I haven’t really written much about the “Social Software�? movement/bubble/sector/buzz that’s been created as a result of the success of sites like Friendster, Linked-In, Ryze, etc. It’s not really my focus, but I couldn’t help but post some thoughts- since I do have some on the subject.
Aside from the buzz and the talk of there being a bubble in Social Software, I think the popularity of these sites is showing us something significant. I’m not concerned with business models, VC's or bottom lines regarding Social Software. I don’t care if Friendster can make money or not. What really gets me, what makes me feel good is the readiness of normal people to use these resources at all.
In my perception, the growth and popularity of sites like Friendster and Tribe is a harbinger of a large-scale change in perception in the Internet-using public. I think we’re starting to overcome a widely held belief that it is “weird�?, “risky�?, “geeky�? or “icky�? to meet and make connections with people on a purely online basis. The average person out there is becoming more likely to see online communities as a valid and efficient way meet and learn from other people. (Notice I’m specifying the normal non-geek population.)
Sites like Friendster are just taking advantage of this change in perception. The tools haven’t changed all that much- it’s the perceptions of meeting people online that have changed. For people like me, who see ways for businesses to use online communities, this is good news. The more accepted it is socially, the more accepted it will be in the business world.
I recently had a potential client contact me wanting to know how he can provide something like Ryze for his customers. This is something that I think we’ll see more of in the future- smaller, niche-based resources that serve a company or organization’s clients in the form of a networking and knowledge sharing online community.