Although they appear to consider each other as competitors, I find that one can use both Multiply and Friendster with similar ease.

Multiply feels more like a home I'm decorating to invite friends over while Friendster feels more like a fashion show where everyone is preening. With Multiply, I tend to add people I consider really good friends or close friends, or people I have something in common with, not mere social friends. On the other hand, with Friendster, I tend to add friends who I may simply know as acquaintances as well as good friends.

The functions are different too. Multiply has a comprehensive photo sharing network, video sharing, blog, recipes, book and movie reviews, all of which suggest a kind of intimacy with the people you are connected with. With Friendster it is all about social networking: testimonials, a brief profile, featured friends, and an optional blog (they have since removed their RSS feed for external blogs).

Whether they both evolve into each other is yet to be seen, but for now, I'll be using Multiply to share things with close friends, and Friendster to simply network.

Technorati: technology, Multiply, Friendster, social networking