Ideological Social Networks?

My Political Space
New niche social-networking sites connect users based on ideological compatibility. Are they the next best campaign tool or just another way to get a date?

WEB EXCLUSIVE By Robbie Brown
Newsweek, Updated: 2:26 p.m. MT July 19, 2006

Excerpt:
"Essembly, designed last year by Joe Green, 23, a friend and former Harvard classmate of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is the emerging online social network of the serious-minded. Like Facebook and MySpace, the site is free and lets users browse friends' photos and personal information. But unlike more organic networks, it actively promotes intellectual discussion. In the spirit of collegiate debate, Essembly users spar over declarations of opinion called "resolves." They also identify other members as "allies" and "nemeses" based on ideological similarities. 'On Facebook, people rack up 'friends' like there's no tomorrow,' Green says. 'What really is missing is a connection between people based on how they think.'"

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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/
id/13940637/site/newsweek/from/ET/