I've posted some observations about Friendster on my blog. Here's the first section of the entry. I don't want to clutter the list with the whole extended entry, you can check it out here: http://www.esztersblog.com/archives/00000386.html Six degrees of separation or unification? Every Internet user knows that the network helps us easily connect with numerous people across wide distances. Over the years, various services have sprung up to facilitate such connections. But is it always a good idea to join such networks? Is bigger always better? There has been an increasing amount of discussion recently about Friendster, a relatively new online service based on connecting people to others through their existing social networks. The service has been enthusiastically covered by the likes of The Village Voice, Wired and Slate describing how Friendster is the newest great social - and procrastinatory - tool given all the information one can glean about people in one's social circles through the service. [..] Many express much excitement about Friendster and even claim that it is the next Google in online popularity and importance. I do not share this enthusiasm and here is why. See here for the rest (and for links): http://www.esztersblog.com/archives/00000386.html Eszter Post-doctoral Fellow Center for Arts and Cultural Policy Studies Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs Princeton University --- http://www.eszter.com http://www.esztersblog.com _______________________________________________ No banners. No pop-ups. No kidding. Introducing My Way - http://www.myway.com