Don't get me wrong, I'm not a recluse, and not ready to become an "Island, entire unto myself" (to quote John Dunne).

But I'm getting more than a little overwhelmed by all these different social networking websites - LinkedIn, PlaxoPulse, Facebook, and there must be a couple of others that I've been somehow dragged into joining (though the fact that I can't remember what they are says something about how (un)important they are to my life and work).

Seriously, though, I know many people find one or more of these networks meaningful and even helpful in their life and their work. But for me right now they seem more peripheral than central to my daily routine. I mean, it's occasionally nice to find out something about one of my colleagues/associates/friends. But it really feels like most of my interaction with these networks is when someone reaches out and wants to become my "friend" or Linked to me - and about 90% of the time I literally don't them from Adam. What I find really frustrating is that these folks who either don't me at all, or in many cases are a friend of a friend, send me the canned/impersonal Invitation Request - no effort to personalize it or tell me why they want to link up with me.

Again, don't get me wrong - I do see plenty of potential value in these networks for some people (though I get the sense that many of the folks who are reading out are in the job market and are just blasting the linking invitation to everyone in their address book).

So what am I missing? Which of these networks is good for what? Help me - I'm really curious, and for a self-proclaimed futurist, more than a little embarrassed at what a neophyte I am about what is obviously one of the most important stories about collaborative technologies and their impact in 2008.