Social Networking 102

The other sort of site that falls into the social-networking category brings together people with mutual acquaintances. Friendster is the best-known of these; there's also MySpace, which in the Duo's experience skews slightly younger. And Google has a version called Orkut.

All of these sites are based on the friend-of-a-friend principle: If you like Person A and Person A likes Person B, you and Person B may hit it off, too. It's a theory, sniff the Duo, but as far as Steve and Angela are concerned, it doesn't hold much water. Exactly how much do your best friend from high school and the guy in the cubicle next to you at work have in common? (Viewers with the limited-edition Duovision TV monitors see a thought bubble over Angela's head at this point: Who for the love of Pete wants those two trading stories about the one thing they have in common, which would be you?!)

Such sites give back results roughly equivalent to the effort one puts in. Angela, for instance, filled out a profile years ago, at the request of a friend, but she hasn't been back since. That said, these sites can make things happen. People make connections. But those who prefer not to live their lives as an open book are not going to enjoy these sites. And yet, counters Steve, there are people who deliberately bulk up their Friendster or MySpace rolls--they have thousands of friends, according to the system. Angela does, however, like some of MySpace's extras. It offers games, and the site has become very much a new-music launching pad.

Other sites bring people together based on shared hobbies or interests. The most interesting is Meetup, which brings people together based on common concerns. Again, this is a different kind of socializing--you know what you like, and you want to meet people who share your interests, as opposed to your past. For instance, says Steve, let's say you're a Yankees fan in Boston. Rather than risking life and limb looking for a friendly sports bar, you could sign up for a "meetup." And, yes, there is in fact a Yankees meetup in Boston.

Meetups are organized by group members and usually scheduled to occur monthly. Members agree on a place and time and then ... show up. Meetup as a whole claims about a million members, though not all groups are active at any given time. Membership is free, but there's a fee for actually organizing a group, so some organizers will ask participants to help defray that cost.

If you're looking to make new friends and keep the old, says Angela, both varieties of social-networking sites are gold.