More on the "Universe"
Stowe Boyd mentions an article out from Boston.com writer Michelle Johnson regarding the ICQ Universe. Although she covers much of the same things already mentioned, one important aspect of the analysis is the spectre of business social networking. Her intial experiencese seem to support the notion that, although possible, business networking is not likely in the Universe.
This raises an interesting question: Why don't SNS sites currently deal with both subject matters simultaneously? Is the reason for the separation programmatic or social? If given the choice, would people desire everything in one location or are the specialized models viable, if not only because of their specialization?
As she notes:
Frankly, I'm not sure of the value of all this exclusivity, particularly when you're giving "strangers" the chance to get in through a "lobby." Other sites either stick to invitation-only or allow anyone to join and set up their own network.
While ICQ Universe wasn't built for business networking, Givon thinks it's possible some people will use it for that purpose. The site's colorful look and feel is clearly intended for social interaction and it will probably appeal to a younger audience. Most ICQ users are under 30, connect to the network at least five hours a day, and are into activities such as gaming, downloading music, and online shopping, according to the company.
Business users should check out sites like LinkedIn.com, Zerodegrees.com, and Ryze.com, which offer tools and services meant for that crowd. LinkedIn, for instance, allows job seekers to enter detailed employment info and does a nice job of automatically finding people who work in your industry or area.
I believe the differentiation is both good and bad for the end user. Tune in tomorrow for a more detailed look at this.