Making the Most out of FOAF Networks?

BFF? asks: "With the rising popularity of online FOAF (Friend of a Friend) networks such as Orkut, Friendster and Linked-In I was wondering if and how people are using these networks to help their career along. Are these social networks just for vanity's sake or are they actually useful when job-hunting?"

Don't waste your time

[Bastian]

My experience with Friendster is that 95% of the people on there use it as a time-waster, and the other 5% are looking for dates.

For example, my friends list is dominated by stuff such as Old Crow whiskey, a bar, and a giant neon Citgo sign in Boston. I also have people I already know on my list, but I haven't even tried to meet people or network on Friendster, and, unless everyone I know on Friendster is different from everyone else on Friendster, nobody else is trying to, either.

FOAF?

[GeorgeH]

I don't get the link to FOAF [xmlns.com]. All the companies mentioned are jealously keeping people locked in, FOAF is an open standard and lets people network across pretty much anything. FOAF is the antithesis of the social networking sites linked.

False dichotomy much?

[Elwood P Dowd]

Are these social networks just for vanity's sake or are they actually useful when job-hunting?

They are for getting laid not getting jobs, you moron.

Re:Don't waste your time

[Shag]

I agree that one shouldn't waste one's time.

But I wonder what Bastian thought s/he was doing by "befriending" whiskey, a bar, and a giant Citgo sign, if not wasting time?

I'm one of those people who won't be friends with someone unless I'm actually friends with them. Nor will I be friends with places, things, intangibles, etc. The concept of social networking, in and of itself, wasn't a bad thing, but the various "fakesters" et cetera basically trashed any chance of it actually being useful.

My favorite social networking site at present is Multiply [multiply.com], largely because it lets me specify how I'm connected to someone, and weights different sorts of relationships differently - "friend" is worth more than "online buddy," for example.

(Plus it's got a nice interface and lots of useful features.)