It’s true there are some really interesting issues here around access and trust (tho’ sci-fi writers like Charles Stross raise better ones) – and particularly the new cult of measuring our personal ‘popularity’ (“too many friends”? Please!!).

But if Facebook allows you to run a ‘closed’ friends network isn’t that just making good on the annual Christams card promise to call them? How many “hey, Jim – it’s been years, what are you up?” conversations do we want? And how does only talking to people you already know add anything?

All I know is that there are dozens of password reminder notes stuck to my wall now, for the 40+ networking-led websites I’m now signed up to and I just don’t have time for it all. I can barely find the time to keep in touch with my family, never mind all the ‘friends’ I’ve ever met in my life.

Maybe the next stage for social networking sites will be virtual desert islands – somewhere to escape the madding e-crowds. Maybe I’ll build it.

Interesting the comment about different tiers of friendship. My understanding is that you can actually befriend people and subsequently specify the nature of your relationship (I am not sure whether this answers your question) and I would assume that the privacy settting can subsequently be set in terms of what you want to share with which groups.

I have actually send you a request some time ago but not had it accepted – now I know why I suppose you can meet other people through Facebook groups of mutual interest.

Thanks for a good blog.