The Digital Elite

This is really sad, but also somewhat expected. Walled gardens are going up all over the social networking scene. Walls are going up based on exclusivity, rather than the all encompassing social network. In some ways this makes sense, we as a society distinguish groups by where they live and where they work. A social network for the top cream of society is a reflection of who we are today.

As MySpace, LinkedIn, and Facebook have expanded to people of all ages, classes, and affiliations, there’s a backlash against the open culture of social networking. Walls are going up. The scene is more velvet-roped club, not open-mic night. These three gated sites are among those with tough membership requirements and, presumably, more elite social networking. Source: Business Week

The three mentioned in the Business Week article are ones that are geared towards social networking at various levels of business or specialized groups. Odds are most likely that the members of these clubs get a value from it, but by being a walled garden, it is going to be hard for a measurable way of determining that value. There is something to be said about being in a group, but without any form of oversight, the odds of misuse increase, and the odds of weird things happening increases.

What will be very interesting to see is when these specialized walled gardens get their first subpoena from an investigating body. That is when the real news will break. It is not their existence, it is what kind of deals are being made in the back social network room, who has the bourbon, and who is bringing the cigars.