I started my day today leading a training session for Lens on Atlanta. I opened the session with my sincere belief that we will be seeing a rise in Niche Social Networks, like Lens on Atlanta, next year.

Why?

Because sites such as Facebook are trying too hard to please everyone and to be everything to everybody. The Facebook population may be the size of the 3rd or 4th largest country right now, but it is going through some serious identity crises right now.

Today I read how Game developers have embraced Facebook  to extend their brand to this large and active community.

It's a great time to be making games on Facebook -- most of the top applications on the platform now are games, including Zynga's trifecta of addictive, newsfeed-clogging titles -- "Farmville," "Cafeworld" and "Mafia Wars," which sit at #1, #3, and #4 respectively.

However the article also points out;

though it seems that there are many people out there who are getting close to pruning their friends list to avoid more notifications about lonely pink cows being found on farms.

There are people who are on Facebook for business reasons, but their business connections are using Facebook to play with friends and family, and some of their friends and family are trying to use Facebook to promote their grassroots causes or political agendas.

Facebook has become a giant community with no direction, not sure who they are anymore or who they serve; kinda like when teenagers are trying to figure out who they are while trying to also please their parents, teachers, friends, and coaches.