Off at a tangent, this links into a problem I've had recently actually, and the problem is that I don't use social networking sites for anything but looking at friends' photos.

I'm travelling this year and am using airbnb to arrange my accommodation in advance. I've had my phone number verified and my credit card billed/verified, but many hosts are reluctant to trust someone who is new to the site and doesn't use social networking. It's a barrier to entry that doesn't exist anywhere else.

I'm left in the bizarre situation of a credit card not being good enough to establish a reputation, and of knowing that someone who builds a facebook page - even fake - would be more trusted.