AUTHOR'S NOTE: Last fall I wrote a post about what I called "Micro-networks". I've been doing a lot of thinking about the evolution of online communities since then, and this post is an updated revision of the idea.

The next significant evolution in the way communities form online is well under way, and it's clear that the focus is on settings: social behavior based not on an ever-growing social graph, but on shared interests and actions at a certain moment in time. (Jason Schwartz calls this the rise of a "social circle" era, but I prefer to talk about "social settings". But I'm not arguing semantics here.)

A "social setting" is any website or app that connects you to other people because you are all doing the same thing right now, in the same place. Yobongo, WatchParty, Planely, ASpaceApart, Hurricane Party, Color, Path and Matchbook are all examples. (Please email me if you'd like to add others to the list.)

There are several reasons why social settings are becoming more prominent. One major reason is social network fatigue. People have begun to recognize that many of the "updates" they receive are valueless, and that the larger their social graph becomes the less value they get from it. That doesn't mean Facebook and Twitter are doomed - they will most likely continue to dominate online social connectivity, but there's no doubt that people are looking for ways to connect socially in spontaneous ways that don't require permanent friending or following.

Another reason social settings are on the rise is the advancing capablilty of mobile technology. Being online is no longer antithetical to being outside, now that smartphones and tablets have eliminated the boundaries between your actual, physical setting (a coffee shop, concert, or neighborhood) and the virtual world of social connections (Facebook and Twitter). Where you are and what you're doing right now need never be separate from your online life.

This change in online communities has profound implications for businesses and consumers. They make it possible, for example, for the neighborhood coffee shop to offer specials to customers when the customers are in the immediate area or even in the shop, with the potential to turn a $5 purchase into a $10 purchase every time a customer walks in the door. Consumers, on the other hand, will have many more choices offered to them. Just as online content is served based on a user's clicks, mobile content can be served based on a where a person is and what he or she is doing.

I predict that over the next 12-24 months we'll be hearing a great deal more about social settings (or social circles), but that may be self-fulfilling. I'm moderating a panel on the subject at TechWeek in Chicago this July, and will be posting more on this topic over the next several weeks.

This week's edition of Stuff I Like is all about Tungle. Stated simply, Tungle solves all my scheduling problems.

There are two problems I have with schedules. First, I'm involved in three companies, each with its own calendar, and I have a personal life. So I have to manage four separate calendars and ensure that each one reflects something scheduled on another so I never double-book myself. Second, I can't afford to waste time going back and forth with potential investors or clients trying to find a time when we're both available.

Tungle solves both these problems by providing me with an online calendar that aggregates all my other calendars into one place, and lets me make that calendar public. Of course I aggregate my calendars in iCal, too, but Tungle lets me check that calendar on any device with Internet access. And Tungle let's you check my calendar, too.

Here's an example: Let's say you're a reporter who wants to interview me about my views on the future of the social web (shameless plug). Instead of telling you that I'm available at 2pm Tuesday and 4pm Wednesday, I can just say, "You can check my availability at http://tungle.me/rfawal and find the time that works best for you." Now you can quickly schedule an available time, directly through Tungle, and I've saved us both time.

Seriously, try it now. Go look at my schedule: http://tungle.me/rfawal. You'll notice that you can't see what's actually on my schedule, just when I'm available or unavailable. That's good for me, because no one has to see that I can't meet at a certain time because I'm doing yoga, so no one feels less important than anything else on my agenda. Of course when I log in I see all the details of every schedule item.

The only downsides to Tungle at the moment are that I must select one calendar as the default, so every meeting scheduled through the site is set to that calendar and if I want to move it to a different calendar I have to do it manually in iCal, and that my profile is very limited to only one email address and one phone number.That's counterintuitive given that Tungle is so effective at organizing the multiple calendars I have.

 Considering the fact that Tungle is completely free, those two issues are tolerable for now. If they want me to start paying, or they want me to stay loyal as I discover competitors, they'll have to resolve those quickly. But for now I'm very happy with Tungle and its ability to solve real problems for me.

Today I'm starting a new regular Monday post, Stuff I Like. Each week I'll tell you a little bit about a new technology or product I'm using, and why I like it. This week's topic: Fuze Meeting.

Fuze Meeting is an online conferencing service similar to WebEx and GoToMeeting. Unlike those services, however, Fuze Meeting is entirely browser-based so it doesn't require anyone to download software onto their computer unless they plan to share their screen. In most cases, everyone can join the meeting by simply clicking a link.

With Fuze Meeting I can quickly set up a meeting right now or at some time in the future. My invitees receive an email that includes a direct link to the meeting, which I can send through Fuze Meeting's server or my own (to minimize spam designations). I can store my entire contact list in Fuze, making it easy to invite people quickly. One of my favorite features is the "Fetch" capability, which allows me to have the system call attendees when it's time for our meeting to start. That goes a long way to help us start on time, instead of waiting for someone who hasn't noticed the time!

Another great feature of Fuze Meeting is its integration with common IM services like Yahoo!, which makes it easy to interact directly with others during a meeting without interrupting a presentation or demo. I can also import contacts from LinkedIn or a CSV file. Also, Fuze Meeting has great apps for Blackberry, iPhone and iPad so you can participate in a meeting even if you can't get to a computer.

The only downside to Fuze Meeting is the lack of video conferencing capabilities. I'm pretty sure they are aware of users' desire for that functionality, and I'll bet they are working on it. I'll let you know if it gets added anytime soon.

At $23/month for the annual plan ($29/month if you pay monthly), Fuze meeting is more affordable than the alternatives, and in my opinion just as good if not better. Give it a try, and let me know what you think.