Christmas may have come and gone but in the UK we are still very much in the festive mood, thanks to the sudden deluge of snow!!

It’s rare that we actually get a white Christmas, but this year the heavens have opened for us and suddenly even the most sensible office worker finds themselves tempted to throw some snowballs!

And of course we just cannot resist sharing our snowy escapades on the Internet!

Twitter’s latest trending topics include #UKsnow, Facebook users are discussing how they are spending their ’snow day’, and news websites such as the BBC  and The Telegraph are encouraging readers to send in their pictures of snowy scenes where they are.

We don’t know why, but there’s just something about a snowy day that makes us so much more sociable - perhaps it evokes happy childhood memories, or maybe it’s the way it makes even the gloomiest street look magical - but it’s great to see everyone sharing their day with others, be it online with photos and chat, or simply out in the street building snowmen with colleagues and neighbours.

Twitter’s latest recruit is the HMS Ark Royal, a Royal Navy ship and its crewmen, who use the service to update friends and family on their activities during the long periods at sea. 

The Royal Navy vessel has become the first in the fleet to sign up to the social networking site, which has helped it improve ship to shore communication. The crew are able to tweet about training and exercises, as well as other activities, such as choir practice and watching TV. However, guidelines have been put in place to ensure the crew don’t give away too much information!

The HMS Ark Royal has been sharing its activities since November and tweets so far include “We have successfully completed Basic Operational Sea Training!!!” on 7th December, and “Choir practice tonight ready for carol concert on Thursday” on 13th December.

It’s great to see social networking enabling people distanced by circumstance to communicate.

The last ten years have all been about social networking. And as we ponder what 2010 will bring (and even what to call the decade - the tensies?!) we wanted to take a look at some of the innovations that have taught us to become so sociable online.

In the early noughties, it was all about the instant message. Teenagers no longer needed to pick up the phone, they could simply download a messaging service and send instant messages to whoever was online. This also led the way for sharing music and pictures, via instant file transfer, and enabled us to start sharing with our friends more easily than ever.

Meanwhile, while their teenagers were hidden in their rooms ‘IM’ing their friends, adults found a similar way to get connected via Friends Reunited. This website allowed even the biggest technophobe to share information about their life and get up to date with lost friends and favourite schoolteachers.

MySpace also achieved success in the noughties, especially within the music community. Bands and artists quickly realised the potential of a site where they could upload their pictures, tracks and videos, and connect to friends, fans, venues and promoters.

However, come the mid-noughties, the popularity of MySpace was quickly overtaken by Facebook, where users discovered the fun in sharing not only pictures and videos, but also groups, fan pages, and games.

Finally, we’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again, 2009 was the year of Twitter. The social networking hit of the noughties saw celebrities, journalists, consumers, and even the occasional landmark (Tower Bridge!) sharing their thoughts, feelings, ideas and opinions with the world.

Whatever trends the 2010’s will bring, they’ll have big shoes to fill to beat the Networking Noughties!  

Happy New Year everyone!

As the year comes to a close, we can take some time to reflect on the biggest sharing stories of 2009. Without a doubt, one of the biggest revolutions this year has been the increasing popularity of Twitter, especially amongst celebrities and celebrity followers!

So here’s our top 5 Twits of 2009:

Pete Cashmore - The Mashable Founder and CEO was probably the biggest hit on Twitter this year, accumulating over 1.8 million followers. Offering “the hottest Twitter news, Twitter tips and Twitter help. Plus the best social media links around”, Cashmore is an essential followee for any internet-minded Twit.

Stephen Fry - no mention of Twitter can go by without a reference to this man. With over 1.1 million followers, Fry is a regular and popular Tweeter. From the interesting to the topical, amusing to the mundane (stuck in a lift, Stephen?!) and even staging a mini Twitter strike, Fry is the Godfather of the Twitter revolution

Jonathan Ross - The TV personality and cheeky chap has over 460,000 followers and is well known for his controversial Tweets. Poking fun at his suspension from the BBC after the Sachsgate row, ‘Wossy’ wrote “Smoking a cigar and watching Sex And The City season six. Suspension is fun.”

Russell Brand - Another controversial character and popular Tweeter (with over 600,000 followers). Russell was also involved Sachsgate, but managed to distract the furious public by making a point of the recent MP’s expenses scandal, suggesting that he could put his Ofcom fine on expenses.

Shitmydadsays - Probably one of the most successful Twits of the year, Justin Halpern’s father’s crude and witty comments have been picked up by US network CBS for a potential sitcom. The 29 year old began tweeting his father’s rants in August and has since accumulated over 975,000 followers.

Who are your top Twits of 2009?

YouTube has redefined the way we share our lives and experiences online. From handy make up tips to silly wedding dances, it’s a fantastic way to share with the world something you are proud of.

Fede Alvarez did just this when he created a short film in November and uploaded it to show his friends and peers. So impressed with his production skills, Hollywood studios began emailing Alvarez within just a few days.

Shocked by the popularity of the video (over 1.5 million hits to date) Alvarez eventually signed a £18.6 million Hollywood contract to make a film based in his home country of Uruguay.

And you have to hand it to him, the film, entitled “Ataque de Panico!” (Panic Attack!) is an impressive piece of work.

What are your top YouTube videos of all time? Here’s a few that didn’t make it to Hollywood:

Laughing baby - very cute, this video was watched over a million times.

David After Dentist - a 7 year old questions reality as a dentist’s anaesthetic wears off.

Sleepy Meerkat - trying his best to stay awake! We’ve all felt like this at some point.