How much social networking can we take?

Bebo CarDomain Facebook MySpace Flickr LinkedIn Friendster IMVU Ruckus Yelp Virb

All social networking sites, of different types naturally. I, personally, don’t have any need for this many different social networks. My uses of SNsites are primarily: business, music, and college. I assign one site to each of my uses. The reason I do this is because I feel that a site which focuses on a particular niche is much better at informing me of what I want to know in that niche. It is never good in any situation for one to spread themselves over many networks, in effect thinning their usability.

A recently promoted social networking site, Virb, which I was made aware of while perusing a piece by Brian Oberkirch, [His article really inspired this entire post, Cheers Brian!] combines opinion, pictures, as well as music into their platform. In effect putting the uses of Flickr, Last.FM, and Facebook into one unique platform. The only target worthwhile for them would be the newest generation of internet users. This is so because most of today’s internet users are already on a couple social networks where all of their friends frequent and of which are relevant to their interests. Why would I move over to Virb from my 4 main SNsites when everyone I know and care about are on the 4 main SNsites? It is not logistically sound to move myself and all of my acquaintences over to a new portal.

I wonder, How many people are willing to switch their networks? It is similar to getting a haircut, generally once you find someone who takes good care of your hair you stick with them. My 4 SNsites take good care of my social networking needs and I will stick with them. There are those sites however which have taken a seat on the back burner to make way for the mainstreamers MySpace and Facebook. These back burner sites, LiveJournal- Xanga-, were beginners in the social networking realm but were put away because of a younger generation of users’ grapple of new media. What is it about MySpace and Facebook that were so revolutionary? EASY! Their platform integrated ways to display and SHARE information.

People love to display themselves. They love to show off. Hence, the "MySpace TOP 8" and "MySpace pics". People love to share items with their friends, coworkers, and even strangers. "Facebook’s View Friends" feature, "Facebook’s Share a Link" feature, as well as many more. These networking sites saw a solution and optimized it for usability. What more can be optimized? Optimization will come. Soon enough MySpace and Facebook will become extinct as a result of technology advancements. Look at the Apple TV, a new piece of technology which some think will revolutionize the way we watch television. Instead of waiting for programs to come on or instead of recording them via DVR, we can browse iTunes and other Apple compatible outlets for the shows/movies we want to see. I expect soon enough an advance in networking usability. I do wonder what it could/will be.