Social Networking Filter
April 18, 2006 11:14 AM Subscribe
Is there a social networking site that would be the opposite of myspace.com. It's just a little bubble gum for my taste. I joined flork.com and that is a good one but a bit thin in membership. I really like the opinions and attitude here at Meta....I'm not looking to hook up or find a date but meet people with similar world views. Maybe Meta should start a social network....In any event all replies are welcome.
A social network is wherever you have people. Really. Here, in MeCha, anywhere you can meet people. If you have you have a site devoted to meeting people, you're bound to get some of the scum as well. If you're not looking for a date, just get active here, on #bunnies, on any other site and you're sure to find a bunch of interesting people. Yeah, you're find a bunch of wackos, but hey, that's life.
posted by keijo at 12:31 PM on April 18, 2006
posted by keijo at 12:31 PM on April 18, 2006
Best answer: I would argue that metafilter IS a social network. You have your own user page which is basically wide open. You can list others as contacts (friend, family, co-worker etc), a place to check out community projects, a cd swap, a place for open discussion (metachat), etc. etc.
What more would you need?
posted by justgary at 1:56 PM on April 18, 2006
What more would you need?
posted by justgary at 1:56 PM on April 18, 2006
My recommendation is you search for message boards / forums that relate to your interests...
I, for example, read the following (not all inclusive, but a start):
Internet Texas Hold 'Em
openingbands [self link, but I read it daily]
Web Hosting Talk...
These are things I'm interested in, and I tend to socialize a bit on each and have made "pals" from each.
posted by twiggy at 2:33 PM on April 18, 2006
I, for example, read the following (not all inclusive, but a start):
Internet Texas Hold 'Em
openingbands [self link, but I read it daily]
Web Hosting Talk...
These are things I'm interested in, and I tend to socialize a bit on each and have made "pals" from each.
posted by twiggy at 2:33 PM on April 18, 2006
Metafilter doesn't work that well as a social network because we have a fixed discussion agenda, whereas you can just say whatever you want on myspace, or whatever.
You might try friendster. Orkut looked like it might have been cool but if you don't speak Portuguese (or whatever) it's kind of useless every form seems to be mostly in Portuguese, or whatever. If you want I can send you an invite, though.
posted by delmoi at 3:15 PM on April 18, 2006
You might try friendster. Orkut looked like it might have been cool but if you don't speak Portuguese (or whatever) it's kind of useless every form seems to be mostly in Portuguese, or whatever. If you want I can send you an invite, though.
posted by delmoi at 3:15 PM on April 18, 2006
I'd suggest tribe.net. It lets you join sub-groups based on geography, or shared interests or what have you. Not surprisingly, there's a metafilter tribe.
posted by O9scar at 3:31 PM on April 18, 2006
posted by O9scar at 3:31 PM on April 18, 2006
Response by poster: I'll be damned....the metatalk is just about what i was looking for...this is a social networking site and i am soaking in it...
posted by jamie939 at 4:04 PM on April 18, 2006
posted by jamie939 at 4:04 PM on April 18, 2006
I've met - in the internet sense, and in real life - more people via MetaFilter than I ever did on dedicated social networking sites like Friendster or Orkut. If someone makes a comment or post you like, or that interests you, click through to their profile and send them an email, simple as that (assuming they have the good grace to list an email address!). Or keep an eye on MetaTalk for a meetup in your area.
And I've met (again, in both senses) even more people via Flickr and a music sharing site I'm a member of. It seems to me that sites with a social function alongside genuinely useful primary features - photos on Flickr, links and discussion here, MP3s on that music site - work better when it comes to socialising than sites designed solely to foster social interactions. Presumably this is because you can't form a real impression of someone from lists of their favourite bands, who they're connected to, etc., but you can from reading what they have to say on a variety of issues, or seeing what they like to take photographs of, or listening to the music they like.
posted by jack_mo at 4:15 PM on April 18, 2006
And I've met (again, in both senses) even more people via Flickr and a music sharing site I'm a member of. It seems to me that sites with a social function alongside genuinely useful primary features - photos on Flickr, links and discussion here, MP3s on that music site - work better when it comes to socialising than sites designed solely to foster social interactions. Presumably this is because you can't form a real impression of someone from lists of their favourite bands, who they're connected to, etc., but you can from reading what they have to say on a variety of issues, or seeing what they like to take photographs of, or listening to the music they like.
posted by jack_mo at 4:15 PM on April 18, 2006
the metatalk is just about what i was looking for
Masochist! Or did you mean MetaChat there? ;-)
posted by jack_mo at 4:18 PM on April 18, 2006
Masochist! Or did you mean MetaChat there? ;-)
posted by jack_mo at 4:18 PM on April 18, 2006
not that it's the best thing ever, but an interesting twist on the whole social networking thing is consumating.com. The twist is that the profiles are all tag based, and other input is relegated to answering some (usually interesting) weekly questions.
posted by ab3 at 4:46 PM on April 18, 2006
posted by ab3 at 4:46 PM on April 18, 2006
though, to answer the question, Tribe.net was a the only viable alternative (in my opinion), but they went and f*ct it up with that new layout of theirs, and they got kind of militant about regulating users recently, too, which is no fun. The social networking site for normal people is a space that despite all the buzz, had yet to be filled, and I eagerly await someone up to the task to do it.
(if matt added more to the profiles and the ability to create your own discussion "groups" or something, then we might be on to something)
posted by Hackworth at 4:53 PM on April 18, 2006
(if matt added more to the profiles and the ability to create your own discussion "groups" or something, then we might be on to something)
posted by Hackworth at 4:53 PM on April 18, 2006
Metafilter doesn't work that well as a social network because we have a fixed discussion agenda, whereas you can just say whatever you want on myspace, or whatever.
I disagree. We have a discussion aspect that myspace doesn't have. But our profile page could be used as a myspace about section. On myspace you have to click on the blog section to read it, on metafilter its one more click (profile -> blog), if you choose to list it your blog.
Myspace was built to be a social network, and that's really all you see. Maybe the social aspect of mefi is a bit buried, but it's there, and for most people a whole lot better than what myspace offers (except for those myspace people who have 2000 friends listed...it must really work for them).
posted by justgary at 4:58 PM on April 18, 2006
I disagree. We have a discussion aspect that myspace doesn't have. But our profile page could be used as a myspace about section. On myspace you have to click on the blog section to read it, on metafilter its one more click (profile -> blog), if you choose to list it your blog.
Myspace was built to be a social network, and that's really all you see. Maybe the social aspect of mefi is a bit buried, but it's there, and for most people a whole lot better than what myspace offers (except for those myspace people who have 2000 friends listed...it must really work for them).
posted by justgary at 4:58 PM on April 18, 2006
Response by poster: i can imagine a really smart myspace.com thats not about rating me, or shots of me totally screwed up at a strip bar, fraternity drink and barf etc...i think meta is doing it in a great way right now and suits me outside of the good friends i have now...keep it up meta...cheers everybody, jamie
posted by jamie939 at 7:50 PM on April 18, 2006
posted by jamie939 at 7:50 PM on April 18, 2006
There was an article at Valleywag the other day called What's my social site? A handy guide to segregation
posted by kookoobirdz at 8:09 PM on April 18, 2006
posted by kookoobirdz at 8:09 PM on April 18, 2006
Best advice I can give you is to hang out where people have common interests and message anyone who you dig. It's how I met my boyfriend of 2.5 years, so it works.
posted by anjamu at 2:35 AM on April 19, 2006
posted by anjamu at 2:35 AM on April 19, 2006
This thread is closed to new comments.
I know, I dont get it either
posted by wheelieman at 11:22 AM on April 18, 2006