We've started to (carefully) explore to what extent there might actually be value in the current crop of social networks. We were involved in earlier waves - from Ryze to the now defunct Soflow - with little to show for it, so we chose to sit out of Facebook and Twitter for a long time, mostly for signal-to-noise issues. Feverish hype or not, I think the jury is still out, but I admit there seems to be staying power here.

Anyway, today's weird FB discovery (in the sense that I just stumbled on it), or maybe it is telling, is the group named El Mar de Chile no Se Regala!!!! which loosely translated is this post's title (though I'm using my own bewildered punctuation). 3,169 members to support Chile's position in one of its territorial disputes with its neighbors! I wouldn't have thought people would create groups around rather arcane geopolitical issues, and that's before Facebook has even been localized. Peru's FB network is half as large as Chile's, which I guess reflects its smaller online population (broadband is expensive in Chile in PPP terms, but I think it's much worse in Peru). The El pisco es Chileno group seems more at home on FB, since the dispute between Chile and Peru over paternity for a regional drink is more of an informal joke of an issue to rant about over a pisco sour. Speaking of which, I like this cocktail but also highly recommend amaretto sour. How's that for a conclusion about world affairs seen through the lens of social networks?

Jon Udell has a good conversation (with very good audio quality) with Neil Giarratana, the president of a small web shop based off Keene, NH. This stroke very close to home (so to speak!) since our HQ is based in Vermont but we have people all over the place: Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Georgia, Montana, Colorado, Oregon, California, and myself down here in Chile. We have people who sometimes spend time in London or the Florida Keys or wherever and don't really skip a beat. Looking at Lucidus' blog, I see we go through the very same issues, from how much can you rely on Vonage or Skype, to making sure wherever your people are, they'd better investigate their broadband options.

It's interesting to see Giarratana has made his location choice in large part for family reasons, just like we did. From a practical perspective, there are many variables, but the bottom line is, where can you get good schools without paying an arm and a leg for real estate? The almost philosophical under-current is to define and pursue success and quality of life on your own terms, and go in big cities only when you want to enjoy what they offer without bearing with their noise, pollution, traffic, cost and crime on a daily basis.

As a business, this distributed MO has definitely its challenges, but I'm convinced we've been forced to develop a sense of focus and discipline whose lack is killing a majority of internet start-ups. For us, it's all about outcomes, from new features to better content to, most importantly, satisfied customers and increasing revenue and free cash flow. There's no water cooler and white board endless filler. Less banter, more writing. Not that we can't have fun though!

Despite my taste for corny Barry White songs, I don't like Los Angeles much. At least not the LA I remember from a UCLA summer session 18 years ago, as a non-driving visitor with little money on hand. Admittedly LA without car nor cash is by definition a non-starter. Bldg Blog had a great post that captures the essence of that place very well (I can't bring myself to call it a city), in a "never met a woman so alone" way. To many people LA doesn't feel just indifferent but also downright hostile. I'll have to give it another chance some day but I think you need someone to drive you along and help you socialize or else, or how do you even get started there?