Browser based real time web - Extreme social networking?
Posted by anup on June 19, 2008
One trend that has me intrigued is that of browser based social networks. Flock, has been around for a while and now there are others like Slingpage and Me.dium. In fact RWW called it the ‘extreme social networking‘. These plug ins allow you to see which web site your friends are on and then chat with them.
So why am I writing about them? Well because they come at the same problem we are addressing with MangoSpring SiteGroups but from a completely different perspective. Both SiteGroups and tools like Me.dium enable:
- Real time interaction on the web
- Messaging with others on the same site
The key difference between SiteGroups and plugin based approach is that:
- SiteGroups helps the site owner monetize the implicit social network they already have as it builds a service centric community as oppose to user-centric community
- As SiteGroups is integrated by the business owner as part of its website, provides a richer and relevant experience
- Is universally available to all users of the site
In addition, as plugins are built around browsers, they tend to ignore the multi-platform, multi-device world we live in.