I have yet to hear of anyone striving for a small social circle - Facebook Fans, followers on Twitter or subscribers to a feed. We fear that small social circles lack credibility or won’t be noticed.

Clive Thompson argues that growing to large will also dampens the experience. In his Wired magazine article, “In Praise of Obscurity” he warns that social circles can become unsustainably large. Not just in terms of scale, but also in terms of a breakdown of community. Conversations become more like broadcasting as initial members become more conscious about what they say and the updates they make.

Social networking services can contain thousands of social circles, but both seem to follow the same principle - trending. Social networks and circles are constantly evolving in order to avoid the middle ground. Celebrities and (most) organizations find bliss in large networks. Conversely, members of a group of addicts may find comfort in a smaller circle.

One way to illustrate “avoiding the middle ground” is by comparing the population of social networks to another trend that seeks to avoid being average - fashion.

Wide Leg Jeans >     Ripped Jeans >   Embellished Jeans >   Skinny Jeans >

A small segment of the population starts wearing a specific type of jean. Once many more people start wearing that type of jean and new companies start manufacturing similar jeans, the trend setter moves on to a new style. Styles prove to be an evolving trend yet denim as a material remains popular. A similar evolution occurs with social networking services.

Friendster >             MySpace >                Facebook >          FourSquare >