SNS: Start at Number 0

I came across WiredJournal today -- "A group blog on markets and technology". It seems today was the first official day for the blog, but I already like some of the thoughts mentioned. Continuing the discussion on SNS Game Theory, WiredJournal comments:

I understand that amassing a large user-base is part of the equation towards realizing a business model but going about it this way turns social networking into more of a collecting game and misses out on the real value proposition. They make it far too easy to click-and-link to new members and publicizing everyone's score card turns it into a competition. What these sites really offer is a souped-up, always-on, virtual networking event where the barriers to making first-contact may have been lowered a bit but there is still a lot of noise to deal with and filter out. A true social network is very *individual* and you cannot really join one. You have to build yours from the ground up - one relationship at a time.

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At the heart, many of these services suffer from the same thing: Trying to focus too soon on fostering new relationship discovery instead of focussing on strengthening existing relationships. I am a big believer in the latent "strength of weak ties" but you cannot have effective weak ties without cultivating a few strong ties first. Cultivating strong relationships is more than just search - It is about facilitating conversations. A large connected network (critical mass) is the ultimate end goal but every network has a natural tipping point - one that cannot be artificially realized. Duncan Watts describes this in his book: "Six Degrees" as a phase transition where a network transitions rapidly from a disconnected state to a connected one at the critical point.

Source: WiredJournal, "Social Networking: Does size matter?"

The current crop of SNS surely has spawned a new stratum in the social spectrum with terms like Friendster creeping into our vocabulary as a relationship level. I firmly believe that there does need to be a focus on the relationships closest to home and work your way outwards. As I designed the SparkCard system, I focused on the importance of interaction and the role of chemistry in making relationships evolve. I only hope that when it's time to show people how their networks can grow organically that they won't be disappointed that the growth is not viral (read exponential).

Last thing, for anyone that hasn't read Watt's "Six Degree: The Science of a Connected Age", I would recommend it as well.