I like FB a lot, however, as most of the invitations I get (online seminars led by friends, new groups of common interest) are of interest. Of course, I have taken care to keep my “friends list” pretty compact — I’ve met most in person or, if only online, I feel “close” enough to them to reasonably believe we would be friends if we met in person (like you, Ike). I routinely turn down requests from people I barely know, but who happen to have me in their addy book.

In doing so, I find FB to be more valuable than Twitter/Jaiku (where even my friends write trivial BS) and LinkedIn (where no one ever says anything). For now, FB is providing valuable content, if not conversation.

Unfortunately, it’s leading me to read blogs less, and post on DRC less. The latter may be welcomed by many; but the first is not good for my keeping up with what’s important to me.

Social media forms work best when content is created that is interesting to said members. When it is uninteresting, sooner or later it fails. In the end Facebook will need to filter out some of this, or we will become blind to it. In either case we become blind to these applications.

This means the application creators will find themselves with a deaf ear from their targeted community. In turn, that means failure for businesses that can’t create a super valuable app. that just compels the daylights out of people. Facebook is not the easy answer for companies looking to engage in social media.