I don’t like to think of myself as old, but I guess my next major b-day is the big four-oh. In the land of social networking, that makes me ummm, like, a fossil or something. (sarcasm)

For a while, I just didn’t “get it.” Two little kids didn’t leave much time for LOLcats. I was married before the MySpace craze hit, and out of college before — well before — Facebook took-off. And, just for the record, I still think it’s no accident that Twitter starts with “twit.”

But my Startup 2.0 was all about social networking. So I had to dive in. Today, you can find me on (among others) Facebook, Skype, LinkedIn and yes, even Twitter. (Still no MySpace, though. An advisor to my last company said it’s become the “land of 13-year-old prostitutes.” I decided to just take his word on that one.)

And you know what? The more involved I got, the more I understood why I had a hard time getting my head around social networking in the first place. You see, there are two kinds of social. The kind that’s not my style just happens to be the kind that typically jumps on the new “Web 2.0″ services first.

I like to call this type “Mr./Ms. Me-Me-Me.” You probably know what I mean. Their Skype account broadcasts what music they’re listening to right now and updates every two minutes. They generate dozens of “tweets” a day, and “Digg” every Web item that tickles their fancy.

These people view social networks as a kind of PR on steroids. Instead of only being able to share their every thought with their unfortunate boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse, or the people within earshot at a pub, they now have the tools to broadcast themselves online.

Now don’t get me wrong. I’m all for amplifying opinions. It’s just that most Mr./Ms. Me-Me-Me’s have trouble using the new tools for anything beyond the frivolous. Even the über-hip Mr. College Humor seems to agree.

I started to “get” social networking when I realized the power it had for me to be a better friend. I’m not quite Michael Arrington, but my inbox gets pretty full just like his. Sites like Facebook let me get bite-sized info from everyone in my circle, and gives me the tools to send out some, “Hey. Just thought of you today…” ticklers.

Now some people would say that publishing updates and the music you’re enjoying doesn’t make a person a Mr./Ms. Me-Me-Me. Some would even say that some self broadcasting is needed to even get my social consumption working in the first place and more updates with increasing detail just gives me the option of a deeper “friendship” if I want it. Fair enough, I suppose.

But I’m definitely skeptical of the people who publish more updates about themselves than they consume from others. Sure, there’s a theory that a group of these people can get a social networking site off the ground but eventually real traffic requires people who both talk and listen.

If you’re one of these sites, congratulations. I know first hand that it ain’t easy.