The author of the other talk I was really sad to miss at Web 2.0 Expo in Berlin, Lee Bryant of Headshift, has now published his slides over on the firm’s blog.

Here they are:

[Niche Social Networks FTW!](http://www.slideshare.net/leebryant/niche-social-networks-ftw-presentation?type=powerpoint "Niche Social Networks FTW!")
View SlideShare [presentation](http://www.slideshare.net/leebryant/niche-social-networks-ftw-presentation?type=powerpoint "View Niche Social Networks FTW! on SlideShare") or [Upload](http://www.slideshare.net/upload?type=powerpoint) your own. (tags: [purpose](http://slideshare.net/tag/purpose) [meaning](http://slideshare.net/tag/meaning))![]()
Although the presentation gives some good examples of niche social networks in use, I like Lee’s analysis of the value of Facebook against niches, which makes a nice riposte to [last week’s BBC story](http://www.computerweekly.com/blogs/enterprise-social-software/2008/10/ease-up-on-facebook-blocks.html):

I remain convinced that intimacy and common purpose are more in line
with the culture of the internet than mega-malls like Facebook, where
funders are more interested in achieving a ridiculous $15bn valuation
for the company than in changing peoples’ lives for the better.

And the rights tools can improve people’s working lives, just as much as they can their personal lives…