Social Networking Power Seeps Into Applications

May 16

I have been letting my views and opinions out onto the vast WorldWideWeb now since before most of you readers were even born! I organized the largest number of System Operators (Sysops) ever to meet in one place. Now that says quite a lot as my learned scholarly and entrepreneurial business friends would say.

It would be nice to know that some of my rants and raves such as the one which took out every point of

Bill

Microsoft's first online published ROI white paper was read and understood. That an intelligent person or team of individuals would find great value in my quality assurance background and position as a consumer advocate.

Facebook

Well years later, it seems that Microsoft is now attempting to be a little more consumer caring. And it looks like possibly my rant on the uselessness of FaceBook but promotion of social networking sites is being heard.

There are many who are against the internet and use of the web as a way to meet others and collaborate without being able to physically touch or sit in the same office. Some of those concerns are quite valid BUT there are too many positives as well as practical needs for it not to be pursued and developed. No matter how much we wish to prevent Pervs, stalkers, and other negative people in our physical and online life we will never be rid of them no matter what is done. In fact trying to do so online may prevent great productivities from being achieved.

Today we have help (sometimes questionable) from telecenters in India, we have distant learning of which I participated in one of the few way back in the '80s. Do you remember the early online virtual worlds?

Sony's Virtual World

I was also part of those early renditions which were exciting but clunky attempts to bring people together online. Well today, Sony and a couple handfuls of other companies have gotten behind the dream to develop this further. And we will eventually see truly productive applications linking people together in both a purely social as well as purely business, educational, and entertaining ways. One of my Canadian friends turned me onto BlogTV. This is a social networking site that has been around awhile and allows anyone to use their web cam to host a show and even have a co-host on with you from anywhere else in the world! Granted some of the blogTV hosts are quite lame but it gives them an outlet for social interaction which can be for pure fun or for other things. I plan on using blogTV as a way for my online neighbors and friends to chime in on my interest for trading/investing and all things technology. Of course there are other ways but this is simple and fun!

BlogTV

You can have audio, draw on the screen, kick people out for inappropriate behavior and build a network of followers. Unlike Facebook you don't have a zillion widgets wanting your attention. It is purely an audio/visual world where the host creates whatever kind of show he/she chooses.

Since technology is constantly improving and people wish to further push the limits of possibility; social networking will become a key feature in more and more applications to come. I for one look forward to the next pipe dream becoming reality. Perhaps you'll play an integral part and have your fifteen minutes of fame!

Obama on blogTV