Ning

[Dave Allen]

This ning thing could revolutionize social networking, no?

[Astro]

Maybe... but I think the recent explosion of social-network-in-a-box products is confusing to the consumer, to say the least. This morning, one day after you introduced us all to Ning, I noticed Adam Forkner / White Rainbow blogged about ANOTHER social network framework: Virb (http://virb.com). Similar, but different... here's WR's: http://virb.com/whiterainbow

and then I am sure you are aware of the flock of local / regional Web 2.0 products like SplashCast, Dabbler, etc. - again, those are more directly media / RSS mashup products, but there sure is a lot of overlap.

I AM interested in Ning from a developer point of view though - their corporate site talks alot about being a platform rather than just a set product.

[Dave Allen]

I think you're right. With Ning though I've noticed that comapnies are using it internally as well as externally for their clients. Nemo launched one on Monday and I noticed that all the employees jumped right in and started posting so as a communications tool it's proving it's worth already to nemo...

[Ryan Feigh]

I am not very tech-savvy, but I personally find sites such as this (I must admit I have been familiar with virb slightly longer) incredibly exciting. However, as Astro points out, I've found that my reaction is somewhat atypical, at least among my particular social group.

Example: Not long ago I sent out a MySpace bulletin to my roughly mid-300-something myspace "friends" extolling the benefits of the virb site with hyperbole I usually loathe to even approach in a mass messaging such as that. Afterwards I cajoled them to, please, at least just check it out and decide for themselves. Then, if they wished to create a profile, I welcomed them to add me as a friend. I have even changed my myspace "headline" to my personal virb url.

And you know how many friend requests I've had thus far? One. And from a band I am good friends with and do business with. Yet even they haven't gone so far as to add a profile picture or a single song to their profile. And this is coming from a band that had eliminated their MySpace page in protest for almost a year after the site was sold to Rupert Murdoch and only recently begrudgingly created a new one.

So I wonder, why isn't the general public more excited by sites such as ning? Are they truly confused or are they simply happy with what they already have? I honestly can't figure it out.

[Dave Allen]

Mmmmm, maybe they are all very happy with Myspace even though it has limitations that Ning and Virb don't have. I think that there will be some fall out eventually too - maybe virb becomes more for bands and ning for everything else? Who knows, it's early days yet...

[Ryan Feigh]

Agreed. It is perhaps too early to tell. I often forget it does take time for a "sea change" of sorts, for lack of a better term. I remember how hard it was to yank people to MySpace from Friendster, and look at us now. I'm excited nonetheless....

[Scott Andrew]

Wow, I'm late to the party on this...

I wonder what it means to the social networking space when anyone can just spin off a network in minutes with services like Ning. It's cool that I can set up a network as easily as a blog or a discussion board; on the other hand I wonder if diluting the space just makes it harder to find value in joining Yet Another Network

Maybe the value comes in catering to much more specific audiences. I joined indiepdx because knowing what's going on in the PDX scene is valuable to me (I'm a musician in Seattle), not "because everyone doing it" ala MySpace. So what does Virb bring to the table besides being easier on the eyes?

Ultimately, I suspect that one underlying reason people join up with a particular network is because they identify with the subtle messages. Virb is cleanly designed, mature, thoughtful...MySpace is rowdy, brash, an ongoing party...you either get it or you don't (maybe?).

[Dave Allen]

I think the catering to a niche audience is the point of these new social networks. For instance although you have to be invited and approved by me to join IndiePDX once you're in you can post away at the site. At MYSpace you can't do that plus you have to put up with hundreds of requests from folks you have no interest in. I prefer ning. I'll check out Virb too...