[alenox]

I think this is why facebook won't be the company to capitalize on this possible niche. People's facebook friends, and the things they share on facebook are all very personal. You share way too much for people to just talk to and friend anyone on facebook.

When you go to a house party, all you bring is yourself, and your social skills. You don't show people your baby pictures, grandma's birthday presents, or your relationship status. Other than name and face, you can be fairly anonymous. There is also the aspect of a host introducing you to others, or forcing some kind of mingling of different circles of friends.

That all seems like it would translate well into a social platform. Mutual friends, forcing some kinds of interactions between their acquaintances, where there is at least some anonymity, but not total anonymity.

[goldfeld]

I have been thinking for a while that what I get the most out of Facebook are events. But it's a poorly featured platform. Now take events (and local and mobile) and create a platform for checking what's hot right now. But don't focus on clubs and big parties. Focus on the the weird events, the house parties, all that stuff that's off the beaten path. Create a slot functionality so people can allow half-strangers (friends of friends of friends) to sign up for a slot, then the hosts can check before accepting or something. Also allow blind-accept events. The accepted/blind-accepted people are then given the address. I don't know, something like that. I think it could quite work out. People do love random, fun people when I bring them over to a house party (well sometimes it sucks actually, but those times also make for good stories). Foreginers especially.

> Other than name and face

Well some of my most amusing and memorable house parties were ones where I barely knew anyone (besides a friend who brought me over) and pretended that I was given a girl's name (being a guy.) Never gets old.

[tmzt]

The Airbnb model, injecting personal reputation into a transaction. (In this case a non-monetary one.)