Mapping 2.0

In 2008 9,6 million people in britain took advantage of social networks like Facebook, Twitter and Myspace. Britains scientists talk about 27 million social embedded people until 2012, thats nearly half of the united kingdom.
What can we make out of this explosive developement? How big are the similarities between social networks on the internet compared to those we have to face in our real live and would it be possible to give some sort of forcast for our future social activities?
A "feeling lucky" Button ( -Google-) how to gain new relations?

The Atlas of Cyberspace