Best free&easy online social database program/site?

February 23, 2013 6:47 AM

I'm a member of a writing group and I'm trying to create an easily sharable database of who knows who for networking purposes.

Basically, I want to be able to preemptively foster the kind of interactions like "Oh, you need a copyeditor? Well, my brother is a copyeditor..." by creating a database of each of our connections.

I could do this in excel and share on google drive, but I wonder if there isn't some other online system for something like this?

Thanks Mefi!

posted by Calicatt to computers & internet (7 answers total)

How about LinkedIn? This is exactly what the website was made for.

Or you could have a Google spreadsheet.
posted by daisies at 7:33 AM on February 23

The first thing that comes to mind is not easy, but in theory you can create graph databases with web interfaces using Heroku's free plan and automated Neo4j set-up.

But since you mention Google Drive, what I'd really suggest is a free Google Site--essentially a searchable private wiki. Uploaded files show up in search results also.
posted by Monsieur Caution at 7:48 AM on February 23

Just connect everybody on LinkedIn.
posted by COD at 12:35 PM on February 23

Thanks for the thoughts! But it seems that LinkedIn would only work if EVERYONE (including all the 3rd degrees of separation who are not a part of the group) used it, which is definitely not the case. And I want to be able to manage all the information, not to have each person have their own page.

I'd love to be able to make something like the graph databases M.Caution mentioned, but that's a little above my skill set. Is there anything like that, but easier?

I'll take a look at google sites too, that didn't occur to me...
posted by Calicatt at 12:47 PM on February 23

In that case, could you use a CRM system? Zoho will be free if you are the only user.
posted by COD at 1:31 PM on February 23

You might find NodeXL helpful.
posted by judith at 10:14 PM on February 23

What about something like https://www.box.com? Secure file sharing.
posted by Michele in California at 10:49 AM on February 27