Paul Greenberg bring up an interesting point in his most recent blog posting. What really is the difference between social networks and online communities?

I would like to think that a community offers slightly more inherent value than a social network on a more consistent basis. SugarCRM has a strong community — alive in the forums, actively checking the product releases, etc. And while there is a”social” aspect to the goings on of the Sugar community, I would hasten to call it a social network.

By the definitions Paul brings up in his post, there is actually too much binding the Sugar community members together. This is not some online database, for lack of a better term, of people with similar interests, jobs, etcs., but rather an active, living and breathing entity that just happens to interact via digital means.

That said, I would like to think that some jobs, friends, and other valuable things have been gained through the Sugar community by its members. So, while I would argue that a community is something more than a social network, it definitely has some of those qualities.