Each week, we go beyond My Space, Facebook and YouTube to get to know another social network out there.  Normally, we say meet the network, but today’s feature is all about meeting up.

MeetUp is a social network that desires to actually get you off the computer.  Strange as that sounds, their purpose is to facilitate off-line meetings.  They bill themselves as the largest network of local groups.

According to the site: Meetup’s mission is to revitalize local community and help people around the world self-organize. Meetup believes that people can change their personal world, or the whole world, by organizing themselves into groups that are powerful enough to make a difference.

The network was founded in 2002 and now boasts almost 5 million members and about the same amount of visitors per month.  The real measurement is the success of the social network’s purpose, and by that account they facilitate 102,000 meetings per month.

Members can find appropriate groups for the interest through a zip code search, RSVP to events, create profiles and share photos.  Organizers are behind the group creation and have responsibilities of creating events.

Meet Up is definitely one of those sites that I think puts a social into social networking.