Tusk

Here's what he says about it:

I have started a new blog: TuSK. TuSK stands for Talent u Should Know. As I explain on the site, TuSK is about introducing you to:

• People who I have worked with who I think are great, and
• People who I trust and respect, and
• People who the people I trust and respect know

In other words, it's an informal network of at most one degree of separation. Sometimes you will see a short note from me about somebody I think you should know. Sometimes you will see a note from that person themselves (that note can cover any topic of their interest as long as they think it serves as a way to get to know them better). Other times you will see people I trust and respect writing about great people they know. But no matter what, if you are reading about someone on TuSK he or she is a person I am willing to champion and spend time on. (Talentism)

He goes on:

There aren't many rules, but the few that exist won't be broken:

• If I don't know you, introducing yourself via email won't qualify as "friendship." To be a guest author or otherwise be in the TuSK spotlight I need to really get to know you. You figure out how (hint: email always works better than phone or voice mail).
•  No fees, no time, no way. Don't even think about writing me to put someone on if you will get paid for it sometime later. This is a way of building a value network, not of getting my friends rich. If I find out you are pushing people for monetary gain you will be deleted as an author.
• If you like the site, think about using the "Tip Jar" on the left hand column. It will help me cover the costs of the site.
• All posts are approved by me before they go out, so if I don't like it, I won't post it. No exceptions.
• I reserve the right to change, add, delete, modify, color and flaunt the rules however I see fit. No whining!

Like most great ideas, Tusk appears simple in execution. It's Jeff's network turned inside out as a way of increasing the value of the network. Pretty simple. Pretty powerful.

It's exactly what's missing from the likes of linked-in and the other "social networks".

By placing the value and merit squarely on the people he knows and trusts, Jeff is at the vanguard of a movement to take back the network. In the way that the internet does, lots of people have given their time and investment to operations that promise to build additional value. From linked-in to my space to Friendster, they all presume that a simple level of introduction is adequate.

Take a look at the prototype posting on Tusk. It's more like a letter of reference coupled with a personal statement. You get a real feel for the players this way. We bet that the big job boards pick up on this idea within the year.