[Air-L] information wanted, svp

[Barry Wellman]

Folks,

I am asking for informational help. Someone has been editing the Wikipedia
article on "Social Network" to assert that software called "Circle of
Friends" (written by Jonathan Bishop in the UK) was the progenitor of
other social networking software, such as Friendster, MySpace.

I've asked repeatedly for documentation, but don't really get any.

Does anyone know about this, or about simple assertions that "Circle of
Trust" led to eOpinions, et al.

In fact, is there a good history of social networkING services around, in
either paper or book form. (Yes, I know about Howard Rheingold's wonderful
book, but I was thinking of something that really tries to be a broad
history.

BTW, there is a separate Wikipedia artcle, "Social Network Services" about
social networking software. It really needs expansion, if you are so
inclined.

 Barry Wellman
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  S.D. Clark Professor of Sociology, FRSC              NetLab Director
  Centre for Urban & Community Studies           University of Toronto
  455 Spadina Avenue          Room 418          Toronto Canada M5S 2G8
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  Updating history:     http://chass.utoronto.ca/oldnew/cybertimes.php
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