A growing trend in social networking is specialization. Nike and Google have launched a soccer social networking hub called Joga.
Meanwhile, Edmunds.com has launched a social network service called CarSpace that helps car enthusiasts connect. Eventually someone will offer webmasters an easy-to-run social networking script and social networking sites will suddenly be everywhere and targeting every possible niche just like the communities built using discussion board software. The companies offering discussion board software could also offer upgrades that add features like "friends" and blogs.
Update 3-20-06: BusinessWeek has more on Nike's social network plans. Soccer may not be there only focus.
Joga is a members-only portal community that will require an invitation to join. There is very little content right now, but Nike officials believe that will change shortly as word of the site spreads. So far, it is filled with profiles from Nike-sponsored soccer players and Nike employees who have created their own pages to get the network rolling. Based on how well Joga.com does, Nike and Google will likely create social-networking sites for basketball, baseball, skateboarding, and other sports, Nike officials say.
