WRAP UP; SOCIAL NETWORKS & CATCH UP

I have read the wikipedia article on social networking and watched the video clip, which I thought was very good.
Looking at the Social Map, it appears that Face Book, MySpace and Live Journal are the most popular Social Networking sites in the world. It is hard to believe though that Australians use only MySpace!
I liked the idea of Communities of Practice where people of same profession or interest can join in and participate in knowledge development and sharing. I was impressed by the Rotorua Public Library Bebo Page - great way to promote library services and interact with the whole community.
Our council has built a new cultural centre recently. Like the East Renfrewshire Council in Scotland, we also could promote our libraries and upcoming cultural events including theathre productions and movies.
Libraries can also use social networks for profesional networking, creating interesing clubs for young people, sharing of ideas and standardising library practices and procedures.
AS for me, I'm a very private person and can't see myself joining any of those networks. However, having said that, I quite liked the idea of social netwoks being used to keep in touch with family members. I particularly liked the idea of mapping family trees!
The Second Life did not appeal to me at all! I'm afraid balancing my first life is challenging enough!