Readings
The most interesting idea expressed in this article is the term 'social network service' instead of 'social networking service', (both abbreviated SNS), for defining and classing online tools like Facebook and MySpace. It presents the fact that social networks are used for maintaining existing connections, unlike social networking that create new ones.
In the public and media 'social networking' is loosely used to describe Facebook, MySpace, etc; this inspires that they are a way to meet new people, but as stated the majority of users don't interact with people they haven't met elsewhere. Further proof that these SNSs rely on existing connections is the segregation of the various providers between countries, regions, race and social class. Surely if users were more interested in making new connections the popularity of different SNSs between these groupings would be less visible. Maybe it is because users rather connect within a certain scope of themselves?