Final Network Effects: Parameters and Iterations
In the past ten years online social networks have become nearly as popular as eMail, especially within our increasingly mobile society. In an attempt to respond to this universal desire for connection, as well as the recent thirteen figure price paid for MySpace, there has been an explosion of "new" online social networks.
Valdis Krebs, Noah Friedkin and Ron Burt have theorized through their SNA (social network analysis)that personal networks have horizon barriers. It is along this periphery that innovation is possible. Formally these nodes are called Boundary Spanners. By orienting on the periphery these Boundary Spanners have access to information, perspectives and ideas that are found only within the spectrum of their overlapping networks. It is in that periphery that innovation is most common.
With this idea in mind, and with the launch of sites such as SPYDER, and Spokeo I have been increasingly interested in creating a portal through which all social networks can be available, and therefore connective, within a single interface.
Networks I am currently involved with:
In all of these there are both limitations and room to improve. I would like to determine: If such a platform would be desirable and what it would include/exclude. This project is aimed more at the user than than the network however I believe that such a resource is not only necessary but required as a key element in not only personalization but network integration.
For this project I have not only joined but have become active in all of these networks. To say the least it is not a very efficient use of time. Through all of these sites some have functions that others do not, and these are what I find myself utilizing in their space. It is evident that that the architecture needed to maintain compatibility with the dozen sites I have listed would have to be very dynamic, and in some cases require constant updates. Another weakness is that a single portal would control all of your network passwords.