I’m working on a new secret project. It’s a social network with a twist.
I realize there are several social networks out there already. Including the big ones like Facebook and (the declining) Myspace. This one isn’t exactly like those.
It’s myself an a programmer friend of mine who are building it. So far the select few people I’ve told in real life think it’s a great idea. Of course I do as well. We’ll having a working beta site up by the end of summer when people can join.
How many of you would be willing to join a new social network?
What would you change about the existing social networks if you could?
I’d be willing to try it out, but I dunno how much I’d use it. I’ve got FB, Xanga, and Twitter all covered, but I guess I always need things to waste my time with.
I have been asked to help launch a few social networks but I am just not sure I have the energy for it. I think it is better to spend your time marketing product online than marketing content.
However, that is not meant to be discouraging. Good luck with it.
I’d try it out. Im done with FB and twitter and pretty sure I havent seen myspace in years
i’d try it. but fb is so convenient…. because everyone has it
This sounds pretty interesting… I like social networks! I’ve been dead on facebook for a while now.. it seems like I get bored real easily and HATE the fake gift giving thingy… it gets on my nerves… I only wished there was a network strictly for social networking and not for games and pretend giving.. and if there has to be a gift giving thingy, I only wished there was REAL gift giving thingy where things go from real cheap to expensive that people would actually want to give to their ‘friends’ a REAL gift and have it come in the mail and stuff for their birthday or whatever. That would be cool… and also have a ‘make and give a card to someone’ online for the holidays, birthdays, whatever… I’d also like it if the new social networks can have a live chat and also be able to post blogs and share it with everyone, like facebook but instead of calling it ‘Note’, just keep it labeled, ‘Blog’ or ‘Post’ or ‘Article’.
There’s a lot of ideas I’d be interested in… I want to be able to chat to someone for a while before adding them as a ‘friend’… I wish there was like a messenger chat thingy where you can chat with strangers to make sure they’re not crazy or stalkers before adding them to your ‘friends’. I’d also like the option to be able to let certain people read your blogs in case there’s only certain people you want to share real personal info with like facebook.
I also want to be able to post youtube videos in my blogs and not just posting the link. I want to be able to do live video/voice chats, if possible, like how a REAL social network should be. Like something real high tech without having to download all these things but have these accessable as soon as I sign on a network. Is this asking too much already?? Well, they’re only a few suggestions in case you haven’t thought of them.
Heck ya! I am so over Facebook, just like Myspace did its on the decline.. Everything has a half-life my friends.
I’d try it and hopefully turn my friends onto it
It would have to be really good and different enough to become popular for me to join it. I’m interested to see what you’ve come up with.
I don’t know that I would join a new site, mostly because I don’t use the ones I belong to with as much attention as some people, but maybe I would if it was really amazing.
I agree with the suggestions above. I don’t like the fake gift-giving game, which it seems most of my facebook friends were really into for a month or so, but have stopped. And I don’t like the silly little games like mafia wars and farmville which my friends seem to spend hours involved in and have to update me on every five minutes even though I don’t care. I would also like it if I could get to know someone on a trial basis before becoming “friends.” I am “friends” with many people on facebook who I would prefer to call “acquaintances.” Couldn’t there be something half-way? Or a trial friendship sort of thing so I didn’t have to jump from not knowing someone to being friends? And the addition of an actual blog feature (other than the “notes”) would be quite interesting. Sometimes I have more to say than just a short status update. But that’s just me.
@JamieDrennan – Get out of my head. lol You’ve named many features we’re already including, aside from the live chat and video embedding. Though the youtube embedding for blogs shouldn’t be a problem. Blogging is a fairly big central feature of this site.
As for permissions, you can bet I’ve thought through this pretty deeply considering the nature of what this site will be. Lets just say one of the issues we’re tackling is the ability to separate people better (friends, family co-workers, ect) though when you see the site you may question why that would be an issue.
If it’s not a stalking site like Facebook then yeah!
Thats really kool and I wish you tons of luck with that.
I’m pretty content with FB but I do feel like u can’t have any real privacy on there. I most def hate how myspace is like doing everything FB does. I’d def check out a new site too.
@JamieDrennan – oh that would be kool, kinda like skype and Facebook meet.
@leaflesstree – I agree. Although I can’t tell you what we’re doing to deal with this. I hope you’ll like it.
@roxics – The only reason why I say to be able to chat to strangers is that, a social network should be like the ‘real world’… in the real world, people most of the time, would want to be able to meet and chat to new people and do not want to go through the hassle of having to add someone as their friend, unless they’ve finally gotten to know them. I believe that a cool social network is to be able to meet and talk to anyone in the world through live chat and let by gones be by gones if they don’t ‘click’ or be able to connect as ‘friends’ if they see they get along well.
On facebook, I’m able to see my friend’s friends… and there are some people on there that I don’t know but would like to chat with before adding them as a friend. I want to be able to connect with them and get to know whoever I think is interesting that other people may know, just like in real life when people come together at a gathering, they’re able to meet their friends’ friends and chat with them if they seem interesting and get to know them and be friends with.
You can’t do that with most social networks, which I find it hard to believe why it would be called that in the first place if you can’t socialize with just anyone. I don’t want to have to know someone before being able to chat with them.. for, adding and deleting a friend takes more work than being able to chat with just anyone and going your separate ways if things don’t work out. I think that feature would be one of the most popular features on a social network.. to be given the choice to be able to let strangers chat you up or not to chat you up… people go through phases when they want to talk to people they never met and would perhaps change their settings back and forth to be able to meet new people and exchange ideas…
This feature would be very useful even for a business! To be able to have live video feeds for conferences and everything without having to add them as friends… but to connect with them. It would also be good for family conferences in case there are emergencies and be able to connect video/voice or online chat at one place on the internet and let each other know what’s going on.
I’m glad you’ve already included some of the important things that most social networks have.. but you don’t want to be like twitter and facebook, do you with only limited abilities?? People are always looking for better, innovative and more accessabilities… that’s when you get the most members. Twitter is too simple… facebook is too much of fun and games… I want a social network that’s like the real world.. where you can literally join a network and automatically start chatting up strangers and meet new people and connect with old friends, ect instead of having to fish through blogs/blogrings, groups, profiles for hours but just immediately start talking to people and be able to report the perverts as they come and get them banned.
That would be the awsomest network in the world! An OPEN social network with all types of accessablities!
@openmindedgirlk – ABSOLUTELY!!! Skype + fb+ xanga+ craigslist + discussion boards where live chats are going on… you know, kind of like the live chats that go on during a show, where people can meet at a mutual point of interest, let’s say art, and be able to have live chats with anyone they want in that discussion place… like a real live cafe or something… I want to see something more creative, moreso like the REAL WORLD… most social networks seem like they’re only repeating ideas or going backwards in their creativeness like Twitter… I want to see a social network that’s 1) Useful 2) Not boring but beneficial 3) Interesting 4) Real life like
I know it may sound too high tech but I think the world’s ready for it, don’t you? This way, people can connect in their ideas of politics, religion, cultures, history, ect.. or even connect in a business world.
They can even have a catagory where people can post classified ads and such. A social network should have all these types of accessabilties; where you no longer have to join five different networks just to get all the things you want out of a network but only one. It’s just food for thought..
And may I add also have footprints to be able to block stalkers if you do come across them.. I come across them even without that many accessabilities.. and also, may I add you could name it ‘Worldwide Social Network Mall’… to be able to meet and chat freely to anyone and everyone either privately or as a discussion place where other people can join the instant messaging or live chats and also be able to block or report anyone for abuse or stalking… I like this idea… I really hope it wouldn’t be too much work to be able to create a network like that.
I would definitely try it. I refuse Twitter and Myspace is so old and hacked clean through. Xanga is my consistent fallback, and everyone is on facebook now. Xanga is definitely my favorite though, and I’m always for trying new things as long as it’s not a crazy stalking fad like twitter. Ugh. The idea of “following” people is just creepy. And if I wanted to microblog, I would just text people I actually wanted to talk to.
@JamieDrennan – Before you get to carried away. lol I should tell you that what I’m building right now is a niche social network. In fact my biggest fear that that certain people will shy away from it because of it’s niche, even though it’s meant for everyone. The type of network you’re talking about will come with the addition of its big brother which will tie into it later on and expand it way further. So long as the first site actually takes off.
@roxics – sorry… what’s niche?
@roxics – I also apologize for babbling on… I just get excited whenever people ask me for ideas… I like finding about new projects.. I think it’s really cool.. especially when you’re smart with computers and stuff, I think it’s neat what you do! Good luck and I hope you send me an invite!!!
@JamieDrennan – I with ya on that the world is ready for it. I was with u to u said craigslist, that reads nothing but creeper lol.
@openmindedgirlk – @JamieDrennan –
a reputation of “creepy” would be the end of us. So it’s something we intent to avoid. But unfortunately with any social network, especially this one, it will be an uphill battle. Maybe you two would be interesting providing us feedback through our build? Before this site goes beta and open to the public.
I shouldn’t type on my phone anymore. Lol it makes my grammar all screwy.
@roxics – Absolutely!!!! That sounds cool! I’d love to be a gunnea pig! Er, the gunnea human, lol!
@roxics – That sounds super kool, I would love too.
@roxics – “before you get carried away.” is funny. when I read that I couldn’t stop laughing.
her idea sounds neat but can’t she just ask the person for their yahoo messenger or aim screen name, then chat and have live video feed
that’s what some guys did when they befriended me, ask me for my aim then “socialized” with me and after chatting and they annoy me, I just delete/block them.
I’d prefer a sleek looking site because myspace and faceboook pages look too cluttered and give me a headache. Roxics Reloaded sounds like a catchy name.
I’d try it out. I have Facebook and Xanga. I used to have Myspace but got rid of it when I got Facebook seeing how it was declining, as you mentioned.
I would be interested in joining a new social network. My biggest problem with the social networks that are out there, is no one is social. They don’t seem to be interested in meeting new people. FB, for example is high on cliques. If you know the person, add them, but if you don’t ignore them.
I dislike the mental process women have on the internet. I’m interested in meeting girls for just friends, and it seems now-a-days, they think you’re hitting on them when you message (woman or man, does not matter).
A social network is supposed to be designed for meeting new people, right? So there should be options to meet people. I agree with most of the commentators. The idea for a trial friend period is perfect. I hated it on MySpace because everyone played the numbers game. I think FB is getting to that point as well. You add people as friends and then never hear from them again.
Of course no matter what options you include, people are going to be people, and there will always be problems, but I think you’re heading as close to perfect as anyone can. Good luck! <3