Facebook Alternative
April 18, 2009 11:20 PM Subscribe
Are there any good alternatives to Facebook?
Since a lot of people migrated from Myspace and Friendster to Facebook.
It's a good time to speculate any hot alternatives to Facebook today.
I think if anyone knew the answer to this question they'd be dumping mounds of cash into it in the hopes they'd be rich in a few years.
The short answer is that I'm sure it will change but know one can be sure at this time which that will be.
posted by Octoparrot at 11:32 PM on April 18, 2009
The short answer is that I'm sure it will change but know one can be sure at this time which that will be.
posted by Octoparrot at 11:32 PM on April 18, 2009
Eventually, there will be some sort of decentralized system.
posted by phrontist at 11:54 PM on April 18, 2009 [5 favorites]
posted by phrontist at 11:54 PM on April 18, 2009 [5 favorites]
Friendfeed
posted by willnot at 12:29 AM on April 19, 2009 [2 favorites]
posted by willnot at 12:29 AM on April 19, 2009 [2 favorites]
A social network is only as good as the number of people on it. So while Social Network X might be amazing in terms of functionality/design/content, it would still suck because it would lack the whole 'social' aspect, i.e., not a lot of YOUR friends. When people grow tired of Facebook, which is something I don't see happening for a while, they'll move on. To what? Whatever gives them what they want at that time. What will they want? No idea.
posted by 913 at 1:17 AM on April 19, 2009
posted by 913 at 1:17 AM on April 19, 2009
Use what's popular now. If Facebook is it, use it. If Linked I gives you what you want, use it. When "what you want/need:" changes, change.
Using {Speculative social network} well, at best, gain you 1.5 cool points, but won't help your social network one bit. In fact, the opposite.
Unless you're looking for stock-buying advice. (You're not, are you?) Use what works. It's not like there is any real cost to you, other than signing the lat update to Friendster "Moved to {user name} on {social network}."
posted by Ookseer at 2:14 AM on April 19, 2009 [1 favorite]
Using {Speculative social network} well, at best, gain you 1.5 cool points, but won't help your social network one bit. In fact, the opposite.
Unless you're looking for stock-buying advice. (You're not, are you?) Use what works. It's not like there is any real cost to you, other than signing the lat update to Friendster "Moved to {user name} on {social network}."
posted by Ookseer at 2:14 AM on April 19, 2009 [1 favorite]
Hmm ... what are you looking for? Investing, or simply for finding a site you can post your profile on for once and for all? While of course it'd be hard to say that any site could establish themselves as a be-all-end-all ANYTHING forever, Facebook seems pretty well situated at the moment as a site that could hang in there for quite a while with its relatively far-reaching consumer base, and so if all you want is to establish your own presence it seems like you'd do well to do it on Facebook. If you're just interested in figuring out what to invest in, though, I could certainly be wrong but it seems like it'd be pretty hit-or-miss to try to pinpoint "the next Facebook" - but there ARE the more specialized alternatives (like LinkedIn for a 'professional' market?) ... maybe you would do well to look for social sites that appeal to certain "niche" markets like that?
posted by DingoMutt at 2:39 AM on April 19, 2009
posted by DingoMutt at 2:39 AM on April 19, 2009
Well, facebook's recent redesign made it very similar to twitter, with real time status updates becoming the central focus of the site. That should give you an idea of what the trend at the moment is.
It depends on what you are looking for. I began using facebook when I realised that it required very little input from me and was a great 'passive' site to stay in touch with friends. I still, begrudingly, use facebook though it seems they want the user base to be more active and emphasise the twitter/socialising side of things.
posted by slimepuppy at 3:10 AM on April 19, 2009 [1 favorite]
It depends on what you are looking for. I began using facebook when I realised that it required very little input from me and was a great 'passive' site to stay in touch with friends. I still, begrudingly, use facebook though it seems they want the user base to be more active and emphasise the twitter/socialising side of things.
posted by slimepuppy at 3:10 AM on April 19, 2009 [1 favorite]
your question is based on a false premise: while it is true that friendster was overtaken by a superior site with a similar concept (myspace) the same is not true for facebook as it's a different concept.
friendster and myspace both are about finding friends.
facebook is finding real friends online. it's a different approach to userbase-building.
it is more clustered and exclusive than myspace and friendster, where anyone can find and befriend basically anyone.
the trens seems to be going into the niche territory: dopplr for people who travel a lot, linkedin/xing for work-related networking, some place for people of certain industries, faiths, persuasions, whatever. I don't know a single person using orkut but I'm sure there are a few select groups.
as such there isn't anything that's gonna be big on the horizon, there are just a lot that are going to be small and specific. your quest to be ahead of the curb in being popular is therefore doomed.
posted by krautland at 5:05 AM on April 19, 2009 [2 favorites]
friendster and myspace both are about finding friends.
facebook is finding real friends online. it's a different approach to userbase-building.
it is more clustered and exclusive than myspace and friendster, where anyone can find and befriend basically anyone.
the trens seems to be going into the niche territory: dopplr for people who travel a lot, linkedin/xing for work-related networking, some place for people of certain industries, faiths, persuasions, whatever. I don't know a single person using orkut but I'm sure there are a few select groups.
as such there isn't anything that's gonna be big on the horizon, there are just a lot that are going to be small and specific. your quest to be ahead of the curb in being popular is therefore doomed.
posted by krautland at 5:05 AM on April 19, 2009 [2 favorites]
Hi5? Bebo? ("Your one-stop-shop for Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Delicious, Twitter, AIM, AOL Mail, Google Mail and Yahoo! Mail updates. Keep track of friends on other social sites from one place.")
Friendster seems to be popular in Asia, Orkut in Brazil and India, and MySpace is not exactly going out of business.
posted by iviken at 6:27 AM on April 19, 2009
Friendster seems to be popular in Asia, Orkut in Brazil and India, and MySpace is not exactly going out of business.
posted by iviken at 6:27 AM on April 19, 2009
GetBack seems to be the place for the Get off my lawn demographic.
posted by Sailormom at 11:05 AM on April 19, 2009
posted by Sailormom at 11:05 AM on April 19, 2009
All the cool kids have apparently switched to stickam. It's lets users set up myspace like pages, but also video chat with friends.
posted by Pants! at 11:11 AM on April 19, 2009
posted by Pants! at 11:11 AM on April 19, 2009
I am less interested in figuring out what
the next Facebook is than the next Google.
What's the next big search engine?
posted by Sully at 6:40 PM on April 19, 2009
the next Facebook is than the next Google.
What's the next big search engine?
posted by Sully at 6:40 PM on April 19, 2009
I agree with Krautland and I will throw Ravelry to the mix to show how successful the model can be if the right niche is found and done well.
I will dissent from the opinion that your search for being popular is doomed (if that's what you're after). I think a new kind of "popular" based on being a recognized authority, having clout within a particular circle, being in the innermost circle of influence, etc. will become much more relevant in the future.
With this in mind I would even mention Stack Overflow, although I think they would be pained to be described as a social networking site but a lot of my theories above applies.
So, find your niche, find their best social networking site, and start building your reputation points. ;) Or better yet, start one of your own.
posted by like_neon at 5:36 AM on April 20, 2009
I will dissent from the opinion that your search for being popular is doomed (if that's what you're after). I think a new kind of "popular" based on being a recognized authority, having clout within a particular circle, being in the innermost circle of influence, etc. will become much more relevant in the future.
With this in mind I would even mention Stack Overflow, although I think they would be pained to be described as a social networking site but a lot of my theories above applies.
So, find your niche, find their best social networking site, and start building your reputation points. ;) Or better yet, start one of your own.
posted by like_neon at 5:36 AM on April 20, 2009
I was just searching for the cover art for Samhain Initium and came across Zombie Friends.
posted by Sailormom at 7:29 PM on April 20, 2009
posted by Sailormom at 7:29 PM on April 20, 2009
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by GleepGlop at 11:30 PM on April 18, 2009