How many social networks do you belong to?

Me? Too many. You could spent all your time keeping up with these things, and man…if you thought MMORPGs were a timesink, you should try to keep up with all the friend requests, zombie apps, etc, etc, etc.

There comes a point where I feel I’ve been social enough, thank-you-very-much.

I’m not the only one feeling a bit burned out by the number and types of social networks out there. Jason Calacanis just wrote a bit about Faceboook in his blog:

…I’ve got too many friends torturing me about movies I’ll never see at this point–I don’t need you to burden me with the movies you want me to see. I want to watch my Kurosawa DVDs again! I want to watch all the Frankenheimer movies I missed… even the bad ones.

Yes, I love Zombies, but no I don’t want to be turned into one.

Yes, I like fortune cookies, but no I don’t want a virtual one.

Yes, I’d love to play Texas Holdem for a couple of hours–but not online.

…Frankly I think folks are getting splintered by these social networks. You spend so much time checking off what you’ll do that you never do anything. Why waste your time talking about movies you’re going to watch when you haven’t even seen the classics, the 20 you have in your Netflix queue, and DVDs you’ve already BOUGHT?!?

Good points, all. Using some of these networks is a massive nag-fest. Facebook is pretty bad about this. Ever since they launched their API, all manner of crapola has been shoveled around from friend to friend.

I especially like what Steve Eley had to say in his most recent post:

I’M DRAWING THE LINE. I’m too damn networked. If we’re not hoping to work together or sleep together, please don’t ask me to join stuff…

…My breakthrough today was defining a proper litmus test for “damn good reason.” And that’s what I Twittered above. I may know 70 people in a given network, but the invite is only meaningful to me if I want to work with you or have a relationship with you, and there’s some clear evidence that the network involved will help us get work done or get to know each other better. After that, I’ll probably start seeing the value in it for more casual connections, but why put the work in for every single network when it’s the same fewscore people on all of them?

I’m rethinking my own use of these networks. Facebook has been both fun and annoying, but as I learn to filter out the crap, I can see some redeeming qualities in it. Many of the folks I know on Facebook pass Steve’s litmus test in my book. Other networks, like Pownce, have yet to prove themselves to me. It doesn’t annoy me, but it doesn’t really inspire me at the moment. I find myself using Twitter much, much more.

Still…I’ve reached my limit. Spock, ClaimID, etc, etc, etc…I just don’t use them. What’s another directory? Why is this one better then the last? The noise is becoming so deafening, I’m losing the signal entirely.

I’m off for now…going to head down to the local coffeehouse and talk to some friends. In person. It’s less trying than being “social.”