Ultimately I think there ought to be a fundamental debate about what "changing the world" even means in the context of the tech space. In other words, how big does a company have to get to "change the world"? How much reach? Can it be drawn to a hard number? A specific metric? Or is it this nebulous sort of thing that doesn't really mean anything?

I think we’d see a pretty wide range of opinions if we polled folks here as to which of the current crop of both established companies & startups they felt were companies that really, truly “changed the world" or were in the process of doing so.

Well, let's agree that a cure for cancer or alternative forms of energy are objectively more important than a new way to ask people questions about your city or share event photos, no?

I agree.

Look at this way though.

Let's say you share a picture of me at a concert and my dream romantic partner sees it, decides she must be with me, and tracks me down. We fall in love and get married and I never again have to think about dating, because I choose not to.

Now I have more mental resources dedicated to the tasks of providing everyone with healthy food, disseminating compassion, ...

Social networking bullshit has had a massive effect on politics and everyday life. It has leveled the playing field between the elites and the everyman. It is easy to dismiss social networks, but upon further reflection they are revolutionary (sometimes literally).