It's become a common element on some communities, including several in our space. It's quite useful to discover similar users that you might be interested in.
"Common" being the operative word? Guess I'm too old to appreciate the modern way of connecting with people. That, and I have very little sense of what appeals to the mass market.
As I just mentioned to Janice, I wish you'd bring back showing who's banned from a board. That was far more useful to and entertaining for me than having the ability to know who's following whom. The thought of that being accessible to all still makes my skin crawl. Miss Old-and-in-the-Way here.
Good luck to you, your cohorts, and IHub in general. Happy New Year to all.