Move over Facebook. Watch out MySpace. Another Web site has entered the online social networking scene.

Offering users complete customizability of their own social networks, Ning.com, a free online social networking service, released its latest version Feb. 27, said Gina Bianchini, Ning co-founder and CEO.

The free service allows users to create their own page about any subject of interest and form a network of people who are also interested in the topic, Bianchini said. While Facebook and MySpace can be used by anyone, offering pre-designed formats and standard networks for people to passively join, Ning offers a platform for users to join networks that are specifically interest-based and completely customized by the network's creator, she said.

"People like the option to create their own things," Bianchini said.

The service allows people to
register for an account if they
wish to browse or join public networks and to become creators of their own public networks, which allow anyone to join, or private networks, which users can join only by invitation from the network's creator, Bianchini said.

Creators decide on aesthetic
features of their network, video and picture sharing, what information appears in member profiles and whether or not it will include discussion forums, she said.

Since its release, Ning has added more than 15,000 networks. Its previous version accumulated about 30,000 networks during its two-year run, Bianchini said.

Bianchini said Ning has no intention of replacing Facebook or MySpace but that the company considers itself an extension of the popular sites. The site has already seen members creating social networks for their own colleges, namely for their greek organizations, she added.

"We actually put first and foremost for people to create their own worlds or their own social networks -- to create the perfect social network for them and their community," Bianchini said.

People use sites like Ning because "social networking is part of all human existence," said Andrea Tapia, sociologist and assistant professor of Information Sciences and Technology (IST).

"A lot of people use social networking sites to express themselves to basically say, 'This is who I am. This is the uniqueness of me,' " Tapia said.

Despite rare exceptions, it's unlikely that people will meet their best friends or life partners through online social networking because it doesn't help create or build strong ties with others, Tapia said. Social networking does, however, have the ability to help form weak ties -- minor friendships and acquaintances that people may not make otherwise, she said.

John Carroll, professor of IST, said millions of people worldwide invest their time and effort into online social networking.

"Instead of socially organizing one fraternity or one campus, we're talking about the whole world -- or the Net world, anyway," Carroll said. "I think it's a fun thing. It's a fun time to be alive."

Carroll said it's likely that college-aged people will be open to trying a new social networking site even though they may already be familiar with Facebook or MySpace.

"When you're younger I think you value change and you're interested in new experiences," Carroll said. "I think some of the people who are in Ning [currently] were in something else a year and a half ago."

Sam Jannotti (senior-architectural engineering), who uses Facebook to keep in touch with friends from home and people he doesn't see often around State College, said he probably won't give up using Facebook for Ning. But Jannotti said if Ning's use became more widespread and Facebook's popularity faded, he might consider switching to another online social networking site.

"I think I'd probably be fine with [the social network] I have," Jannotti said. "I probably waste enough time with Facebook already."