Online social networking is a fairly recent phenomenon, and many options abound from LinkedIn to Facebook. However, the affluent and High Net Worth community has been enjoying the same kind of experience via "SmallWorld", a private, invitation only club of 250,000 members worldwide. Founded in 2004, the network is mainly about lifestyle, society, celebrity and features members such as Naomi Campbell, Ivanka Trump, Tiger Woods and Paris Hilton.
Although SmallWorld share similar features with Facebook (profiles, an event calendar, private messaging), the similarities stop there.
Small Word members can list multiple cities as their location of residence (which is very jet-set like). They can purchase or sell luxury items on the site, and the kicker is that only certain members can invite other people to join. Once invited, an individual has to be approved by five other members to be admitted, as a way to verify wealth levels.
As is always the case when it comes to the very rich and affluent, we can safely assume that things have to take on another dimension. Can you imagine the status updates??? I.e "So and so is on his way to the Oscars" or better yet "I am about to fly commercial, pray for me!!!!"
The rules are very strict however, and networking with too many celebrities or aggressively selling products to members is cause for cancellation of one's account. Administrators closely monitor the site to enforce the rules forbidding one to “annoy, harass or unreasonably disturb members, or try to connect to members with whom you have no previous contact".
Maybe some of those rules should apply to Facebook. Just Maybe...
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