The list of CNET Web 2.0 Award Winners has a lot to offer those who live with their smart phones or who need commercial applications. One of the most promising for educational uses, in my opinion, is Diigo. In the Library, it could be used to take "snapshots" of web pages for use in student orientation or lessons and for staff development. The potential for classroom use is even greater as teachers move to more collaborative research; the existing groups are a source for good ideas. I like the privacy controls.
I did not play with Ning that much after I saw a post announcing that it is no longer free. I noticed that some groups, such as ALA, have since chosen to move from Ning and created their own networking spot. Maybe I'm just not good at searching Facebook, but I really did not find many groups there that I could not access better through their regular websites or blogs.
Social networking sites are a mixed blessing. From the purely social aspect, they can be a wonderful way to keep in touch with friends and family - and a real blessing in times of illness or other family crisis. The down side has been illustrated all too often on the news when people cross the line of what is appropriate contact. For now, I think their use in education may not be a good idea.
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