Social networks going niche

Social networking is becoming niche now. While networks like MySpace and Friendster have hundreds of thousands of users, newer networks like Vox and itLinks are focusing on specific segments of consumers, giving options of stricter privacy controls to creators of blogs and personal pages. Vox launched in end of October 2006 and has already tripled in size, while itLinks which has 13 targeted networking sites, has already had more than 500 health professionals visiting its NurseLinkup.com site.

There are several reasons for the more targeted approach to social networking. One is the sheer popularity of sites such as MySpace and Friendster. As those sites have expanded and become among the Internet's most trafficked, some users and potential users have grown wary about exposing themselves to so many people. Some users would rather connect with people with whom they share common interests, such as hobbies or professional associations, other than knowing somebody who knows somebody who is listed as a MySpace friend.