Last month I was at a dinner party my mother threw so that we could meet my stepsister who has been my stepsister for 30 years but is just now someone I met for the first time. We were kindred spirits from the start — she’s a passionate special ed teacher in the Midwest. Of course, the wine was flowing rather freely and dinner was served a bit late so I was definitely more loose-lipped than normal, as was my mother. As we were laughing over some of my more famous childhood exploits, Mom launches into a description of me which is as true today as it was when I was a kid.

She described me this way: “Even as a kid, Karoli was never without a cause. Whether it was rescuing a turtle, getting the vote out for Richard Nixon (my teenage rebellion), or fighting for equal representation in the school band, she always had a cause.”

She’s right. I did then (even if the Nixon thing was wrong-headed) and I do now and I will tomorrow, I’m sure. That’s why this blurb in the press release from yet another social network pissed me off:

“Razoo.com aims to be the premier social network for connecting passionate young people with each other, with causes and with groups who can inspire and amplify their efforts,” J. Sebastian Traeger, Razoo’s CEO, said.

I guess in Web 2.0-land, the only ones who are passionate are also young. I suddenly feel a deeper affinity for the Edsel.

In other news, Facebook lost Vodafone as a sponsor today because their ads appeared on a Facebook page promoting racism in the UK. Make of it what you will — I wonder if the reaction would have been as strong if ageism were the underlying ugly on their page. But then, what do I know? Passion is evidently the territory of the young only.

Technorati Tags: plazoo, ageism, causes, social networks