I get it that social networks are faster, sexier, easier. When they first appeared a friend (who was a girl, but not my girlfriend) used to tell me that they were more intuitive and better than Virtual Communities, and that this were already a thing of the past. And i remember i didn't like them because of many things. I am not sure if only because i opposed change, i hope not, and mainly i believe that i didn't like them because they didn't seem too good to create and privilege conversations (it was more about winks). At that time i was still looking to create conversations online, i had time to invest and lose in new friendships and general ideas about nothing, anything or everything or in beetween.

True, now social networks seem like a better option. Who in his right mind will take the time to start a meaningful conversation that might prove him wrong? All of this is archived where someone might (just might) go over the archive one day and replay everything (speaking of memory).

Social networks are the equivalent of success storys, people making billions of dollars and millions of friends. Which virtual community ever hit it that big? I imagine even the famous ones always struggled to stay alive: economically and socially.

My favorite social network is definitely Facebook (basically my whole social life happens there), and i can really say that good things have happened to me in them. In the past i met a girlfriend thru Hi5 and we had a good time, even though i escaped before things stopped being complicated and got to a serious point. Then on Facebook i met a politician that i had curiosity to meet and that lead me to land a job that made a lot of people hate me. The job was ok, i learned many things, but after a few months i found out it wasn't for me, altough i believe i did it well.