The New York Times article “A Mobile Link for 90 Mutual Friends” starts with the story of Mr. Brian Battjer who met the friend of friend through the online networking site Dodgeball.com. In some sense, Dodgeball is similar to Facebook or Myspace; however, it is different in that it actively links people offline rather than through online. Facebook or Myspace is aimed at making people connect with friends easily through online, but Dodgeball helps friends to share their current location even when they are sitting at computers. It is done through the cellular phones. If you would like to let others know where your current location is, you would update it through the phone and the info will be sent out to friends through phones and at the same time, it will be sent out to friends of friends who are located nearby your location. And if you are willing to meet them, you can actually meet them right away because they would likely be only few blocks away from you. And just like Mr. Battjer, anyone can turn those friends of friends into your friend.

In this course (Networks), we have learned about the ‘Triadic Closure’ which means that there is tendency of edges to close off triangles. Let’s say there is person A, B, and C. A and B are friends and B and C are friends but not A and C. Even though A and C are not friends in the beginning, they will in the end likely be friends due to the relationship between A & B and B & C. Dodgeball.com is the service that helps to create Triadic Closure between people. At Dodgeball.com, you are connected with people who have two degrees of separation. You are getting a chance to meet them because two people both have the same person as a friend. People do not randomly become friends with others; in order for become friends there has to be something that two person shares. And, having same person as a friend implies that there is a high chance that they could have similar characteristics or same common interest. Maybe, the person you met through Dodgeball is not the person you want to be friend with; however, there is high chance that you will “close off triangles.” And as soon as you become friend with friend of your friend, you have fulfilled the definition of “Triadic Closure.” Dodgeball.com is the website that provides social network for not only friends but also for connecting with friends of friends.

Link: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9506E7DD113CF930A25756C0A9629C8B63&sec=technology&spon=&&scp=18&sq=friend%20network&st=cse