This paper briefly examines the history of personal networks in social work. It also clarifies the nature, purposes, and functions of networks. Social network intervention is assessed, and the author questions that approach baed upon the factors of size, brevity, and utilization in crisis intervention. A more flexible alternative, referred to as personal networking, is considered. Based upon approaches similiar to social workers, it follows stages of identification, network analysis or mapping, and linking. It encourages more active intervention with personal networks than espoused by Collins and Pancoast (1976), but in a less controlling manner than the social network interventionists.