Who are my friends (contacts, colleagues)?

Editorial, 25th June 2008, revised August 24thYesterday I changed the terminology used on our website. The standard system provided by our host (Ning.com) employs the term 'Friends', which works for casual or recreational social networks.The Research Cooperative is primarily aimed at helping people develop working relationships and connections. If these eventually develop into friendships, then great - we hope that happens.To extend the Cooperative network, it is important for us to invite existing friends and working contacts (colleagues, co-workers, etc.) to visit and join.To conclude - 'Friends' is too intimate for all the connections that can be made here; 'Colleagues' is too formal (but see comment below); 'Contacts' seems neutral enough (now being reconsidered) - it can apply to friends, colleagues, and other kinds of relationship.For some of the fixed phrases used by our network system, I have used the terms 'friends' or 'people'. I have tried to vary the terms, to encourage friendliness, even if we are all working people, just looking for contacts, or colleagues.