If we only encourage interactions with people who are like ourselves by religion, politics, language, industry, etc., and shy away from everything else, will that not enclose us in a bubble? - Shey

Shey, this is an awesome post. Too bad the people who SHOULD read it probably won't. - Cyndy

Thanks Cyndy :) - Shey

Thanks Mel, like you I find the social phenomena of this space, fascinating. I really liked this comment by you: "Well, Freud argued that the one type of pathology that was totally untreatable was narcissism. The narcissist's ego is so powerful they are incapable of admitting fault or need for growth." This is a huge danger, IMO. - Shey

Great post shey. It saddens me to think that as sites like FriendFeed become more popular the kind of gravitation towards one's "birds of a feather" will increase - on the other hand these tools allow us to identify and interact with individuals who place a premium on the same things we do (music, books, hobbies) which allows us to make those things a focal point while not completely eclipsing our ability to share our diverse thoughts in other areas as well. - Marco(aureliusmaximus)

Top shelf as usual pal :) - Charlie Anzman

Thanks Charlie :) - Shey

@Marco That's a great point - Shey

I personally friend people I find interesting. We may be alike in one area but differ in others. It's our differences that help us grow. - Lindsey is Fierce!

Good post. I think part of the problem is a lot of people just seek to avoid confrontations and arguments, so they'd rather not see someone who disagrees with them. Personally I like to argue, so I don't have that problem ;) - Jason Carreira

I agree with Lindsey - my primary criteria is "interesting". Rarely does that mean "agrees with", because if all someone does is re-affirm my own point of view and tell me things I already knew... they're boring. I like to be challenged, and even if all I do is argue, then at least it forces me to defend my own ideas. - Eric P

The term you're looking for is "echo chamber". - Robert Fischer

Case in point; This post comes up 6 times on my friendfeed page via different people & services - Steven Cains

Cains: It just means it was an excellent post. :) - Kyle Lacy

+1 Kyle! :P - Shey

I wanted to comment but it turned into a post so..I wrote it on my own space. http://candaceholly.com/2008... - Candace Holly

It is easier to be among peers who share your interests, and to ignore input from people who are different. I wrote about this in early 2006 (Blogging Bifurcation - A Web Divided) http://www.louisgray.com/live... Good stuff, Shey. - Louis Gray

I try to leave people I disagree with in until they get too abrasive. Then I have to block. It's not worth it to get annoyed online by some nearly anonymous nitwit. I get enough of that in real life, and in real life, of course, there's no block button. - Kamilah Gill

excellent suggestions Shey - Ruth Ferguson