Michel Bauwens reports on the findings of David Garcia and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich in looking at Friendster data.
They say that when the costs–the time and effort–associated with being a member of a social network outweigh the benefits, then the conditions are ripe for a general exodus. The thinking is that if one person leaves, then his or her friends become more likely to leave as well and this can cascade through the network causing a collapse in membership.
See original article at p2pfoundation.net