the options that HIUG provides that we will not attempt to duplicate.

For those that maybe new to social media, here are the steps to connect to each site.

Getting connected to LinkedIn

1. Navigate to www.linkedin.com
2. Login (Or create a profile if you have not already done so. Follow the instructions. Remember you can come back later and fully fill out your profile) **Note Linked in is used in more professional setting, so create your account accordingly.
3. Change the Search dropdown to Group, then type in HIUG

OR

Click on the following link if you have a LinkedIn account: Go to HIUG Group

Getting connected to Facebook

1. Navigate to www.facebook.com
2. Login (Or create a profile if you have not already done so. Follow the instructions. Remember you can come back later and fully fill out your profile)
3. Click on the "Search" textbox then type "HIUG"

OR

Click on the following link if you have a Facebook account: Go to Facebook Group

Some Social Media Tips:

1. Respect the Community- This might be the most important rule of social media etiquette. Show respect to the community. It’s not that hard to do. Just make sure you don’t step out of line, and always treat everyone the way you want to be treated.
   
   
2. Don’t be a Keyboard Gangsta- Probably the worst thing about the Internet is the keyboard gangstas. You’ve surely run across at least one of these in your lifetime. They sit at their keyboard talking trash to everyone they encounter. They say things online that they would never have the nerve to say to a real person’s face.
   
   
3. Add Value to the Site- At the end of the day, the thing that will earn you great connections with others is if you add value to the community. Before you ever submit anything to a social media site, ask yourself “Does this article really add value to the community?” If not, reconsider submitting it.
   
   
4. Build Quality Relationships- People are more willing to help those who they really know. By building quality relationships with other users, you’ll always have someone in your corner to back you up. Remember, relationships require the participation of both parties; so, always be a good participant in your social media relationship.
   
   
5. Stop Pushing the Envelope- One of the fastest ways to alienate people online is to constantly flood them with requests for helping you out.
   
   
6. Be Accountable for Your Actions- Because of the anonymity the Internet allows, there is little to no accountability online. People say and do whatever they please without facing any repercussions. Don’t be that guy. Instead, try to be honorable by taking responsibility for your actions online. By being accountable, people will respect you, whether they agree with you or not.
   
   
7. Be Nice- All of these points add up to one thing—just be nice.