Every now and then one of my daughters takes a peek over my shoulder when I’m using Nature Network and says (incredulously) “Are you on Bebo?” I respond with a hurried “No!” As if. But, of course the differences are probably less than most of us like to admit.

Actually, I do think the powers that be missed a trick with the name – Nature Network doesn’t exactly sound a thrill a minute. Maybe they should have gone for Geekbo, MyScience or FaceLab.

However you look at it, the whole social networking phenomenon is quite extraordinary. I’m just reading Wikinomics (see details at Amazon.co.uk or at Amazon.com) which really underlines the power for change in these networks (though at the expense of rather a lot of breathless prose, and not always a sense of clarity about how this model can extend beyond the information world).

There is one real paradox here. According to the authors of Wikinomics, the new generation to whom social networking seems to come so easily are able to release untold creativity, in a way older generations never could. I’m absolutely sure that there is a huge opportunity for accessing creativity, and for getting leverage from the instant mass communication, but we also need to be remember that teenage creativity, wonderful though it is, is driven by a huge urge to conform.

Just look at a range of Bebo pages. Yes, everyone has put a lot of effort into formatting them, but it the end, they’re very samey. The creativity is out there, but we shouldn’t expect too much originality all the time. That would be anticipating a change to human nature, and even the power of social networking isn’t going to do that.