This year has seen Facebook take over from MySpace as the most fashionable social networking website. Part of its success has been that it has prided itself on guarding its users’ privacy, but the walls of protection have gradually lowered as success seems to have gone to their heads. In the span of just a few weeks, Facebook’s corporate image has descended from the lofty heights of cool new kid on the block to evil giant intent on exploiting its users for profit. Some users were surprised to find information about their online purchases added to their personal news feeds.

By luring in new users with promises to protect their personal information, then selling that information to its advertisers, Facebook has taken advantage of its position to in effect make the users work for their advertisers for no reward. Most successful online media companies seem to operate from the desire to make the world a better place, but it seems Facebook is now revealling other plans – world domination! But given the histories of those who have been Facebook’s main investors, it is hardly surprising.

All social networking websites in effect make their money from advertisers whilst having their users do all the work by creating the content of the site. A refreshing alternative though has recently come to the attention of Newsphiles – Yuwie, a new site that actually shares a part of its advertising revenue with its users. Given its obvious differences to Facebook, we won’t be surprised if Yuwie becomes 2008’s cool site.