who else is at the party?

One of the first things I do when I get to a party is to look around to see who else is there. Sure, there could be a great spread, good scotch at the bar and a DJ who knows what he's doing, but if the crowd sucks or, well, if it's just you and a host who looks a little embarrassed because no one else is coming, the party is never going to quite going.

Am I the only one? Probably not.

So, when there is yet another social network, I'm not interested in joining unless I know that, in addition to all the pretty features, there are some people in the network with whom I, well, want to be social.

Hope Equity, a new social network from Heifer International, brings people together who are interested in investing in solutions to hunger, poverty or the environment. Looks great, great organization, but who the hell else is using it? Will I be playing in the sandbox alone? Do I really need to create a profile before I see what organizations I can contribute?