[jasode]

>To put it in your words, these are "transactional" activities towards an offline goal.

I wasn't using "transactional" in a that loose of a sense so it can apply to nearly everthing. I was thinking of "transactions" in a very money-oriented way. To start a "job search" is to interact with others where "money" defines the relationship ("I want to be paid $$.") That's what LinkedIn is built on. (Yes, money is a crass subject but that's ok because we're on LinkedIn!) Even if an employee and employer become "real friends" later instead of just economic actors in a business transaction, the undertone of the website is still a financial transaction. By its nature, it's going to be a "boring" website.

Facebook ... or "TheFacebook.com" in 2004... was built on students who knew each other. Before it had ads or corporate media inserted into the newsfeed, students were entranced by the "voyeurism" and likewise, the need to express themselves which then feeds the voyeurism of others. The undertone was non-business and non-money things like "mating rituals" and later expanded to friends & family updates like "photos".

Twitter and Reddit don't replace that. Reddit uses handles instead of real names. Both Twitter & Reddit have their own set of addictive attractions. Messaging apps like WhatsApp don't have a "news feed" which many Facebook users like. Instagram and Snapchat are probably the closest substitutes for Facebook for non-text type of sharing.

Many people want the utility provided by Facebook; they just don't want the targeted ads and privacy leaks. Therefore, a 1-to-1 replacement for Facebook accurately captures the (yet-to-be-invented?) alternative they want.