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So, what problems do facebook/social networks solve? * sharing photos * keeping in touch with friends and families and getting the latest updates from them *

by rkwz 15y ago

So, what problems do facebook/social networks solve? * sharing photos * keeping in touch with friends and families and getting the latest updates from them * events * games * sharing links and stuff and all these things from one place! is there any other site/technology that provides all these benefits in one place?

possibilistic 15y ago
The problem is, after an extended use maybe we feel sick of it all. Facebook was new and fresh when it arrived, but now it's beginning to feel like an overstayed welcome. They have accomplished the goal of making life seem, in a way, commoditized, and that makes me feel like I never want to use such a service again. I don't think social networks are going to be entirely displaced, maybe just the ones that attempt to mirror your personal life. I think it's a kind of impedance mismatch issue--a kind of uncanny valley vibe that they give off. After doing it so long, it just feels so artificial and flaky. I know everyone doesn't have such negative thoughts about Facebook, but I also know I'm not the only one who feels this way right now. I can't see what they or anyone could do to fix this problem, but I know a solution isn't out of the realm of possibility either. I predict future successful social networks will be somewhat like HN or reddit--semi-anonymous, with no real connection to real life. If they can surround you with peers clustered around your interest profile, perhaps we could grow organic communities around professions and hobbies that dynamically or elastically determine membership and open channels of communication (as opposed to the current process of self-selection and direct messaging). I don't know, I'm rambling now.
- rkwz 15y ago
  >I predict future successful social networks will be somewhat like HN or reddit--semi-anonymous, with no real connection to real life. If they can surround you with peers clustered around your interest profile, perhaps we could grow organic communities around professions and hobbies that dynamically or elastically determine membership and open channels of communication (as opposed to the current process of self-selection and direct messaging). I don't know, I'm rambling now. Isn't this problem already solved by discussion boards? :D Or is your idea different from them in some way? Please feel free to share your views.
- jetz 15y ago
  People feel sick because it add and adds and adds and become too much to handle. UI become bloated. And after some time you're done. What you described as future SNs are actually more history Usenet, IRC, Well, Prodigy, AOL, Geocities and so on. Yes communities will always be there but SNs are solving a different problem. SNs are more about socializing with your friends than talking what's happening with Rails project lately.
rl41 15y ago
The article neglects that facebook is always looking to expand its feature set, with things like email (on top of existing chat) and music [1]. Also neglected are statistics pertaining to new account activations and account reactivations (secondary and post-secondary students make up a giant portion of the user base, and many make it a habit to deactivate temporarily during exam time). This article just feels overly sensational, giving no credence to counter-arguments. [1] http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2584712 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2584712
saturdaysaint 15y ago
Agreed. Facebook will probably fall in and out of fashion, but they'll have a business as long as they use the social graph to solve real problems. I think it has a chance at winning the emerging messaging war - it's a widely adopted, proven, cross-platform messaging service.

by rkwz 15y ago

possibilistic 15y ago

The problem is, after an extended use maybe we feel sick of it all. Facebook was new and fresh when it arrived, but now it's beginning to feel like an overstayed welcome. They have accomplished the goal of making life seem, in a way, commoditized, and that makes me feel like I never want to use such a service again. I don't think social networks are going to be entirely displaced, maybe just the ones that attempt to mirror your personal life. I think it's a kind of impedance mismatch issue--a kind of uncanny valley vibe that they give off. After doing it so long, it just feels so artificial and flaky. I know everyone doesn't have such negative thoughts about Facebook, but I also know I'm not the only one who feels this way right now. I can't see what they or anyone could do to fix this problem, but I know a solution isn't out of the realm of possibility either. I predict future successful social networks will be somewhat like HN or reddit--semi-anonymous, with no real connection to real life. If they can surround you with peers clustered around your interest profile, perhaps we could grow organic communities around professions and hobbies that dynamically or elastically determine membership and open channels of communication (as opposed to the current process of self-selection and direct messaging). I don't know, I'm rambling now.

rkwz 15y ago
>I predict future successful social networks will be somewhat like HN or reddit--semi-anonymous, with no real connection to real life. If they can surround you with peers clustered around your interest profile, perhaps we could grow organic communities around professions and hobbies that dynamically or elastically determine membership and open channels of communication (as opposed to the current process of self-selection and direct messaging). I don't know, I'm rambling now. Isn't this problem already solved by discussion boards? :D Or is your idea different from them in some way? Please feel free to share your views.
jetz 15y ago
People feel sick because it add and adds and adds and become too much to handle. UI become bloated. And after some time you're done. What you described as future SNs are actually more history Usenet, IRC, Well, Prodigy, AOL, Geocities and so on. Yes communities will always be there but SNs are solving a different problem. SNs are more about socializing with your friends than talking what's happening with Rails project lately.

rl41 15y ago

The article neglects that facebook is always looking to expand its feature set, with things like email (on top of existing chat) and music [1]. Also neglected are statistics pertaining to new account activations and account reactivations (secondary and post-secondary students make up a giant portion of the user base, and many make it a habit to deactivate temporarily during exam time). This article just feels overly sensational, giving no credence to counter-arguments. [1] http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2584712 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2584712

saturdaysaint 15y ago

Agreed. Facebook will probably fall in and out of fashion, but they'll have a business as long as they use the social graph to solve real problems. I think it has a chance at winning the emerging messaging war - it's a widely adopted, proven, cross-platform messaging service.