We Need a Social Network for Introverts

I'm a little embarassed to admit this, but I am somewhat friendless on Facebook and MySpace. Oh, I have a few (friends and family who took pity on my friendless status) -- and I have a respectable showing on LinkedIn. But I'm pretty low-down on the friend totem pole in the traditional socializing forums.

Now, don't get me wrong. I certainly get my share of requests -- often from the obviously creepy guys and party gals who are just trying to rack up online digital points (or, in some cases, offline hookups). Usually, by the time I've gone online to say "yes" or "no," the person making the request has already been booted off the system. So that makes it easy.

But the thing is, I'm not really into the network sites for the new friends as much as I am for looking up past friends or making new business connections. You see, I have enough friends. I can't even keep track of everyone I already know, much less the gazillions of other people out there. And, I'm of a generation that you don't just "friend" someone if you don't mean it... If I'm going to call someone a friend, I plan to interact with them every once in a while.

I think this is the plight of anyone logging on to a social network who are "of a certain age" (yep, that's me). We're not in the market for new social interaction. We're in the market for better maintenance of our existing interactions. So as soon as the powers that be invent a social networking site for those of us that don't really want to meet random people, I'll sign up. Maybe a "social network for introverts." One option might be Eons.com, but I'm not quite in the over 50 age group Iyet!)

In the meantime, maybe we'll take over the existing networks. In fact, that's what this Business Week article says we're about to do!