About two months ago, after much provoking I took the plunge and signed up for Facebook.  In that time, it has been great to catch up with over 100 people I haven't seen from University and high school (and in some cases even elementary school).  The opportunities for connecting via Facebook seems endless, and it is something that my colleague Ian Barr mentioned in a recent post.  Of late, I've been amazed by the entrepreneurial spirit that seems to be emerging via the website.

There were two instances where I received e-mails promoting the opening of a new store, and a local event taking place in my area.  But what I found interesting was that I hadn't "befriended" these people in person or virtually.  Instead, here were two entrepreneurs essentially looking to expand their network by searching location and personal interests, and sending out emails based on it. 

While some would classify it as a virtual annoyance, I found it somewhat refreshing.  In one sense it was the ambition, along with taking a very local approach to their promotions which is something you don't always see online.  But the most memorable line of one email, was the reminder to mention Facebook to get 20% off at the store.

As the mainstream interest around Facebook continues to grow at a rapid pace, it will be interesting to see how people/groups will market to local and/or niche markets.