The class separations are being created and marketed for the online world.
In the real world, the average Joe watches the Red Sox-Yankees game from the bleachers while the affluent mingle in the corporate boxes. Everyday Eddie deals with parking and public restrooms during his day at the beach, yet the mega-rich drop their keys with the valet and settle into a reserved lounge chair at a private club.
Online, the waters are parting too.
The "average" and "everyday" are the domain of the lower classes. The wealthy exist in the realm of the exceptional and rare.
Though it once seemed that the Web was the last place where status didn't matter, the elite are now looking for a comfortable place to mingle with like-minded people. They're leaving Facebook and LinkedIn to the riffraff.
"Riffraff". The undesirables must be kept at a distance so as to not pollute the pristine waters of the wealthy.
Some networks come with strict invite-only policies and a rigorous application process based on education, job title, connections and lots of virtual velvet rope.
Once invited to join the network (only selected members with a sturdy Rolodex are given invite powers), a member can browse the market guide (a high-end Craigslist where there are currently 500 member-listed yachts for sale), surf the luxury-travel guide and global-event guide, or participate in forum discussions
"People are unhappy with the free-for-all at LinkedIn and Facebook and MySpace. They are looking for a specialized group to mingle with, and paying a fee weeds out the ones who don't belong," says Chris Curtis, director of Web Business Ownership LLC, a Delaware-based Internet consulting company.
The arguably egalitarian nature of the Internet is undesirable for the "mega-rich". It is a chaotic "free-for-all" that does not give the necessary nod to the exceptional nature of the wealthy. To compete and coexist with the commoners is to sacrifice the individuality and exceptionality that is expected when one is wealthy.
From: http://www.forbes.com/2008/05/02/social-networks-vip-tech-personal-cx_nr_0502style.html
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