A couple of days ago I posed a question to my linked in network:

What do you consider the most important feature of a social networking application?

I'm just fishing here, trying to understand what a diverse group would come back with. There are so many social networking sites out there, linked in included, that the most important features of these applications are starting to be a tad obscured. If possible, please answer based on your own use of social network technologies...don't think too hard.

So far, several people have answered. The results are not that surprising...

• Popularity based content relevancy. Subject Matter Experts "tag" information as being useful within a particular context. This is something Google fails at, but is possible in a social network or intranet portal.
• Easy and effective communication with other site members.
• Simplicity and Focus. The site can't be everything to everyone.
• The ability to connect with strangers who have similar interest to you. Making friends. Imagine that!
• Implicit communication with your network. Circumstances change? No need to explicitly update your friends and contacts.
• Great navigation. A happy medium between folksonomic categorization and imposed structure is key. You can't just let the community fully define content navigation. Folksonomies should grow out of a directed, controlled taxonomy.
• All features should be viewed through a lens of "user control". Opt-In, Opt-Out. Users need to have a lot of control over how the site speaks to them, and with all of this power the site still must be usable, and users must be able to learn the site all on their own. It cannot be hard to use.

...so, the results thus far are not surprising but they are all things that most sites stumble on. Its clearly difficult to walk the fine line between fully controlling the site's destiny and giving its users everything they need and want. The major problem with social network sites is that they can never fully mimic regular human societal structure...because someone owns the site. The challenge...is to come as close as possible while still making money. Fun Stuff.