A friend invited me to yet another social networking site. Now I’m on MySpace, Friendster, LinkedIn, Doostang, Gather, and probably a few others I can’t remember off the top of my head.
So when is enough enough, already? Simply filling out all those online profiles could be a full-time job. I’m beseiged with invitations, and I’m dutifully beseiging all my friends with invitations, but to what end?
Next month, I’m launching a podcast with the goal of making it into the iTunes top 100. That will be the real test. I’m going to see if all these much-vaunted networks (my network now includes more people than currently live on the face of the planet) can actually produce a tangible result and get people to go download my podcast. … or are they all just another form of mental masturbation, an excuse not to get on and actually have a life, but rather sit nearly motionless in front of a computer pretending that my virtual community actually has 5% the value, depth, and community of a real, satisfying life.
I’ll let you know how it goes.