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Little black book: the tech scene - Websites

Twitter
At the risk of wheeling out a massively overused cliché, you must have been hiding in a cave, yada, yada, yada. The micro-blogging service is on the tip of everyone's tongue, not least because it allows you so much access to people who would otherwise have been totally out of your sphere without it. Whether you want to stay abreast of breaking news in the industry, source new ideas or just have a bit of a chat, Twitter is the tech wannabe's best friend.
Find it: Twitter.com

Facebook
While it isn't necessarily as useful as Twitter, Facebook is nevertheless good for staying in touch with colleagues and friends, as well as RSVPing to events and joining groups. If you're concerned about colleagues seeing embarrassing photos of you at your cousin's wedding, worry not - you can group people into 'lists' to adjust how much they can see.
Find it: facebook.com

Meetup
The concept behind this service is simple: organise an event, invite friends and ask them to RSVP - a bit like the events section of Facebook. Most tech events, including DrinkTank, Silicon Stilettos and OpenCoffee are organised using Meetup, so sign up or risk being left in the cold.
Find it: meetup.com

LinkedIn
Described as a grown-up's version of Facebook, LinkedIn was founded by Silicon Valley legend Reid Hoffman. The site is designed for business people, allowing you to showcase your CV, make new business contacts and reaffirm old ones. Since it opened its doors to new applications last year, LinkedIn has become one of the tech crowd's favourite hangouts - not least because British tech darling Huddle managed to clinch a landmark deal.
Find it: linkedin.com

Skype
One of the web's most popular applications, Skype is a Voice-over IP (VoIP) service, which essentially means you can make phone calls over the web for free. Great for recession-hit businesses trying to bootstrap or if you're looking to do business abroad (and with this dastardly recession still not behind us, who isn't?). No one wants to pay for phone calls these days and with Skype, all you need to do is make sure you're online at the same time as the person you're calling.
Find it: skype.com

Wordpress
Despite recent claims to the contrary, blogging is very much alive and still flourishing, despite the threats posed to it by the likes of Twitter and Facebook. In the tech scene, there's always an issue of contention, and it's surprisingly fashionable to make your voice known in the form of a blog post. As blogging platforms go, Wordpress is the cream of the crop with an easy-to-use interface, comprehensive statistics and an enormous range of templates to choose from.
Find it: wordpress.com

Smarta
Without a doubt the most effective networking tool for the aspiring tech entrepreneur. Err, sort of.
Find it: smarta.com