Mail & messaging Toolkit
Story: Social networking faces an uncertain future
Round up the Social Networks
I think a distinction between social networking sites should be made when it comes to identifing whats going to burst and what will stuck around.
There are 3 types of site that spring to my mind and each of them has good/bad elements.
These types are:
1 Impersonal
2 Personal
3 Hobbies
For example MySpace tend to lean towards the Impersonal, with friends being your circle of real life friends, then bands, then film stars, and finally random friend invites.
Facebook on the other hand limits user interaction until your approve a friend, this sole feature means, no random spam from strangers and alot less random friend invites. >> yet more ninja/pirate/werewolf invites :(
Sites like Last.Fm & Google Calendar where users can sign up to events and see what other members are planning on going, this is driven by hobbies, where people join up to converse on a favourite topic.
The longevity of these site depends on the user base, I can/have seen a large migration of people to Facebook. Using FB on a daily basis while only using MySpace to keep tabs on band/tour news.
While editing a user profile was fun at first, having to witness twenty or so 1997 Geocities pages when viewing friends profiles have become boring. (Quickly add more animated gifs!).
Facebook with a standard format makes it easier on the eyes for starters.
I believe keeping in touch with friends will outlast keeping in touch with complete strangers.
A hobby driven websites lifespan will vary depending on the number of people that are interested in that subject, to drive forward the
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