Something I have been thinking about a lot lately is the difference in “acceptable ethics” on various social networks. In a general sense, all social networks are theoretically the same. The overall purpose is to engage with others or meet people. The social function is the underlying theme to all the various sites. That said many sites are different, a perfect example being Facebook and Myspace, the two leading social networks. Facebook is more of a technology/service offering company, focusing on developing technology that allows for a usable atmosphere. Myspace is more of a content company that focuses it’s service on offering you premiere content in various entertainment based fields.

In spite of these differences in ideals, the sites are generally the same. You can basically accomplish the same tasks on each of the sites, minus a few variations. So what is odd to me is that there are varying user ethics on each site. Myspace has created an environment that is socially acceptable to meet other people online. This situation doesn’t happen as much today because of the intense amount of spam and fake accounts, but before this attacked the space it was completely OK to message a stranger. The concept of “we met on Myspace” become a regular occurrence among teens with many relationships starting via the social service.

Pre-Myspace if anyone said they met online it was completely unacceptable in traditional social circles. Myspace created an environment during its hight that no other social based website prior was able to accomplish. But what is odd to me is it seems that the environment has not been able to be replicated by other social networks… not to the extent that Myspace did it at least. You almost never hear of people meeting on Facebook, the service is only used to maintain relationships that you have developed off of the site.

What is interesting about all this is I find myself applying these unstated social rules across the board. If someone randomly adds me on Myspace, I am much more acceptable to it. I have never “met someone” on Myspace, not within the last three years at least, but if someone adds me I do not know I am far more open to accepting their request. That is not the case on Facebook, if someone adds me on that service and I do not instantly know who they are, I automatically deny their request. Facebook is has an unspoken pact among users that it is only for people you know on some level, no one is aloud into my exclusive Facebook world.

So why did Facebook get this “holier than tho” feel? Is it because the news feed is overly personal? Or is it because everyone’s profiles are automatically private, therefore subconsciously telling us that Facebook is an elitist society. Whatever the reason, there is no social graph that transcends the boarders of each social site. Each website is like it’s own little country, governed by the 20 somethings that developed them.