It's easy for us to apply the idea of platforms and social networks to the Internet, but I'd be amazed if there weren't opportunities in other industries. For example, what happens if we had an open power grid? What happens if everyone's home could be a power generator and feed excess electricity back into the network? I know it's being developed, but I'll punt on the specifics for the moment; but think about how people could develop applications to measure and manage power? Think if we could display to everyone our power consumption and sources of power the same we way we promote our photos, or what we're reading? Dopplr allows people to track and promote their travel and their carbon footprint, what would happen if we could do the same with all of our power use? Or if could we each track and publicly promote how much liquid and solid trash we produce each day?

The idea of networks doesn't need to only apply to consumer-oriented Internet applications.

(I am trying to learn to be more concise, I promise…)

It's always been done by great connectors (or “mavens” according to Gladwell), but perhaps with social networks (transparent and opaque) we can all be mavens?

the question from taylor, where are the next networks, perhaps points to “which industries” or which services .. i see an expansion of what the word network itself really means .. a density of intimacy and community that we have not experienced yet, something like those big bee's nests in india that hang off of buildings, everybody in a sense just jammed together, humming in harmony …

this is happening in china already, there is of course a more communal mindset in the east, and as i found out at the chinabloggercon, a lot of social networks are really intense, are making money (micropayments and virtual goods) and are more deeply social than the exercises that pass for social on facebook, etc … demonstrations have happened in korea, just off of the internet network …

(ethan said it in five words, me, five paragraphs)

lot of thought in your post, taylor, thanks for taking the time …

Gotta jump, don't have time to think about where the industry will value the relationship itself as the primary asset, x/c maybe social networking sites?

Oooh, maybe “getting new businesses off the ground” will be where human net capital is the key asset (back to Fred, YC)