Social Networking? Bah! They're just web sites.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007I recently read this cracker of a blog post from the infamous R.Scoble: " Steve Ballmer still doesn't understand social networking" and after reading it I wondered why no one pointed out the irony of that title.
And what does social networking mean to Mr Scoble?
I'm not moving away from it [Facebook]. Why? I have 5,000 reasons why (and another 500 already who want to be included in my Facebook network).
I mean fancy boasting that you have 5000 friends (and 500 wannabe friends)... what a tosser!
So apparently the high point of "social networking" on the internet is some website where you can list your friends like a score card. Give me a break.
Go back 10 years and people were forging their own social networks using a combination of distributed technology and software: newsgroups, IRC, email mailing lists and so on. No one owned these networks, they were distributed and free. That's what first attracted me to the internet: here was a new communications medium that was open, and owned by no one. There was no business model, and no attention economy; just the tools and means to connect. The only thing that needed to be paid for was the bandwidth.
Now, I'm not pining for the good old days, but I'm certianly not satisfied with what passes for social networking these days. I don't want to hand my social network over to a corporate entity; I don't want to encode my social network into some web app so someone else can make a buck off of it.
I think the future lies in distributed social networking where the use of open formats and distributed software architectures will enable people to connect and create community in any way they see fit to build themselves. There will be no need for the middle man.
13 Comments
OMG you are soooo right. Scoble is tha suxor. Plz plz friend me on Facebook!!! Kthxbye!
Great post. :-) Wondering if individual social networks on Facebook, Flickr etc... are scrutinised, modelled and discussed in company boardrooms.
It's interesting that when a person leaves the social network all links to that individual vanish leaving archival holes and threads dangling.
Are you reading my mind again? It seems that all the web is about at the moment is making a quick buck.
Social networks can be cool, but not when their only purpose is to squeeze your hard earned dollars (or in some, nay most cases personal data)
Distributed systems that allow YOU to own your identity is where it's at
but we are doing this, people are refinding friends across the sites and cross posting, they are in effect pulling down the walls, using the tools for one large social network. We are the Social Network not the sites.
I've been working on an open source distributed social networking software called Appleseed. It's still in beta, but it's pretty far along, and it works great as a proof of concept.
@mattymcg, LOL
@rosemary, that's an excellent point and something that distributed software will need to deal with.
@Myles, it's crazy. It's like TV, come to websiteX because we've got better entertainment... silly and small minded, and not what the web is about at all.
@Gary, indeed we are, but there is need for better tools to maintain that sense of continuous partial contact. We use a bunch of sites and services at the moment, and the ownser of those sites derrive an income from it, but I think it'll change. The tools will be part of the network, ubiquitous and free.
@Michael, that's looks very interesting!
@Michael, I reckon you need to get OpenID support in there.
Good posting, I agree that we all need to claim back the ownership of social networks, but who will build the tools for the next wave of this network? A corporation, for sure. And this corporation is not going to do it for free, therefore, we will arrive at the same point we are right now. We have to depend on other's applications if we want to be part of it.
@Juan, why are you so sure it will be some corporation? All day people in the web industry make use of technology that was NOT developed by any corporation and is totally free in both senses of that word. And that's going to continue for ever because people want it to.
With all respect to my Facebook buddies, but to all those who ‘request’ to be my friend because you like My Profile I say: let’s not get carried away here. I usually don’t make friends because we once had the same boss, share a Hotmail contact or because, spare me, you “poke” me. P - e - lease.
If you want to be my friend, come and meet me in real life. Let’s have a chat. Err, down at the local pub I mean. Yours or mine. Or join me on next weekends’ bushwalk around the Inner West Bay!
What is so social about Facebook, or MySpace, or Bebo or Linkedin anyway? Social. Noun: a party of people assembled to promote sociability and communal activity. Adjective: 1. marked by friendly companionship with others; "a social cup of coffee";2. living together or enjoying life in communities or organized groups; "human beings are social animals"; "spent a relaxed social evening". (Source: World Reference. http://www.wordreference.com/definition/social)
The good news is that there’s a bit of a counter reaction happening. In Australia for example, where a relatively new site called Getalife.com.au is connecting people to meet for a realcup of coffee. Or for a game of soccer at Centennial Park, or a games night at Chris’ place. Or a poke at mine ;-)
Simply put, Getalife.com.au offers easy to use tools for people to connect based around sporting, cultural or recreational activities. The activity might be a one-off, like finding a couple of buddies for a kayaking trip up Brisbane River. Others get together regularly, like reading groups. If members can’t find what they’re looking for, they can create a group or activity of their own and invite others to join. Members can start activity groups or build up contact lists (activity networks) of people who may be interested to share real life activities. Anything goes, from bushwalking to white water weekends to art appreciation or Friday night drinks after work.
On any given day, Getalife’s calendar now features more than 250 upcoming events across Australia’s capital cities. In Australia at least, it seems that Getalife has struck a chord in the hearts and minds of ordinary city slickers who are not seeking to build virtual friendships by ONLY spending time on a computer. Instead, they are people look for alternative, contemporary and independent ways to connect with people in real life, get involved in a wide range of activities, meet people and find friendships (or even love) on their own terms.”
In the age of pokes, cyber kisses, spam and the tons of sleaze and phony member profiles dumped on us, Getalife offers a refreshing alternative to get you personally invited by real members to real events. Not because you’re on an bulk mail list, or because you fit the profile of some sales campaign, but simply because the organiser of the event enjoys your company.
@ Jelle: I fully concur.
If anyone thought making social networking utility websites were that simple then everyone like you and could end up making a simple website with a lot of webspace 1TB or something if not more. I would have to come out with a new original idea with a new name a social network utility website like Friendster Facebook Fotolog other such projects.
People do make websites of their own like i have my own here but making a social networking requires team work basically a single person cannot think of it alone he needs at least
9 people to accompany him for making the various things possible. There was a time last I was bent upon making my own such social networking utility but then fizzled out. The name i chose was like
LetsMeet.com but i never got the name as that was used.....
all other things are in the pipeline still.
now i will think of a unique name
as littleBudysmeet.com meetingpoint
should appeal dont you think so.
hey i need to get about
10 such software programmers
BPSSEKHON
Ths website is silly!!!!