Wired News: Social Nets Find Friends in VCs

The sums being funneled into these social-networking startups aren't vast in comparison to the amounts venture capitalists routinely poured into Net firms in the late 1990s. Nonetheless, entrepreneurs say the infusions are encouraging, particularly considering VCs' recent reluctance to put money into consumer-oriented Internet businesses.

The draw of social networking, the startups say, is that a little investment could go a long way.

Can these startups monetize the public hub? And, will users switch OFF once they start charging for the contact (beyond the second node)?