The more computer interfaces get like games, the better they get and the worse they get. It depends on the skill level of the operator.
From a user's perspective, games and productivity software are fundamentally different. The point of games is to have fun. The point of productivity apps is to get things done. I saw the lead designer of Halo give a talk at school several years ago, and he used this example -- 'if we designed games to be like productivity apps, then the ideal game would consist of a big red button which said "Press me to complete game!" ' Social networking applications lie somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. You're not necessarily there to 'get things done'. You're there to linger as in a game - yet you do have more concrete goals and knowledge of your path/environment than you would if you were in a game.