The friends network thing on Myspace/Friendster sounds a little different, though, since it's contacts-based more than interest/activity-based.
That was the original intention of those sites, but I think it's expanded, especially on MySpace where networks form around shared interests like music. I think it's one of those things where people will form communities whether they're "allowed" to or not, like the "Fakester" profiles that pop up as quickly as Friendster tries to remove them.
I am also very interested in the social cycles and patterns in online communities. Have you ever seen the article "A Group Is Its Own Worst Enemy"? Fascinating look at how communities tend to pull themselves together and tear themselves apart over time. Worth digging up if you've never read it.
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That was the original intention of those sites, but I think it's expanded, especially on MySpace where networks form around shared interests like music. I think it's one of those things where people will form communities whether they're "allowed" to or not, like the "Fakester" profiles that pop up as quickly as Friendster tries to remove them.
I am also very interested in the social cycles and patterns in online communities. Have you ever seen the article "A Group Is Its Own Worst Enemy"? Fascinating look at how communities tend to pull themselves together and tear themselves apart over time. Worth digging up if you've never read it.