PSFK Feature: Tonight I’m Going To Social Network Like It’s 1999

Classic Social/Business Networking Sites

Ecademy
UK originated business networking community by self-styled ‘networker-for-life’ Thomas Power. Recently launched in the US and other zones of the sphere this site has a huge business-minded membership and offers blogging/opinion pieces and the usual ‘clubs’. Somehow we only tend to get contacted by Lifestyle Coaches touting their services though.
www.ecademy.com

Ryze
Could have been the CraigsList of Social Networking but really is a dreary message board for socially inept Bay Area types.
www.ryze.com

Friendster
The service where you help your friends get laid. Friendster lets you see what your friends’ friends look like and then ask for an intro. Once everybody was talking about it but we think it has gone off the boil with lack of service evolution. Can it return?
www.friendster.com

Old Timers
Email forum of in-the-know web industry long-timers. New members now pay for the luxury of filtering their in-box with discussions on everything from SEO to Rich Media Advertising and beyond. Recently teamed up with new SocNet site: SoFlow
www.oldtimerslist.com

Linked In
Well thought through system that lets you find ideal business contacts / old colleagues through your network’s network of contacts. Has not evolved since launch and looks like cack, to be honest and although it started well the PSFKers who ‘got it’ have tired of it and those who never did never will.
www.linked-in.com

Orkut
Google’s secret society? This invite only service is still in beta and although possibly using suspect code(?) has some nifty features, over 45% are Brazilians and just 0.74% are bald! Pretty good going – maybe that’s why it tries to embody what Google is all about. Except it falls over a lot and we receive more spam in our Orkut in box that all the other services put together. Unless Google master the ‘simple, easy, no nonsense’ approach that Google have applied to their search we think the words “duck” and “dead” could be applied soon to this service.
www.orkut.com

Hybrid Social/Business Networking Sites

Jigsaw
Very new swap-shop for ruthless salesbods. Sell six of your contacts for a dozen new ones. Still in beta, nice to see a unique offering although we found the quality of the leads are poor.
www.jigsaw.com

Plaxo
Not exactly a social network but not exactly a get-anywhere Contact Book either. Right now it helps you keep your network’s details up to date in real time in Outlook or OE but with the sophistication of this system (and the recent partnership with Yahoo) we can’t believe that Plaxo isn’t going to take it to another level. We love it.
www.plaxo.com

Answerology
Cross between self help group and dating service. Right now users can ask others tips on getting/keeping/losing the perfect guy/girl and then approach the poor individual. Nice idea and can work in other sectors. Lacks members and, we reckon, will probably be overtaken by a better funded service who’ll pinch their idea.
www.answerology.com

Dodgeball
A social networking service to get you away from your PC and into the pub. A compelling system that revolves around sending and receiving SMS to your mobile phone. Basically allows alcoholics who find themselves at 1am with all their friends gone home to text their friends’ friends to see if they are still out. With this mix of booze and buddies PSFK thinks this you’ll have a better chance of getting laid than using Friendster! Cool.
www.dodgeball.com

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Further Reading

Social Software Weblog
Esther Dyson’s Report
Gartner Report on ‘Cool’ Players
‘Too Many Social Networks’ Article from The Pitch
Get Real Blog
Many-2-Many Blog
Social Commentary
MIT Tech Social Networking Report