False Networking

I recently started looking for networking resources (that's networking with people not networking computers).

So far I've been disappointed by my options. What I'm after is just a place where business people gather to meet other business people. But what I'm finding is exclusive networking clubs; clubs that allow only one member per job type. That means if I joined, no other web developers would be allowed to join the same club. Therein lies the exclusivity.

The basic idea is that every member carries around a bunch of business cards for their various networking friends. When they come across people who need the services of someone in their network, they recommend that someone and hand out the card.

I hate stuff like this. Fine, I understand that they qualify the people who join up and make sure they are up to standard. But people are still recommending another business based on their membership to their group. It's not natural.

I'm not interested in joining a group where I don't have to deal with competition. I don't want to join a group where people remember me because I qualified to join their clique. I don't, in fact, want to join a group at all. All I want to do is meet people and have enjoyable and interesting conversations about business.