Most "experts" seem to agree that social networking is hot and getting hotter. But what exactly is social networking? According to the jaded view, there are two possibilities: social networking is creating a MySpace page and posting pictures of yourself and occasional exhibitionistic blog entries in order to amass as many "friends" as possible-until you finally get creeped out by stalkers requesting sex or nude photos and abandon your page. Or it's creating an exhibitionistic blog to see how many readers you can amass before one of them slags you for being an exhibitionist and you tearfully take down your journal and retire from the online world forever-for a few weeks. That's the jaded view, but there's a kernel of truth to it. Still, this model of social networking, brilliantly parodied in this Daily Show clip, isn't the whole story.

At its best, social networking really can be a useful way to find like-minded people online, either to pursue some interest or goal, or just to help to establish a sense of community among people who may never meet in the real world. There are a number of services that go beyond the simple blogging, picture posting, and "friend"-accumulation contests that seem to dominate the social networking scene. These services take a different spin on the phenomenon; while none of them seem likely to overtake the behemoth that is MySpace, they have each found a niche that may appeal even those who've tried and been turned off by the social networking phenomenon as it's generally understood.

Think of it as a first-person chat 'em up, says reviewer Cade Metz. Users inhabit There.com's virtual world via avatars that can talk, walk, ride dune buggies, and own virtual land and houses. There's no violence in this PG-13 world; instead, the idea is that instead of shooting the hell out of other players, you hang out and talk to them; perform stand up comedy in front of them, take part in fashion shows of avatar clothing you've designed, host and attend parties, and so on. If this sounds interesting (or freaky) take a look at Cade's video review.

On the more serious side, LinkedIn is a great site if you're a professional looking to parlay your working connections, and your connections' connections, into a new job. This site, which has a combination paid and free model, is also great for those looking to hire, and for those who simply think it makes good business sense to build up their business contacts. You build a web of contacts with LinkedIn; those who are directly connected to you can e-mail and contact you. Those who are in your network but more than a few degrees of separation away must go through the chain of friendship in order to contact you, so there's little spamming or being hassled by random strangers.

Multiply is another tag-centric site, one that lets you share all sorts of media with friends. Video, music, photos-whatever you choose, you can share. Multiply's strength is that it's great at control access. Want to make this item public and that one just for friends? No problem. Multiply is great for those who like the idea of sharing their lives but who don't necessarily want to share every facet of their lives with everyone on the Internet.

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