For local community/interest/hobby groups it's gold, especially if you're trying to connect with a specific community. The expat community of a given city would be one example, because you might know a friend of a friend from the group but not otherwise be very well connected irl.
Another would be hobbies and interests that are online-based or that don't naturally bring you into contact with fellow hobbyists, like model-building, and they help you connect over your hobby in ways you wouldn't be able to otherwise (without setting up and advertising a convention and hoping people will take a trip across the country to make it there).
There are also groups that act like Craigslist or Freecycle schemes that are restricted to one area and that you have to know someone in the group to be allowed to join. They are semi-secure because everyone in the group is from the same area and knows someone who knows someone, so people are less likely to cheat each other. These sorts of groups can bring the feeling of a 'village community' to an entire city district.
Who here also thinks Facebook is lame?
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I think it depends on why/how you use it.
For local community/interest/hobby groups it's gold, especially if you're trying to connect with a specific community. The expat community of a given city would be one example, because you might know a friend of a friend from the group but not otherwise be very well connected irl.
Another would be hobbies and interests that are online-based or that don't naturally bring you into contact with fellow hobbyists, like model-building, and they help you connect over your hobby in ways you wouldn't be able to otherwise (without setting up and advertising a convention and hoping people will take a trip across the country to make it there).
There are also groups that act like Craigslist or Freecycle schemes that are restricted to one area and that you have to know someone in the group to be allowed to join. They are semi-secure because everyone in the group is from the same area and knows someone who knows someone, so people are less likely to cheat each other. These sorts of groups can bring the feeling of a 'village community' to an entire city district.