Chawlk

1. Drawar
2. Fenxy
3. Decaflon
4. Two Credits
5. Wriging
6. Loose Suits
7. Chixe
8. Dud3s
9. Wing Colors

 

I go where my friends go.

I'm from Malaysia. Here it's strictly Friendster territory. Everyone with an internet connection has Friendster, and it's common for us to tell each other: "Add me."

Myspace is American, is it not? And Orkut is South American.

So geolocation matters when it comes to social networks. Why should I join Myspace? None of my friends are there, and it's highly unlikely I'll build meaningful relationships through it - there's no central platform for discussion and interaction.

Unlike my.9r.

Scrivs, don't ever turn my.9r into a social network. An IM is fine (with points for every reply even better ;P) ... but not a social network.

Rolling Stone launched one, didn't they? Copycats.

Too many of these out there.

Well on my.9r you have accounts and you can add friends so I would already call that aspect of it a social network, but no worries we know what we are good at. We are adding things for sure, but 9rules is staying 9rules. I'm guessing the term "social network" has a negative connotation to many people and that doesn't surprise me. I mean MyBlogLog is considered a bloggers social network and all you can do there is leave a comment and add people as a friend.

As to geolocation, I can definitely see that being what keeps people on their social networks. That goes hand-in-hand with you go to where the people go though.

I go where I see a benefit. I don't follow my friends, but I'm the oddball in that regard. I have many friends on MySpace but I rarely use it. Many of my online friends flocked to Twitter, and again I don't use that either. Same with Facebook. I do use 9rules but many find 9rules very intimidating.

All networks are a tool. It's how that tool best fits to each individual. Yes, my9rules will have features similar to some social networks because my9r is a place where people interact with each other but my9r also fulfills multiple roles that the others could possible do but it would be a much harder task.

While I have a facebook account, I don't use it too often. Most of my friends are obsessed with it though. I think it had something to do with the exclusivity of it, as it used to be open only to college students (or people with a college email address...).

Though I don't personally use them (yet?), the status updates are pretty cool on Facebook. It seems that people just like to see what other people are up, which is basically what Twitter is. It's like a new away message, and I in school I was quite addicted to checking away messages.

I wouldn't say that I loved the status updates on Facebook, but they are entertaining.

I'm an absolute sucker for good, cvil discourse. So I'll go wherever I can find it. I also like to laugh, and when I see people having a good time, and the maintainers of the site dancing for all to see, I know people are having fun. It's also important to not take yourself too seriously, as a person, or as a site.

It also needs to look not ugly. Virb/Facebook (and really any other site out there) over Myspace.

Where my friends are. I used to use ICQ exclusively, until people I knew migrated to AIM, so there I followed. I have a Myspace account to keep up with one person who only uses Myspace.

Active development. I like to know there's life to where I am and work is going on both on the site and on the community. What I mean is that I like the see people who run the site involved. Not just random notes and posts and decrees from on high, but actually see them around. Kinda like running into your buddy in the hallway and just saying, yo, what's up?

And here's why I finally, after months of lurking, decided to sign up.

You've got the right idea about profiles! I don't want to type out a new profile to every site I join. I use Flickr, delicious, I write a blog and I scrobble my tunes.

All that data is out there. Pull it in, mix and mash it up. Use what's already there and let the machines do the work of men. Maybe I'm just a huge geek for loving that so much, but I do.

And where else could you have nearly an entire discussion in backwards typing and not be flamed to death for it? Honestly now...

Yeah we are still quite surprised that no one else really does external sources for filling up profile pages. In a random twist of events, MySpace probably does the best job (of the rest) by allowing multiple widgets that contain all sorts of information. It seems everyone wants you to use their tools to get the job done when many times better tools are already out there.

Looking good is another interesting thing. I hear Facebook looks good, but its nothing to snazzy and Virb's pages look good, but how many profiles actually do?

Flickr is my favorite social network.

I also like virb and viddler. My.9rules is a social network with a twist, and I dig it. Iconbuffett is also a sweet twist on social networks.

Ah, interesting that you put Flickr and viddler in the social network James, but they do fit. What draws you to them? The interaction you get with others or is it more of a feature thing?

@shadowsun7: I would actually characterize Friendster as Northern Californian and MySpace (unfortunately) as Southern Californian. :)

The NYT had a good article on the phenomenon between the two (or mostly on Friendster's loss of potential): Wallflower at the Web Party

One of my friends actually works at MySpace here in Beverly Hills. Most of the employees are supposedly attractive and in their early twenties and the girls dress at work as though they are going to a club. Really interesting to me. Anyway, I digress.

Facebook - haven't even visited; I've already passed it off as though it's primarily for the college demographic (a demo I'm not a part of)

MySpace - a lot of people here in LA have it, and my friends have it, especially since I also went to school here. So I mostly bowed to that pressure.

Friendster - used to be the most popular amongst my friends during college but has since died down and lost their share to MySpace because of all the restrictions that have been in place and server issues at a really critical time in their growth (see article above)

9rules - is mostly my home, now, as far as "web social interaction" so yes, I still think it's a social site in its own, elite way (note I didn't say "elitist"). :) Admittedly, a lot of my friends have a Xanga blog *cringe* and that's where I started my own blogging, to keep in touch with them. Of course, since then I've seen the light--also thanks to having a developer boyfriend. In the process I've also given up being in close web-proximity to those friends that I first personally met in college.

Flickr - ooh, how could I forget? Sometimes I get a bit involved in my own amateur photography, though, to utilize it as a "social" site. But it's so nice to see my contacts' thumbs appear on my homepage--that is really half the joy.

Outside of 9rules I never really got into another social network since AOL. To me it was still the best, even if it wasn't free (though it is now).

1) I could easily search through profiles and find people with similar interests. I'm not talking necessarily romantic, I specific interests like movies, fashion, technology, etc.

2) There were a variety of chat rooms, always with someone in them, to talk to. I could create my own if I wanted public or private.

3) They had an instant messenger built in so I could real-time talk to the people I wanted.

4) If a person wasn't online I could send them a message (the equivalent to a private message I suppose).

5) I could get content that I wanted on my front page (when I logged in).

6) Some of the profiles were hideous looking but I completely controlled the page meaning my friends couldn't put something stupid on there and I didn't realize it.

7) Companies built 3rd party applications that complimented AOL like PowerTools that made chatting more fun.

8) I made connections through that network I still have today.

Yahoo was the closest one that I can think of to AOL but it wasn't better. Since I don't like going backwards I never fully committed to another one, outside of 9rules.

I'd add Flickr as well, because I agree with jmathias, it really is a social network. I'd throw DeviantArt on the fringes of that definition as well.

However, Flickr stole me from DeviantArt for one simple reason.

Simplicity.

What is required to upload to Flickr?
1. Select file.
2. Hit upload.

Optionally tagging, naming, noting, etc. But there are only two steps. It's drop dead simple!

Whereas DeviantArt now required far, far too many steps of categorization, naming, selecting other options. It's overgrown and bloated.

Paul, I dig Flickr and Viddler as social networks, cause they appeal to my creative side, they allow me to create friendships and at the same time share myself a bit more than other more traditional social networks like MySpace.

Plus they both have a more refined and polite feel to them. Making them feel friendly and inviting, as opposed to just another place to get spammed and berated.

@james: I can definitely understand that. Sometimes adults just need a place where they can have fun and still be adults.

@peroty: Simplicity definitely goes a long way in making people want to use something. Surprised DA hasn't changed some of that stuff up to make it easier for users.

I'm completely with James.

Plus they both have a more refined and polite feel to them. Making them feel friendly and inviting, as opposed to just another place to get spammed and berated.

double plus good thought!

@Scrivs

That's just the thing, DeviantArt used to be easy to use. It didn't use the be the maze of submitting it is now. (I'd count the steps but it's blocked at work). I want to put it up near 10. They need to subscribe to 37Signals more. :)

Never found a social network worth sticking with.

there's no central platform for discussion and interaction.

I think this is the best argument one can give about MySpace. It's a lot of hit and miss, get and recieve, no real collaboration.

Glad I quit.

Facebook, the same dilemma really, obviously it was built around sharing pictures of parties you attended (from a p2p stand point, and not in the usual means of p2p), but there's no real direct form of communication. It's very broad.

However, I love Facebook because it limits users. Why is that good? You give users too much control over how it works and how it looks, structure breaks down, the bastards come in, and things stop making sense.

I belong to several social networks, but the only ones I care about are Facebook and Flickr.

I use Facebook because it provides an easy interface to find old friends and keep up-to-date one what everyone is doing. Plus, for my less-geeky friends who don't use Flickr (about 99.9% of all my friends), that's the only place I'm going to see new photos of them, since we're half a world apart. I like Flickr because, as they say, a picture's worth a thousand words. I love seeing my friends' photos.

WIth me it's about the connections and support. I agree with the adult being adults aspect though and a non adult place really is a huge put off to me, I also like a community that is a 'dip in' type. I agree you get what you put in but I like the aspect that you can come and go and still have your seat kept warm. 9r is like that for me and something I really have appreciated in my recent time.

Another biggie to me is the diversity of people and contact with people outside of my 'box'. Where I live my interaction with people in my field 'face to face' is very limited. I use online communities to bridge that gap. I also like the ability to connect beyond my geographical boundaries - that is a huge thing for me on both counts with regards to online communities.

Creativity prompting and thought provoking is also high for me. I like both sides of my brain to be challenged and a good community can do this. Of course, some may be more focused on one or the other but I also like the mixed ones that give both.

Facebook doesn't really work for me as it's been a long time since in education and a lot of those that studied when I did aren't even on it. Flickr is the creative kick for me. 9rules does both sides of my brain and that is great for me. I belong to a few others but a lot come and go quickly due to the aspects I've outlined that I don't like. WIth me it's something that has to fit in with my life not become a chore.

Social networks are how I connect with my "people." By people, I mean other transgender individuals. It's not like we have signs on our heads in real life that says "Hey look at me! I take testosterone!" Mostly though, I use social networks, like MySpace and Facebook, to connect with them using their group feature. I'm not very active on either MySpace or Facebook outside of groups. Same goes for Flickr, although I haven't been using it as much. I don't really use Virb much either, but as more and more people join, there's going to be more trans people on there, so I'm going to be more active.

@estarla, that was a good article. I'm wondering why oh why didn't Friendster accept Google's offer. But then again hindsight is always 20/20, isn't it?

@James,

Paul, I dig Flickr and Viddler as social networks, cause they appeal to my creative side, they allow me to create friendships and at the same time share myself a bit more than other more traditional social networks like MySpace.

I just realized this can be modified to describe my.9r. Let's see: my.9r appeals to my creative side (blogging, designing, writing, etc), it allows me to create friendships (RightOn knows Scrivs knows Kami knows peroty knows hththt knows Tyme knows Mike ...) and at the same time share myself a bit more than other more traditional social networks (notes in the personal community, for instance, often discuss love and marriage and relationships - which often exposes us for who we are, through our words, our ideas, our written thoughts) ...

Plus they both have a more refined and polite feel to them. Making them feel friendly and inviting, as opposed to just another place to get spammed and berated.

*Still referring to my.9r* Amen to that.

9Rules is different because it has a central platform for discussion and interaction.

And that's only possible because it was built around blogging.

And it works.

@shadowsun7: Now I think you understand what angle we are coming from.

I never use most of them and is why I do now use blog Log despite all the spam.It is only my blog that matters because it is my own social network.
A blog is more personal and over time people get to know you.

I got my internship from last fall partly due to my blog. And was actually given a recommendation, and I needed many of them for a position I wanted this summer with another agency from someone I met through my blog and a political based site I used to post at.

i can keep in touch with anyone via email the large social networks are too overwhelming. Does anyone really want to keep in touch with five hundred people?

I believe in Feng Shui web.