Social networks are the new email: Economist

Just read this Economist article via the daily IAB SmartBrief email I subscribe to. Says social networks will lose the walls and the contact will take place everywhere. You won't go to Facebook to check Facebook or MySpace to check MySpace. It says we'll get the info through rss readers and use the model of email address books to keep in touch: the ones we keep in our address book will get our updates, for example.

The big take-away is that the writer doesn't think these networks will bring in money, just like email didn't bring in money as it matured.

I agree. I never, ever click on an ad on myspace. Same with Facebook. They've never made a dime off of me.