Social Networking -- Boon or Bane?

Okay folks - it's time to try a social networking site. There are many many out there but you'd have to live under a rock not to have heard of these. Love 'em or hate 'em it's good to know what they're about. I think I'm on the older end of the demographic to live by these everyday. So are my friends -- sometimes there is a flurry of activity from them and then we all quiet down and fall back on email (email is SO dead to the young crowd). Like the Google gadgets, both of these sites allow third-party application developers to contribute which makes the potential offerings limitless.

Here is Common Craft's explanation of what this is all about:
http://www.commoncraft.com/video-social-networking


The connections between academia and social networking sites are uncertain. Some think, "let's meet the students where they're at!" and others, "this is student space, let's not intrude". Some think it's just annoying fad and others that they are here to stay.

The Economist (the magazine) just hosted on online debate (Oxford style) about Social Networking. The proposition was:

The house believes that social networking technologies will bring large
[positive] changes to educational methods, in and out of the classroom.

Find the arguments, guest speakers and comments here-
http://www.economist.com/debate/index.cfm?action=summary&debate_id=3

Activity: Accept my invitation to Facebook and set up your profile. Poke around and interact with our group (or any of your friends you find online). What do you think?

Extra Credit: If you'd rather try MySpace or just want to try both, "friend" the Pierce College Library.