The data used to compile the map, as often the case with web-ranking graphs and stats, is from Alexa Internet – an Amazon.com subsiduary that tracks the behaviour of users via optional add-ons for various browsers, such as their Alexa toolbar. It's always debatable whether their figures – and thus this map – are particularly representative of the average internet user, but it's an interesting indication nonetheless. Equally interesting are the monthly shifts plotted by Oxyweb – mainly characterised over the past two months by Facebook surging ahead of MySpace in countries like Italy, Cuba, Austria and Albania. Indeed, it's Facebook and Hi5 – two social networks that are big on localisation – who have identified that people like to feel as if their social network is country-specific, and are reaping the rewards in terms of visitor numbers.

The other main eyebrow-raiser is the popularity of Friendster in Indonesia. Who knew Friendster still existed? And why exactly did Indonesia clasp it to its collective bosom, while the rest of the world got mildly bored with it? Odd.

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