Eons™, the 50-plus media company for loving life on the flipside of 50, today offered its top tips for boomers curious about the world of online social networking. Eons aims to help eager boomers jump into the hottest game on the Web — meeting new people, exchanging experiences and making love connections.

“Boomers want in,” says Jeff Taylor, Eons founder and CEO. “After years of watching their kids live their life around activity on popular social networking sites, they are ready to play. But they’ve spoken loud and clear: They want to be with like-minded people where they can bring all their life experiences to bear, and many of them want a little guidance about the basics, as this is new territory.”

The most popular communities at Eons reflect what boomers are most eager to talk with each other about, from 50+ Singles and Six Degrees of Separation (Make New Friends) to Bookoholics, Travel, and Photography. Not only are they pursuing their passions, but they are supporting each other around pertinent issues at this life stage, from staying healthy, to grieving, to caring for parents. And to help everyone join the conversation, Eons has gathered feedback and peer-to-peer advice from its members to offer the following list of social networking tips:

Social Networking 101:

Be a Self Starter
Do – be yourself. If you are passionate about a certain topic, start your own group or blog and invite your friends and and online connections to join in the conversation. If you build it, they will come!
Don’t – get discouraged if you can’t immediately find a group discussion or blog that you like or are interested in.

Make a Love Connection
Do – consider the Web a good resource for dating and meeting new people. Try visiting groups gathered around topics that you find interesting. Take time to read other people’s profiles to learn their personality and find where you might click.
Don’t – solely rely on online dating sites and singles groups to meet people.

Share as Much as You Can
Do – post a full roster of the things you like the most — your most passionate hobbies and interests. If you’re an expert on a topic, make that part of your profile. Sharing more of your life will lead to greater ways you can connect with people who share your interests.
Don’t – post information you don’t want public — phone numbers, addresses, even your employer, could possibly provide group members with more information than you might like. Privacy comes first.

Put a Face with the Name
Do – post a picture of yourself. Find one that goes beyond appearances and really says something about your personality.
Don’t – post any photographs you don’t want the world to see.

Watch, Listen, Learn — Then Speak Up!
Do – join online groups that interest you, and whose tone and pace you appreciate. To determine if a group is right for you, read prior posts and become familiar with the level of discussion. As you begin to feel comfortable, voice your thoughts!
Don’t – be overly critical of posts made by other members. Online social networking groups are a place to voice opinions openly and frankly. If you disagree with a post made by another member, don’t forget what your mom always said, ‘If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all.’

For “how to” articles for joining and creating groups and blogs, visit How to do Eons: It’s time to jump in.

About Eons™
Eons is a 50-plus media company inspiring a generation of boomers and seniors to live the biggest life possible. Founded by Jeff Taylor, creator of Monster.com, Eons has attracted a team of renowned advisors and industry-leading partners and is backed by venture capital financing from General Catalyst Partners and Sequoia Capital. It is supported by corporate founding partners Harrah’s Entertainment, Hyatt Corp., Humana, Inc., Liberty Mutual Group, Fidelity and Verizon Wireless. The company is headquartered in Charlestown Navy Yard, Boston. For more information, visit www.eons.com.