I see people linking to celebrities, yet they don’t know them — they only *want* to know them. As you say, this can hurt credibility, particularly if the celebrity is known for endorsing unsavoury products and habits.

Social-networking is and should be about networking with the purpose of endorsing our own self-worth and/or the product we are selling.

~ When our product is our mind, our speech and mannerisms on the internet need to imply our mind is open to learning, not closed to specific ideals.
~ When our product is online (ie. _Photographic-art available upon a web-gallery_), we need to be able to both discuss and promote the product. Plus endorse the work of others. Reciprocal advertising can be quite effective.
~ When our product is both online and in the real-world, we have to remember that friends and family may choose to read through our online activity. For some people this could prove disastrous when they use inappropriate language and back-chat to seemingly talk-the-talk with online friends.

So I am all for reading your suggestions on how small-business can use SocNets without harming their business!
stephen´s last blog ..Lifecycle of a Freelance Photographer