The whole social networking world has taken the path of “eyeball collection”, under the guise of friends to a whole new over-hyped level. Mature guys like you and I, and perhaps maybe my esteemed colleague Alan Soucy, we just don’t get it! We’re looking for the qualitative benefits of connecting vs. the market focus of these social networking creations which is just plain numbers. However,LinkedIn and Plaxo have been valuable for me, I must say!

What truly surprises me the most is that some in the VC space keep shoveling money to this guys like it’s Christmas…what gives! Meanwhile, guys like Jeff Spurgat and myself keep filing patents, creating products and writing applications that truly solve consumer problems and we can’t get to first base?

We’ll Stuart, at least with these social networking sites “you already can get to first base”, given your plethora of beautiful new friends. Now if you can get to home….I’ll be kicking Jeff in the butt tomorrow and telling Him we need to get on the social networking bandwagon, NOW(smile)!!!

Remember Jeff and I truly want to be your friend.

I totally agree with the wholesale dismemberment of the term ’social networking’. I, for one, believe it does work to some extent. In fact, I have used such services as LinkedIn and others to connect to key people within organizations (although I did get a warning from the service, originating from someone who forget he had met with me previously. Next time, I wear a much funnier hat to trigger that memory!). I am also getting very upset with services like Skype, which save me a bundle on international calls especially, but is getting on my nerves since there are only so many invites I can field from young Guatemalans looking to talk.

In any case, the problem has created a world of itinerant social networking workers always looking for more virgin pathways to get some real stuff done. The solution may be to launch your own private networks (friends and clients) and use a technology that is conducive to creative weeding and fertilization. I recently found such a technology in Scotland, and will soon be working with that company to bring it into the U.S. market.

I’d tell you more about it, but I am not sure yo are Stewart Alsop - but that’s just my anti-social networking paranoia kicking in! :)

Best,

Tim