Are Facebook and MySpace a Waste of Time for Business Networking?

I've discovered that general social networks Facebook and MySpace can be complete waste of time for business. It's that simple. Facebook is a gaming gimmick that wastes office time.

I've therefore decided that I'm only spending time with the "Big 5" business networking sites SUp.biz, Plaxo, LinkedIn, Ecademy and Xing.

I'll focus on Facebook here - my browser keeps crashing with the junk and scripts running on MySpace, and the illegibility of any profiles just makes it unusable.


Let's just look at 3 popular applications on Facebook:

1: Top Friends
Add a box of up to 32 of your BFFs to your profile.
2,658,733 daily active users

2: FunWall
Videos, Photos, Graffiti, Greeting Cards, Embeds and more!
2,603,946 daily active users

3: Movies
Test your movie knowledge with the Never-Ending Movie Quiz.
2,373,887 daily active users

A very impressive list by daily active users, you must agree. Is there anything there that jumps out at you as a compelling reason to spend time online at work 'networking'? Indeed. I could go down the list of the top 20 apps and continue showing you things that have nothing to do with networking.


Let me offer you some alternatives:

1: Top Employees
Access the career history of potential employees and talk to people who worked with them to make sure you make the right hire.
17,000,000+ users at LinkedIn,

2: Blog Roll
Write on your area of expertise, enjoy feedback from your peers, link to your blog or web sites and have your article referenced by Google within 30 minutes of writing it.
300,000+ users at Ecademy

3: Moving People
Tired of updating old addresses and phone numbers and getting bounced emails? Let people you want to stay in touch keep thier own contact details up to date without lifting a finger!
35,000,000+ users at Plaxo,

4: Super Border
If you're thinking of doing business somewhere unfamiliar, how about a database that lest you pinpoint and contact any English-speaking lawyers who enjoy sailing and wine, live near Barcelona, and used to work for XYZ Partners?
3,000,000+ users at Xing

5: Lapel Sticker
Want to meet real business people in your area to find out if they can help you develop your business, advocate your services or become your customer? With hundreds of events monthly, organise and publicise your own events, even carry out registration and take payment in advance from attendees for your own events.
300,000+ users at Ecademy

I'll stop there, as time is money.

The "Big 5" networks are strictly for business, and they segregate the serious from the part-time business people by using a very simple qualifier: They charge for extended use of features or additional, more convenient access to the membership of their networks. Most have free use options, but one can spend a little cash to get rid of ads, run groups, advertise, mail your network updates, search for suitable candidates, etc. Like most business services - you pay more for better quality and choice.

Owning a credit card is a pretty good proof of age, and a qualifier for serious intent in a business is when it puts its money where its mouth is.

Facebook is free because your personal data and interactions with your 'social graph' is being sold to the advertisers.

There are places for social networking.

There are places for business networking.

But if you think there is a place where social networking and business networking can meet, you're wasting your time.