These new online communities seem to be finding an audience, in large part, because of elegantly simple user interfaces. I recall roaming theglobe.com and geocities.com at their inception and getting totally lost, starting with the home page.

On MySpace.com, I feel at ease. The information architecture is well-conceived, the color palette is clean, and I can't stop myself from digging deeper for more content that's appealing. Even as I write this, I discovered five new indie bands on the site and legions of people, just like me, who share my unique musical taste.

The new community sites also benefit from an improved functionality. First-generation sites often showcased clumsy tools and functionality. But the new sites are different. Instant messaging, chat, music players, and games all load instantly and seamlessly integrate the user experience.