Enterprise social networking grew 191% in 2007, according to IDC. Reading the press release for this data really got the gears cranking in my mind. I have to admit that part of the lag in this blog lately is I've been a bit bored with social media lately. I feel a bit like a hamster in a wheel - like I'm seeing the same stuff over and over and over again.

But enterprise social networking made social media feel purposeful again, which may be a bit strange coming from someone who is a freelancer. I mean, it's not like I'm going to be participating organically in enterprise social networking anytime soon.

The idea of achieving a goal through social media is where I'm being drawn in again. I'm wondering if, ultimately, this is where social media is heading. There's a point of saturation that web startups meet if they're not innovative enough. That's why Yahoo is having trouble while Google is dominating the search field or why no one talks about Friendster anymore and even MySpace and dare I say it - Facebook - are getting a bit tired.

Sure, it's been fun to catch up with old friends from college and read fun Tweets, but I personally am at a saturation point. I need something more, and I seriously doubt I'm alone.

Actually, I know I'm not alone. I've noticed Twitterers who've said their questions are no longer being answered. I know the conversation on Twitter is not as good as it used to be. (Yes, already we can talk about the good ol' days of Twitter - even though they were just 4-6 weeks ago.)

I could go on and theorize that the need for connectedness has been met and now we're in danger of overconnecting, but I'm not quite ready to commit to that. There's still so many people who don't even *know* what Twitter is, for example.

In the meantime, I find myself a bit bored, a bit like John Mayer "waiting for the world to change." And the most frustrating thing is - I'm not completely sure where we're even headed.

But if enterprise social networking is any indication - and I hope it is - we might just be headed towards a social web that is purpose-oriented.

And that, my friends, is the stuff that dreams are made of.