Make no mistake about it, 2004 is setting up to be the year of social networking. Blogs have secured their foothold on the web landscape, now it's time for centralized services to claim their space. If Google and the venture capitalists like Bob Kagle that backed Friendster are right, people are going to flock to these services hoping to make better quality contacts, easier.
If the web has one main thread, one overriding characteristic that outshines all others; it's empowerment. The internet has given individuals and organizations alike tremendous powers of access to information. Now it's about to take its next step and provide us better access to each other. That's what social networking is all about: empowering us to find each other better.
Take This Job and Blog It
Traditional professionals from every field are offering quick and general tips on their websites (and increasingly weblogs), but very few are giving fully detailed instructions as to how they perform their jobs. We now have a free flow of information necessary to understand what kind of experts we need. We still need experts, in fact as the world becomes more complex we need them more than ever. People are starting to figure out that if you need to do business globally (and increasingly you do), you'll need help outside of your pool of talent.
Until now it's taken web or socially savvy people to find each other, the barriers have been lowered but the methods are still crude. Trolling a gaggle of weblogs, static websites, newsletters, forums and newsgroups is to find a good professional is too much work for the average person. The big social networking sites still have a long way to go, but they are on the right track.
The Challenge for Social Networking Sites
They've got a big market, big dreams and big opportunities: three conditions that usually spell big challenges. After kicking the tires on some social networking sites, and I've got a few thoughts.
Article comments
1 - Eric Olsen
There is a pretty active Ryze community in Cleveland that seems to be doing well. We found our excellent Anita Campbell that way.
2 - John Mudd
And what a wonderful discovery she was. I found a wonderful mortgage lender on Ryze, as well as a real estate referral partner. It's a really great netowrking tool. I'll definitely be checking the other ones out in the near future. Thanks for the links.
3 - BB
I think I will also Ryze to the occasion. I have heard of it through the netcitizenry and will give it another look see.
Anita - you're the best!!!
4 - Donna
Hi there,
I was doing some research for our site when I found this entry and I thought you would really appreciate what we were offering as a social networking site.
"Check Your Network First" is a social networking and sharing system like no other. It promotes socializing around asset sharing, it's totally secure and it's free.
If you have the time I would love to hear your thoughts on CYNF. We think it's a completely new level of social networking.
Regards,
Donna