I get calls and emails almost every day from folks who want to know: "How do I start a Facebook group?" My response, invariably, is: "WHY do you want a Facebook group?"

That's the topic we're covering this week in We Are Media: Social Networks (and Widgets) for Community Building, Taking Action, and/or Fundraising. Why are social networks important to our causes? Under what conditions? And what kinds of investments do you need to make to get the most out of them?

I'm a total snob when it comes to MySpace. My house is pretty much always spotless, and that's the way I like my interface design, too: clean.

So I get the chills when I check out MySpace. Too cluttered! Nonetheless, it's a tool nonprofits cannot ignore. Folks like IFAW and many others have used MySpace to engage and activate a whole new constituency.

If you're looking to start a MySpace campaign, or if you have one already and want to improve it, check out Heather Mansfield's post on optimizing your MySpace page.