  Using a spatial interaction modeling approach, we investigate the German
collegiate social network site StudiVZ. We focus on identifying factors that
foster strong inter-institutional linkages, testing whether the
acquaintanceship rate between institutions of higher education is related to
various geographic and institutional attributes. We find that acquaintanceship
is most significantly related to geographic separation: measuring distance with
automobile travel time, acquaintanceship drops by 91% for each additional 100
minutes. Institution type and the former East-West German divide are also
related to this rate with statistical significance.
