i clicked on the link to that essay, but as soon as i saw the jstor logo at the top of the first page, my brain instinctively shut down - too much like work during non-work time! maybe i will come back to it when i'm not so immersed in research.

i am really interested in the general idea of the strong link/weak link distinction, though. i've been thinking a lot about friendship recently, partly because this new(ish) relationship i'm in and moving city has led to a certain amount of developing new friendships. one thing i do like about academic life is that new people come in and out of my workplace all the time. hard for me to figure out why some friendships stick and some just fade over time, though.