Article: Friend Spam a Byproduct of Social Networks

Interesting piece on Technology Review about "friend spam" generated by social networking sites, and these sites' shifting fortunes in the marketplace. This is more constructively critical thought, from a leader in the industry, emerging to counteract the euphoria generated by the Social Media-Industrial complex.

I think a lot of people, like myself, join social networks because they get invites, or out of curiosity. A hard core participate regularly. Others just abandon their profiles, as people have abandoned their blogs, Second Life, etc. And of all of these people, just how many are actually reading the ads?

The monetization of private conversations raises great challenges, and even sociological questions about just how silly it is to move most of your interactions online. Hence the admonition of the author of the friend spam piece to just "go hang out with your friends." A good read.