My apologies for some proselytising...
Jorge Luis Borge came up with this analogy. It was also retread by Baudrillard in Simulacra & Simulation (something I have posted on before).

The analogy:

‘A great Empire created a map that was so detailed it was as large as the Empire itself. The actual map grew and decayed as the Empire itself conquered or lost territory. When the Empire crumbled, all that was left was the map.’

By using these social networking sites, it is the map that we live in, a simulation of reality, and it is reality itself (or our real life social interaction) that is crumbling away from disuse.

I contend that the biggest mistake that we can make is to use the social networking sites in the first place.
(powervator and NONE SHALL PASS, Fri 12 Sep 2008, 11:03, 6 replies)

ah, but don't forget
the map is not the territory.
( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Fri 12 Sep 2008, 11:05, closed)

what you readin fer?


/hicks
( BadBadman saw an incorrect comma placement on, Fri 12 Sep 2008, 11:10, closed)

I think
that you think too much.

Recordable tapes, recordable CDs, none of these destroyed the music industry.

Social networking sites are not going to kill real life friendships.
( Kroney, Fri 12 Sep 2008, 11:34, closed)

I agree
There's a whole generation that are growing up with only 'virtual' friends.
Making friends in real life is an art - involving compromise and some empathy.
Making friends in Facebook, etc., is a matter of a mouse click.
It won't be long before we look like a nation of dysfunctional hermits when compared to upcoming countries like China, where traditional friendships and families are essential.
Alas, I fear it's the beginning of the end.
(Kliper Filllets Getting noticed by twats on the internet since, Fri 12 Sep 2008, 15:14, closed)

No,
it's a good thing! If we're all socially isolated and spend all our time in front of the computer then there won't be so much resistance to becoming pure information when the singularity happens/when we rebuild our bodies as giant mecha. We'll look back on the social networks as the start of it all when we're crushing stars beneath our adamantium feet. Every cloud.

edit: looking back on that I'm not sure exactly *what* we'll be crushing stars against. Possibly other, larger stars. I can't wait anyway.
(Hippo_of_Doom, Sun 14 Sep 2008, 18:39, closed)

Ah
but Kroney, don't you remember.

Home taping was killing the music industry for a while....
(Scrumpy does not negotiate with terrorists,, Fri 12 Sep 2008, 15:57, closed)