Plastics industry on Facebook

The plastics industry's use of social networking Web sites is on the rise, and Facebook is a big part of the equation. In the past day, I've gotten notes from two groups that recently created Facebook pages. The Milwaukee, Wis., chapter of the Society of Plastics Engineers is the newest. Milwaukee SPE already has a Web site and a very active membership group. Now the group has a Facebook page too, where it can post information about upcoming events, links to newsletters, plus the networking and messaging features that Facebook fans love. This is a great idea for SPE, which is working to come up with ways to attract young engineers to become members. (I imagine the Milwaukee SPE's Harley-Davidson Museum tour will help on that front, too. It is scheduled to May 20... check it out.) The other group with a new Facebook page is the American Chemistry Council, which has launched a page called "Mylecule" where friends or groups can establish bonds and connect directly with profiles of their friends. "ACC developed the Mylecule application so Facebook users can stay connected with their friends while learning about the basics and benefits of American chemistry," Lisa Harrison, VP of communications at ACC, said in a news release. Here's how it will work: The user is the nucleus, and each of his or her friends is represented by an "element" with their initials. The elements are joined together with bonds that show how many friends you have in common or how many common bonds you have. ACC has other social media sites, including a Facebook fan page, a YouTube channel, a Twitter handle and its own blogs. Social networking sites like Facebook are going to become more important in the future. They can be a great way to keep in touch with a group of individuals who have something in common. Think of it like a virtual class reunion Web site that anyone in your graduating class can visit or update.