Adventures in Entrepreneurship with Jeremy Hanks

There's a good podcast on the Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders series that features execs from Facebook, MySpace, Ning and a couple others where they discuss this issue and the future of "social networking". Really relevant to what you're talking about. Here's the link: http://edcorner.stanford.edu/authorMaterialInfo.html?mid=1780

I'm high on Ning, too. I think their concept is a little unrefined, but definitely closer to "the next step" that anything out there. But Facebook has shown that they are extremely nimble and forward-thinking -- unlike MySpace. I wouldn't count them out.

Mikal,

I think I wasn't thinking of Chris's definition of social networking that he had in his post when I made my comments (from the looks of Chris's post, I don't this he was either). After re-reading it, his definition is very broad indeed and takes into account so many community and communication features on the web today, all of which are great strides forward. I read this early this morning on Read/WriteWeb, and I think it is closer to the definition I was thinking of in my head:

The primary goal of a social network is to connect people, to simplify their communication, and to help them stay in touch.

You can read more of that article that is a viewpoint about social networking that I also agree with here: Facebook: What if More is Less.

Jeremy,

I think Chris Anderson must have his head stuck in the sand or something, and that you may be taken in by a popular author's view or statements.

First of all, the all or nothing approach doesn't seem to apply here. Ning allows companies and other entities to power and brand their own online communities, whereas Facebook is an appropriate online community for all comers. Facebook is intentional in its "we have no focus" approach, and obviously, it has caught on and is doing well.

Point being, I think you're comparing apples to oranges when you say you'd invest in Ning over Facebook. They're not the same. One powers online communities; one IS an online community. It's not necessarily fair to compare the two when it comes to online communities. It's tantamount to saying, "Well, I'd invest in Inntopia over Marriott any day." They not the same. Inntopia allows hotels to power their own online reservations systems. Marriott provides beds people sleep in.

Bottom line, you should invest in the better investment, and if Ning happens to be a better investment than Facebook, then you invest in Ning. But you can't compare apples to oranges--on their face, they both play a role in online communities, but they're not inherently the same.

Anyway, the reason why I started out by saying that Chris Anderson must have his head stuck in the sand is because of this: In the blog entry you pointed to, Anderson writes:

"Right now the world is focused on stand-alone social networking sites, especially Facebook and MySpace, and the fad of the moment is to take brands and services there, as companies build Facebook apps and MySpace pages in a bid to follow the audience wherever they happen to be. But at the same time there's a growing sense that elements of social networking is something all good sites should have, not just dedicated social networks. And that suggests a very different strategy--social networking as a feature, not a destination."

Well, duh! Yeah, so what's your point?

There's nothing new or necessarily revealing in what he's saying. In fact, he's flat out wrong to even suggest that "the word is focused on stand-alone social networking sites." Social network is ALREADY a feature in thousands of companies websites and products. What's more, millions upon millions of customers/consumers are actively engaged in these company- and not-for-profit organization-driven online communities, and have been for years.

My point… just because Chris Anderson said it or wrote it doesn't mean it has merit.

Prime example… He goes on to say, as you too have quoted him as saying, "…the notion of it [Facebook] as an all-encompassing platform… will fail in social networking."

Come on now; who is saying that this notion even exists? Chris Anderson is only person I can hear saying it. Oh sure, people behind the closed doors over at Facebook are probably saying it to (and it probably shows up in their press releases and public talks), but that's what companies do; they posture.

It seems to me that Chris Anderson is setting himself up for a real win here, and you're out there calling attention to it. "Oh, this notion that I can do 1,000,000 one-handed push-ups in a row will fail, I tell ya!."

Well, duh!