Del.icio.us is already a social network
Posted 10/05/2006 08:23:00 AM |
"In the future I hope to allow our users themselves to come forward within the system. Additionally, I want to help people connect with others within the system, either to people they already know or discovering new people and communities based on interest."The post on Read/Write Web is misleadingly titled "Del.icio.us plans to become a social network." First, the title frames an assumption that del.icio.us is planning to change its focus in some way to be more like our current definitions of social networks (Facebook, Myspace). Joshua's quote clearly shows that del.icio.us is not planning to change the focus of the service. Second, the title misses the reality that del.icio.us is already a social network, and a very vibrant one at that. Social networks come in many forms - and many times those forms are much more nuanced than "social network websites" where the explicit focus of the service is people (like Facebook, Myspace).
Social networks connect us - something that del.icio.us has been doing since its very inception. The difference here is that the link is the object center of the sociality in the network. It is most useful to compare to Flickr. In Flickr, we browse photographs through a number of paths - tags, groups, pools - and while the photographs are still the center of the network, these social features enable a deeper form of sharing and browsing. The social aspects compliment the core content, rather than replacing it.
I believe the del.icio.us will stick firmly to keeping the link the object center of the network. By adding social features, we'll have new ways to find content - and we'll be able to find out more about the people who share content. This will be very valuable to those who use del.icio.us for research and analysis - and it stands to unite communities of practice. When I see 10 other people bookmarking an obscure link about social networks, I want to know more about those people. With lightweight social features, we all stand to gain from our link-centric connections.
Of course, a large part of the backlash against this news is simply because the term "social network" was used. People are tired of YASNS and I can't blame them. However, in the case of del.icio.us, the service is in very capable hands, and reading into the tea leaves, I see the addition of social features being very useful to the service. Yes, del.icio.us is moving more social, but this is Flickr, not Myspace.
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