They say it's good to talk. But in business, it depends what you're saying - and who you're saying it to. Right now this simple truth is a hot topic in the business community, thanks to the lightningfast rise of social networking.

It's a real phenomenon. Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, Orkut, Perfspot, Friendster, Neighborhood - the list of social networking websites goes on and on. Masses of users are signing up to their services at an astonishing rate; MySpace alone currently has over 200 million accounts.

But even as social networking makes it easier than ever to communicate online in real time, democratizing the Web and deluging cyberspace with information and opinions posted by millions of people eager for "virtual" conversation, poses many challenges for the business world.