What is social networking?
Wikipedia discussion of social networking

What are social networking services?
Wikipedia's discussion of social network services
Wikipedia's discussion of MySpace

So what's the big deal about MySpace and Facebook?
Identity Production in a Networked Culture: Why Youth Heart MySpace
Go see someone you know on MySpace - Julz MySpace

Julz ponders MySpace
I've been talking with some friends and my son about MySpace for awhile. One discussion we had about why MySpace remains consistent at the top of the SN site heap is that MySpace was really the first "home" for the masses of Internet "homeless." Then, not only did MySpace provide us all homes, it connected us to our friends, the music scene, etc. Then it provided the average joe in the music business or media production a home as well. So new SN services may arise, but MySpace remains our "home;" none of us wants to move all of our investment, furniture, friends, productions to a new home. We may get a summer home (Vox), an office (LinkedIn), a dorm (Facebook), a beachhouse (Virb), a cafe spot (Pownce, Plaxo, Friend Feed) a night club (Upcoming, Socializr) a second life (SecondLife) etc., but we seem to be keeping a home at MySpace. So how will Google Friend Connect fit in this mix?