Iv' e ran into an old article/interview with Catrina Fake and Meg Hourihan the founders of Flickr and Blogger. This is a short article that I really liked because it talks about how both projects were never meant to actually see daylight.
I particularly loved what Catrina said about the early days of trying to build the Flickr Community:
The Flickr team spent a lot of time greeting every user that came to the site, offering them help on how to get engaged with the rest of the community. Through this, they discovered that online community-building is just like being the host of the party - if guests come to a party, and they don't know anyone, and no one shows up to take their coats and introduce them around, they'll leave
This is exactly what I've been saying for some time. In the end of the day, the people behind social networks are the same people that goes to bars and clubs hoping to meet other cool people. The Internet just give them a different way to do their socializing.
This has profound effect on the future of social networks. I still believe that we will see two new themes in this world:
- Localization - Yes, it's very cool that I can meet with people from all around the world and discover new cultures via the net. But in the end of the day, most of us still want friends that we can meet, see and touch. Social networks that will succeed in bringing local communities together with thrive.
- Private parties - Most social networks were built behind the notion of trying to bring together as much people as possible, but I think this will change over time, and we will start see communities goes back to the old Facebook model of closed communities.
Think of the life line of a new bar in your city. In the first week just the people who were invited knows about it and comes. Than, if they enjoy it, the start telling about it to their friends, and they start to show up.
If it started with the right crowed, the bar now hosts the "cool" people, so everyone starts to hear about it and want to also come there. After a few months, everyone is going there. Suddenly your crowed is mixed with all ages and kinds. The original crowed feels it's not special any more, so they start to look for the next thing. After a year the bar closes down.
The bars that actually survive the second year are the ones that were able to keep a closed loyal community. A bar that when you will go to, you will know exactly what kind of people you will see there.
People prefer to go to a invitation only party than a open to all, no selection, all ages parties.
So why not doing the same also in social networks?
