OK, so this is one of those out-of-nowhere-type sci-fi musings that came to me the other day:

Had the T-1000 played it smart, traveled back to 2008 and created a Facebook account, his odds of locating John Connor would have increased exponentially.

At the repeated urging of a good friend, I opened up an account on the “new” Facebook a month or so ago. Of course, I’d never known “old” Facebook, so I couldn’t really relate to the rage with which long-time Facebook users responded to the change.

I’ve maintained a MySpace presence for a while longer though, and according to ReadWriteWeb.com, users of Rupert Murdoch’s data-collecting machine MySpace may be in for a similar shock in the not-too-distant future.

MySpace, it would appear, is ready to borrow a bit of Facebook kung-fu.

Not only does ReadWriteWeb’s Cordiva have the scoop, she’s also got the low-down on how you can get a sneak peek at what’s being referred to as “MySpace Profile 2.0.”

Based on Cordiva’s post, Profile 2.0 looks poised to truly alter the face of the long-familiar MySpace control panel. There’ll be drag-and-drop modules, custom CSS options and more. But, at least in its early stages, Profile 2.0 will probably eat that custom Batman theme of yours for lunch.

Personally, I don’t mind. It looks as if Profile 2.0 will clear away some of the cobwebs found within the social network that started it all. Still, if the passion displayed by old-school Facebookers was any indication, this could get interesting once it goes live.

It’s a roll of the dice to mess with a MySpacer’s sparkly graphics and animated icons.

Who ya gonna call?

Sci Fi’s Ghost Hunters Unearth Social Hub for Paranormal Phenomena

“The Sci Fi Channel has unveiled a new social networking community … (as) an extension of one of the network’s most popular shows, Ghost Hunters.“

(via The Underwire)

As an added bonus, if you’re feeling particularly Scooby-ish this Halloween week, the new social network, dubbed Join the Hunt, offers tutorials on the ins and outs of electromagnetic field detectors and electronic voice phenomena recorders.

No word yet on whether Ray Parker Jr. is headed back into the studio.

Today, there seems to be a social network for virtually every community. There’s flickr for photographers, last.fm for music buffs, and an untold number of niche networks that specialize in the most specific of subjects. (Who Stole My Monkey?, the social network for pug admirers, immediately comes to mind).

The primary goal of most all of these sites has been to connect people with common interests. As social networking evolves, however, new communities are emerging with an even bigger goal in mind: collaboration.

One such site, IndabaMusic, seeks to empower musicians, vocalists, studio engineers, producers and a plethora of other music industry types by allowing them to work together on projects — effectively crumblin’ down the walls* once presented by distance and cost. It’s billed as “part social network, part web application,” and though still in its beta phase, it’s registered musicians in more than 150 countries around the globe.

As a truly amateur guitarist, it’s not likely I’ll ever have anything to offer the Indaba community, but should I pen the next “Stairway to Heaven” in a moment of unbridled brilliance, it’s good to know Indaba is an option.

Check out Discovery Networks’ recent profile on Indaba for the scoop:

*Hat Tip: John Cougar Mellencamp

The buzz surrounding the Oct. 22 release of the first Google/Android-powered mobile phone continues to build, and the latest from BetaNews suggests Motorola has plans to release an Android phone equipped with ”social network friendly” features in early 2009.

For now, the lips of social networking behemoths Facebook and MySpace are sealed, as are Motorola’s, according to BusinessWeek’s Olga Kharif:

Motorola declined to elaborate on its plans, but said in a statement: “We’re excited about the innovation possibilities on Android and look forward to delivering great products in partnership with Google (GOOG)” and the community of developers known as the Open Handset Alliance that are working on the Android operating system.

Though I was admittedly late to the game, I’ve joined the masses in setting up profiles on both Facebook and MySpace over the course of the past several months. However, when it comes to the “mobile web,” which has been identified by many as the next big thing, I’m afraid I’ll be even later to adopt it — if I adopt it at all.

This is the part where I disclose that I do not own a “smart” phone and, quite frankly, I have no desire to own one. A regular ol’ cell phone and a wireless internet connection do the job just fine for me, thanks. Besides, I can’t get used to the idea of surfing around the web or reading e-mail on such a tiny screen. I’m also one of those who has vowed to never, ever watch a movie on an iPod. Call it the “squint factor.”

Still, as someone who works on a college campus, I have to admit that mobile web is here to stay. Hardly a day goes by when I don’t run into a student who is hacking away at a matchbook-sized QWERTY keyboard or sporting a Jetsons-esque new iPhone. As a gadget guy, I’m on board with the cool factor. I won’t argue that “smart” phones aren’t super-sweet, futuristic devices that make me drool just a little.

Technology has changed so rapidly, even within the past three to five years, that a tremendous gap exists not only between generations but between those who were born a mere decade apart. I’m only 10 years or so older than many of the students I encounter but, given my disdain for miniscule screens, I might as well be a dinosaur.

My inner desire to remain hip may eventually force my hand, and I may give in to the crackberry or some other device. Motorola’s plans, it would appear, could seal the deal for the future of mobile web while simultaneously forcing me to squint and bear it.