Now isn't this synchronicity.  Following on from my earlier posts of the day - this panel at ETech is something i really wish i could attend.   Looking forward to reading transcripts and reports and analyses on the session !

"Our ETech panel.

I will be moderating a panel at ETech at 2:45pm on Feb 10 called "Untethering the Social Network or What Happens to Social Networks in the Untethered Wilds?" The panelists are danah, Scott, Mimi and Howard.

It should be one of the less geeky panels at this geek-a-thon.

And yes... Mimi is my sister and Scott is my brother-in-law. This is what happens when you talk about work at home too much. This is the first time my sister and I will be on a panel together.

Untethering the Social Network or What Happens to Social Networks in the Untethered Wilds?

Joichi Ito, Neoteny
danah boyd, U.C. Berkeley
Scott Fisher, Division of Interactive media, USC School of Cinema-Television
Mizuko Ito
Howard Rheingold

Track: Untethered
Date: Tuesday, February 10
Time: 2:45pm - 3:30pm
Location: California Ballroom C

Users, not vendors, create communications revolutions, and the untethering of social networks from desktops promises a user-generated revolution over the coming decade as profound as the Internet revolution of the 1990s and PC revolution of the 1980s. This panel addresses how the coordinated actions of diverse connected users challenge fixed visions of technology deployment, particularly as social software migrates from the desktop into the mobile settings navigated by handhelds. We will discuss how undisciplined behaviors and places push back on models of social software and how this can and should affect technological development. We will consider the role of social networks in the development of and participation in mobile technology. Case studies used in this conversation include pervasive gaming, media mixes, mobile texting, and mobile blogging. This panel presents a good opportunity to discuss the role of social research in technology development. "  By Joichi Ito joi_nospam_@nospam_ito.com. [Joi Ito's Web]

7:18:16 PM    comment []  trackback []

Judith has been busy 'picking and parsing' her list of over 100 Social Networking Services and has built 10 broad categories.

"Here is my SNS list again, this time broken down into ten categories. Some of these sites fall into more than one category, but I have placed each in a primary area."

The categories she has built are :

• business networking sites
• common interest networking sites
• dating sites
• face-to-face meeting facilitation sites
• friend networking sites
• international friend networking sites
• pet networking sites
• social network sharing & analysis sites
• social networking software sites
• not quite there yet sites

I probably know only a handful really - and am just a little confused about Ryze - the administrators call it a business networking site - but it seems far more 'social' than 'business'. 

Is this the case with other SN services ... where the administrators started off with a certain objective ... and the network self-organised and evolved into quite something else ? 

It might be interesting to compare and study the 'intended' objective against where the SNS stands today and how it is perceived.  And how it is 'positioned' in the minds of the people who make up the community ... among a wider group than the just the blog community discussing it.  

This takes on even greater significance as the sheer numbers Judith has worked up, suggest that there's going to be a "Battle for Your Mind" ala Al Ries and Jack Trout, in the Social Networking Services area.  With so many in the fray already ... and i'm sure many more to follow.  Where some will succeed and others fail. 

Flemming has articulated this too in a comment at an earlier post - Why Orkut? , where he says :

"There might be some wisdom here somewhere about how to get a meme to explode into existence. There was nothing really new here, but there gotta be some principles that apply to other ventures."

Its time to start thinking BRAND.   I had a post on that a while ago - Social Networks and Brand Identity.  Stuart and i have had many conversations in this area - since Ryze !

Will try and flesh out some thoughts here. 

Typically, one would study three dimensions, a very simple model really, borrowed from David Aaker :

Some of the issues to examine :

• hooks, triggers and pathways in adoption
• motivators and barriers, connects and disconnects
• relevance in terms of need fulfillment, functional and psychological, rational and emotional, overt and latent
• credibility issues - a case in point here - the impact of the Google 'suggestion' on Orkut in bringing in a flow of people - and the worries and concerns about privacy and security that are being voiced
• 'attributes/features ====>> consequence/benefits ====>>' chains - eg. the 'fans' in Orkut is the feature; the consequence or benefit may be its made you think of friends differently from those you really admire, and the value may lie in the public affirmations of who you admire and who your fans are .... an ego stroke for some, a discovery of 'new news' for another. 
• image or personality of the brand - what contributes to it - the architecture/UI/tone etc
• how does it translate into a relationship with brand - how users relate to it, how does it affect their own self-image - what are the dimensions that make for better connect with different sets of target audiences - guestbooks, ratings and rankings may well be delivering or hindering people from participating.   
• distinctiveness and uniqueness - what does it share with other SN services, what is unique to it - is that a desired feature and benefit, what are the chinks in the armour of competition, ways to 'exploit' them

This would help in :

• gaining a more comprehensive understanding of current state of the SNS 'market'
• providing direction to the 'brand' administrators for fine-tuning existing services to better meet needs and be more effective
• guiding development of new/future 'brand offerings' in this area

12:59:10 PM    comment []  trackback []

Richard Macmanus from New Zealand asks :

"Does Location matter more than than The Blogosphere would like to think it does? Is blogging too American-centric? I live in New Zealand, so I don't get to attend any of the blog conventions, blogger lunches, etc. And I do feel like I'm missing out on something. e.g. nobody sent me an invitation to Orkut (it's invitation only). I'm probably not interested in Orkut anyway, but it did make me wonder if living in New Zealand is affecting my ability to actively participate in the blogosphere"

It did matter to me a little when i started blogging.  The usual concerns of whether anyone would read me or bother with my thoughts.  The perception of an overwhelming dominance of the Western world in the English blogger field.  

It does not today, we have built bridges across waters through conversations at our blogs, IM, Skype and email.  And was lucky to have timed my holiday well so i got to meet some others.  There are so many i haven't met F2F yet we talk.  Still i do feel frustrated that i cannot attend the conventions, and meet other bloggers face-to-face. 

Taking this thought to another level, hmmmm .... it is something to ponder about.  Does my being Indian make a difference - am not really sure it matters - i am one, its in my blood , i'm very proud of being Indian - it is reflected in my writing, yet it is the individual in me that shares thoughts with others across the world.  These connections are more enduring and meaningful to me than nationality.

Am not sure being Indian has much to do with bringing in readers or driving them away, or making or breaking connections.

What do you think ?

12:29:56 PM    comment []  trackback []