Del.icio.us is a great example of this. Its network is set up to provide link tagging. If I find someone in my network that has similar interests to me, then chances are, I’m going to find his bookmarked links, at least in whatever area we have in common, interesting.

It is also a great platform for creating results in certain circumstances. For instance, the vast networks of Firefly fans have for several years now, made screenings of the movie Serenity for charity a great success.

Or, if I run into a problem or have a question about podcasting, then I can throw that out to my network of podcasting ‘buddies’, many of whom I’ve only met in person once, and some not at all, and I know that I’ll get some kind of response, and almost certainly a solution or answer.

So, if Social Networking is a popularity contest for some, so be it. However, those who have really looked at the great potential of these tools have learned to leverage them in ways to accomplish things, both great and small.

Now, if only I could find a way to start ‘tagging’ my buddies so that I could group them appropriately.

The semantic web, if I get it, is not only links but the relationships of all the links. Chris Brogan lives in Massachusetts, but used to live in Maine, and has traveled to X, Y, Z. It’s the link between “Chris Brogan” and “Massachusetts,” with the context there.

So I think it’s a matter of trying to shore up the social networks we have, and then building from there. How do you make the social network USEFUL is now the issue at hand.

Really have me thinking on this one, Thom.