Comments on: Life after Facebook, and the coming “Dark Period”

By: Lars Pihlblad

Lars Pihlblad — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 10:33:49 +0000

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By: Berto

Berto — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 17:59:52 +0000

Good article Bernard. Clearly Facebook is starting to aggravate their early adopters, but there doesn’t yet seem to be anything up next.

I think you gloss over mobile too much. One of the problems with social networks is that they aren’t proactively solving problems for people who are truly social. They are reactive solutions (meet someone cool, then add them as a friend later). Better mobile apps could be used.

Let’s say I’m out at the beach playing volleyball, and some friends bring other friends, and we all hit it off. We agree to play again next weekend. Now what? I get a phone number that I’m likely to say “who is this?” a month down the road or I just don’t feel like calling yet.

Getting someone’s email address is more appropriate for this, because then I can add the new friends to the email list / evite we have. But setting that up right now on my mobile is a pain.

What’d be nice is a mobile tool that’d allow us to befriend each other and add this new person to my ‘volleyball clan’. Then they’re in and I’ll go home and check their profile later.

Sounds stupid and simple, but when I’m out in the streets, I’m not thinking facebook. I’m thinking, how do I get this new person involved in my tribe?

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By: dave mcclure

dave mcclure — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 15:44:54 +0000

(sorry late to the party on this one by about 3 months)

wow, really couldn’t disagree more with you on this one bernard.

in fact, looking back over the past 6 years of social networking i’d suggest that Facebook — particularly with the News Feed rollout in 2006 & launch of Facebook Platform in 2007 — has just caused us to LEAVE the “Dark Period” of social networking.

i’d likely say we’re just entering a brave new wolrd where:
- it ain’t just profile pages & friend lists
- the news feed helps me discover cool stuff about people & things that are relevant
- platform & apps create amazing opportunities for users & developers, and…
- every other SNS going gonzo to copy these features & implement their own feeds / platforms with new twists.

monetization uncertainty notwithstanding, seems like the exact opposite of what you describe. there’s actually real innovation going on in multiple environments to create new user experience, platform innovation, and 3rd-party developer opportunities.

while i won’t disagree there’s even more territory to be explored with embedding SNS in the fabric of websites, and with Ning & other vertical SNS solutions & platforms, sure feels to me a lot more like we’ve just enteted the Renaissance than Dark Ages.

my .02,

- dave mcclure

By: Syven

Syven — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 06:35:06 +0000

IMHO Facebook should be viewed in the same way as the success of the book “Who Moved My Cheese?” – a book where change is discussed through the use of four characters including two mice, Sniff and Scurry. This book sold millions because it was tailor made for mass understanding.

Facebook is no different, I really think it is tailor made for mass comprehension and suited for those can discern the difference between Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson.

In effect it is the NEW form of virtual traditional media and so I see its longevity as a vehicle for people who don’t care what a blog is, wouldn’t care why SoFlow morphed into Wis.dm, think that white label software is an alcoholic beverage for computer wizards, and LinkedIn is something that happens to you at a checkout counter at an airport.

Traditional media was and is the dark age and IMHO Facebook is the quickest access point for those who once welcomed the terrestrial and who now are being acquainted via water coolers, the generic expert voice and regular yackity yack over a pint or a plate of whatever street nosh is to yacked down, with an easy reference point to digest and pontificate over – Facebook.

I would rather predict that Facebook will become the hypermarket of social networking.

By: Ramon

Ramon — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 13:04:22 +0000

It still feels like Groundhog Day, What’s the main difference between Myspace and FB? I think probaly is API? I don’t see huge differences between orkut, myspace and FB, I got tired of myspace and FB i use mainly orkut.

By: xocea » The Novelty and Future of Social Software

xocea » The Novelty and Future of Social Software — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 19:55:16 +0000

[...] Venture Beat: I assume Facebook went through the exercise of examining this novelty effect of profile-centric [...]

By: Life Option

Life Option — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 22:42:18 +0000

I like your site, well done! I

By: Doris

Doris — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 21:50:00 +0000

We’ll release a mediaBuzz feature soon to help user connect and stay connected through online media publishing and sharing, as part of the MobileLiving isayusay service that updates a user’s address book and event calendar online, and downloads to the cell phone with one click. Also, the cycle-thru browser on cell phones delivers seamless browsing and listening experience with voting and RSVP options, and fast lookups for click-to-call, text messaging shoutouts, and quicklists. This connect-centric social network model might take off if the all-you-can-eat data plan becomes economical.

By: Simon

Simon — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 07:15:52 +0000

I think Bernard makes a good point. Facebook will probably become a carcus like myspace and will probably take out some of their biggest coolaid drinkers with it.

By: Moon’s Gloom « Dogpatch Dispatch

Moon’s Gloom « Dogpatch Dispatch — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 01:07:55 +0000

[...] October 5th, 2007 — Mike McGrath Bernard Moon’s post forecasts a “dark period” for social networks. He points out that the novelty of user [...]

By: jeff taylor

jeff taylor — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 21:08:18 +0000

Remember the buzz aboutand on prodigy, compuServe, and AOL…these were the first wave of social networks and AOL’s dominance is still being mined. Even if today, its more about the properties it purchased with that power.
The web with its more open platform soon stole the show but somehow didn’t really create a better “people” communication platform. Fast forward to today and its been interesting to watch the 2.0 “closed” networks myspace and facebook take the platform back inhouse. My guess is personal device(insert preferred screen here) innovation will take the next chapter. That said, I think the current trend will continue as niche sites gaining momentum around social circles that define themselves by more than just a face.
Jeff Taylor
Founder/ceo-Eons.com

By: Don Jones

Don Jones — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 20:48:04 +0000

My bet is that FB doesn’t survive long term in its current form. I believe someone will acquire it for its users, not for any unique technology.

By: Rick

Rick — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 14:50:50 +0000

I believe the future of the social net is in social aggregators like 8hands.
The 8hands people get the idea of having a unified personal network. I don’t think there will be one dominated network but a platform where people from different networks could interact without having to log on to any special web page.
Today’s aggregators are far from that, but I think that is the general direction.