To be fair, what sets YC apart from most, not all incubators, is the level of community communication: signal and support. Not every incubator has as much critical mass/network effects (yes, that cliche) of cleverness, hustle, intellect, and track record in one place. Sometimes, the relative difference can be as stark as comparing an Olympic training swimming center vs. the local middle school pool open during summer months: both can cool you off, but which will be more useful to an athlete?<p>Social media: The business utility of it is primarily in broadcasting press release-type information and real-time notices. For personal use, the power law distribution of popularity suggests it's a time suck with little or no net positive value.