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.

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Comment by marstraveler on January 21, 2009 at 7:46pm: hi SUp.biz, COO, marstraveler here, as a member of facebook, myspace, and msn space i have found all of them to be useless, unless your a teen who wants to flirt with people. i have tried blogs on all of the above listed networks and have no success in boosting my websites, all i have seen is people chatting with each other. i made my blogs short and to the point with out trying to look spamming, but still no one cares to look or even click the links to see what i am blogging about. i have not heard of the sites that you have listed above, but will give them a try as soon as i can. thanks for a great blog, and great information.

Comment by Danny Teo on January 21, 2009 at 6:47pm: A very good summary indeed.

Comment by Stacey on January 21, 2009 at 2:24pm: For me myspace is for my friends and family but I do get leads from them. For face book that has not done anything for me. I have better luck with Ecadamy, Linkedin and Merchantcirle.com.

Comment by Christine on January 21, 2009 at 7:22am: I definitely disagree with you!!!

Except that they are not just for business. I don't like to see only business information on myspace of Facebook--I like to see some personal information as well!

And also except for the applications. I do leave most of those alone--but there is much more to both Facebook and Myspace than applications!!

They are both a great place to meet and network with other entrepreneurs. And I love the groups on Facebook. Not so much on Myspace--but then Myspace has blogs and Facebook doesn't!

Now maybe you won't do as much business on myspace or facebook as a network that is specifically for business networking--but I personally don't see them as a waste of time!

That's not to say that you can't waste a lot of time there!! But you can waste time anywhere!!!

That being said--I LOVE your alternatives!!! Especially #5--I will definitely have to check that out!

Comment by Leonard Wolf on January 20, 2009 at 3:11pm: The rules on facebook go against meeting new people

Comment by Tia Carr Williams on January 20, 2009 at 12:26pm: Ive found some very interesting connections on Facebook, Im on it daily and have conducted several interviews with fine thought leaders from my associations. I ve also met some sterling folk via Ecademy too, but few via Xing or Linked In to merit any attestation. Its a useful tool for check out someone's background professionally, but not much more. I like Internations for the calibre of people globally and ASW for social dalliance.

Comment by Thomas Jacovitch on January 20, 2009 at 11:25am: I agree with you but now with that said I still do get traffic for those sites but no much but right now I will take what I can get

Thanks Thomas

Comment by Carol Yvonne Miller on January 20, 2009 at 7:51am: I don`t know if i totally agree with you, I have a profile on facebook and the most amazing thing has happened, friends whom i had lost contact with for as long as 8years,i have found them on facebook. I have even been able to link them with each other useing the friends you might know link, i trying to let all of them know what i do and in my line of business,i encourage them to use my services if they ever come my way,

Now i`m not saying that this will work out anytime soon,but i`m putting it out there,and hopefully it will in the long run.

So joining facebook is twofold,keeping contacts with my friends,which gives me access to their friends and families, And secondly getting some free advertisement. Where will all this lead i don`t know,but i wait to see....

Comment by Latwanuia on January 20, 2009 at 5:43am: I believe the more you advertise yourself the more you expose yourself, and everybody needs something or services of some kind, so Face book and My Space is not a waste of time, to my knowledge.

Comment by BishopMyrthieHazel on January 20, 2009 at 12:57am: I think you make a valid comment, about myspace, it loads very slow, I am not a member of facebook, but I think ning promotes it, I think anything that waste your time and does not make you money is unnecessary. Have a great day