I want to play around with Brightkite, but all my friends are on Twitter, is there any way I can import them?

Well, this was a question I asked myself when I received a Brightkite invitation and wanted to play with it. Brightkite is an interesting new social network that combines the traditional social networking flavours with geolocation, a new phenomenon called Geosocial Networking. It’s still in it’s infancy, but growing fast. The problem with multiple social networks however is that if you move from one to another, it can be a bit tricky getting back with the people you originally knew. Personally I think the downfall with social applications is that the more time passes, the more new networks spring up, which gives rise a fragmentation which is at odds with the cohesion the whole principle works towards.

Anyway, I’m waxing lyrical, let’s get back to the question at hand. How can I populate my Brightkite contact list? Well, luckily they have made it very easy for you if you’re a Twitter user with an established network. Importing your contacts is not possible, as you can only link up with people who have an account on Brightkite. However, if your Twitter contacts do have a Brightkite account, here’s how to find them:

• Click on Discover Your Friends in the sidebar

• Tell Brightkite what your Twitter username is

• Brightkite then gets back to you with all the Brightkite contacts who match your Twitter contact list

Here here on, it’s just a matter of selecting the people you want and clicking Add to friends. From your ugly friend who needs acne scars cream all the way to that pretty girl who’s a salesrep for the business satellite internet company, they’re all in the list.

By the way, you might notice from the screenshots above that I still have a pile of Brightkite invitations. If you want one, feel free to drop me a note from this blog or my Honeypot and I’ll send you an invitation if I have any left.