Social Networking... or Notworking?

Social Networking… or Notworking?

Written By
Steve Gillmor
Steve Gillmor
Feb 2, 2004
1 minute read
eWeek content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More

Social networking is on the bubble, with Orkut the latest to spur invites from friends, virtual acquaintances, and “others.” Ive been watching the Lord of the Rings DVDs with family, and somehow this feels like the gathering of wizards, men, hobbits, orcs, and treefolk in no particular order or trusted reputation. Baselines Sean Gallagher and I traded thoughts over iChat IM.

Doc Searls quotes his Cluetrain cohort along similar lines:

This reminds me of a website called Six Degrees. It disappeared several years ago after I broke it by inviting half the population of Planet Earth to make me their wife, lover, boss, father, brother, sister, repo man, or other intimate. The CEO actually phoned me and said, “Who are you and why are you doing this to us?” He seemed distraught. The answer was, of course, because I could.

/zimages/3/28571.gif/zimages/3/19420.gif

eWeek Logo

eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site's focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

Property of TechnologyAdvice. © 2026 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.