Where Social Networking started for me

Yesterday, there was a great post on theSocialTimes.com talking about meeting people who are part of your social network, and the initial interaction you have when you meet those people in the real world.

Believe me... I get where he's coming from.

That said, it got me thinking about where Social Networking really started for me, and I'll give you a hint... it wasn't the first time I signed up for Friendster. Understanding that it's really easy to find out the exact details on where the phenomenon came from (Here: I'll even save you the trouble), I was thinking about the first time something that resembled social networking, as it is today, became commonplace to me.

Not surprisingly, my very first social network centered around baseball... and in particular... the Boston Redsox. That said, I am ignoring the Wiki definition, and taking it a step further... believing that Social Networks are a logical extension of a web 1.0 application: Message Boards.

The site I linked to above is a geek's haven for Redsox fans and Statistical nutjobs... and I say that as:

1. A complete and utter term of endearment
2. Someone who's a member of that message board community (until now, I had never thought of it as a community... but it most certainly qualifies).

I don't know how long I have been a member of the message board (I do know I was using dial up when I first joined), but over the years, I've come to expect different reactions from different people on any particular event. For example, when the news that Curt Schilling may miss the season broke, anyone who's been in the community for a while knew exactly who was going to rant about this being even more reason the Sox should have traded for Johan Santana.

Not dissimilar from the way I go to Twitter for tech news, that's the first site I was going to go to, even prior to going to Schilling's blog itself. Lets' be honest... despite being one of the most outspoken athletes on any particular subject that happens to come up... Schill doesn't break news on his blog.

Back on topic- that message board is also the first web site where I met the users in person. Each year, in a lot of cities, select members organize trips to a local ballpark to see the Sox play. In DC, we took it a step further and met once a month to hang at a bar and watch the team. We even had a code for meeting each other (since there weren't pics on the site at the time). It was asking the bartender "where are the asshats?" Somehow.. it always worked. (Sidenote: Trying this at a Yanks/Sox game... walking around in NYC bar in a Redsox hat is most definitely not something to try).

Where am I going with this?

Quite simply... Here's what I'm thinking:

Social Networking as we know it now is just another step as to where the Web is heading, meaning it has been around for a lot longer than anyone wants to admit, and isn't some sort of 'new web.' With that in mind... I can't wait to see what's next.

So, what's your "first social networking experience?"