It's a Brave New Social World!

An Ongoing Review of World Travel Social Networks
The World
Through a Computer Screen

Story & Media: Ben Rubin

Once upon a time, people explored the world with nothing but maps and perhaps a compass to guide them.  One generation later, the world of technology has opened new opportunities for world travelers to navigate and connect to the world at large.  For better or worse, it's a brave new social world!  Below is a review of world travel social networks that I've found useful during my travels.

Facebook
The world's default choice in social media

		No upfront financial cost, but keep in mind all your data, photos and even location will be tracked by Facebook under their ever-changing terms of service.
		It seems like almost everyone everywhere has Facebook.  The 'like' button also looks like a hitchhiker thumb for bonus travel points...
		For those who don't have a Facebook account, they will have no access to view your user posts. You can create a Facebook Page to avoid that issue, but that comes with it's own set of limitations, like not being able to tag friends in posts and comments.

FindaCrew
A ride/workshare community for international boating

		Although there is a free version, some features are reserved for premium customers, which costs around €50 a month and €280 a year.
		Great concept - the site offers lots of filters to help you find boats/crews sailing the seas around the world that suit your needs, even providing a match-making feature to show you which users/voyages offer what you're looking for.
		You are only allowed to contact the users with similar profiles and interests.  Although there are certainly exceptions, community seems to be largely made up of (single) retired men with private yachts, western names, and pensions.  A good half of the outgoing boats require a female-only crew.  Aside from limiting the options for men, voyages specifying a female-only crew may be a red flag for women who aren't looking to offer their 'physical services' to the captain, especially since most trips span several weeks or months alone at sea.