Social Space - adding a new dimension
Seems both Google and Yahoo want to come to the social party and are looking to introduce new personalized home pages and email systems to allow us to form our own private social networks.
“Web-based e-mail systems already contain much of what Facebook calls the social graph — the connections between people. That’s why the social networks offer to import the e-mail address books of new users to jump-start their list of friends. Yahoo and Google realize that they have this information and can use it to build their own services that connect people to their contacts. “ Source NY Times: Inbox 2.0: Yahoo and Google to Turn E-Mail Into a Social Network
Yahoo’s reported plans include allowing users to have more control over the email stream by giving closer circle of friends more prominence in the emails and personalized home pages will have more options for incorporating social streams.
In the words of Yahoo’s Brad Garlinghouse, the missing ingredient are the personal profiles of its users so that those you are interacting with can click on one's name and see whatever information that person has chosen to make public.
These aren’t the only kids on the block looking to stake their territory in the space.
This list will direct you to several others approaching beta testing including both web email and outlook email applications.
http://blog.grouply.com/
http://www.emaildashboard.com/2007/11/inbox-20---emai.html
http://xoopit.com/
http://www.xobni.com/
As the space morphs – I think the eventual winners will keep 4 things foremost in their minds.
1. As users we want a consolidation of feeds and the flexibility to configure and reshape on the fly to meet our personal requirements whenever/wherever - in all media formats.
2. As content producers we want consistency across channels – write once send everywhere and control over who is able to see what.
3. As marketers we want to know everything we can about our customers and send them relevant offers …. and let’s never forget - brand communication.
4. As people we want respect and control over our personal level of privacy – otherwise the party is over.
Its that simple.
On your mark…Set…..GO!
