A lot of the comments that Nate Elliott, an analyst at Jupiter Research, voices in a recent Businessweek article about social networks resonate with me. He speaks to the opportunity that “niche-oriented networks,” or as I’ve called them “vertical social networks,” have in creating significant and sustainable business models, in contrast to some of the prevailing popular general-interest ones of the day. He also touches upon the subject of “social commerce,” utilizing uses social networking for people for “directly influencing each other’s purchase decisions.” The article is worth the read, highlighting some healthy skepticism to the space.