“An organized group of persons associated together for religious, benevolent, cultural, scientific, political, patriotic, or other purposes.”

I guess there is nothing in the definition that requires members of a society to actually gather together and make physical contact.  Pity.
30 some years ago I worked with two brillaint computer guys at the steel mill.  One was nicknamed 9600 because he talked so fast it was like listening
to bits coming across the fastest modem available at the time. (Those of you who don’t get it…today he would be called 4G , a faster talking version of  Mr. Facebook). 
His associate, on the other hand, was right out of the Kings Speech, stammering and stuttering his way through each conversation.  
Physically and intellectually, they were roughly equivalent though 9600 would more likely make the cover of GQ. 
Now, it happened that both had an interest in my secretary and 2 or 3 times a week I would see one or the other of them “socializing” at her desk. 
This was not unsual as, face time with my secretary was of considerable value to single gentlemen throughout Steel Mill Society.
She went out with 9600 for a while but after about 6 weeks of exchanged deskside cordialities, SHE ended up asking the less than Kingly speaker for a date, then another and another, until it became a very strong, very real relationship. 

I wonder, given the volume of hits, my secretary’s Facbook page would garner in today’s society, would she still “friend” him?

I can do a lot of things from my computer.  I can even have video face time with folks on my phone.  But to me, being in the same room with other humans will always be a vastly different experieince.   I wonder, though, has this kind of social networking gone the way of the U.S. Steel Industry?