As I delve further into the social media rabbit hole, the way I view these ‘social’ websites has shifted dramatically. The thought INVINCIBLE Facebook is beginning to show it’s flaws, Twitter, while extremely useful, is still extremely distracting and start-ups attempting to copy their success are now popping up like weeds.
What most consumers forget is that sites like Facebook and Twitter are not solely popular because of what their platform offers, but also hugely dependent on a user base.
“….social media is itself as temporary as any social gathering, nightclub or party. It’s the people that matter, not the venue. So when the trend leaders of one social niche or another decide the place everyone is socializing has lost its luster or, more important, its exclusivity, they move on to the next one, taking their followers with them. (Facebook’s successor will no doubt provide an easy “migration utility” through which you can bring all your so-called friends with you, if you even want to.)” – Douglas Rushkoff
That is not to say these sites are closing their doors any time soon, however, this mass migration has occurred multiple times in the past. AOL was replaced with Yahoo! which was subsequently replaced with Google. Friendster was ousted by Bebo which was replaced with Myspace, which is now a distant memory to most being replaced by Facebook.
In my opinion, the next mass exodus will be from the so-called ‘social network’ to a smaller exclusive network connecting real friends to another in lieu of Facebook ‘friends’. I also believe in the theory that as Facebook adds more ‘services’ it will lose more followers. While the increase in ‘services’ (Farmvilles, Pokes, Places, email, shopping, etc.) may seem like a great way to offer users more options, it also adds to the intense clutter of a site.
As the clutter increases, users begin to forget the real reason they originally came to the platform and begin to question its usefulness. What do you think? Is Facebook to big to fail or is it becoming a cluttered mess? Let me know in the comments below!
Until next time buyer, sellers and friends!
Sincerely,
Josh ^theLVD Weaver
I like your suggestion about a forum in which you can actually connect with real friends. It would be healthy to move away from the more voyeuristic platform and move to a more intimate platform. I don’t know if facebook will fa, but it would be nice to see a reorg!
Currently there are quite a few of these intimate platforms that focus on exclusivity. A great example of an exclusive social media platform is Path.com it combines the ability to follow one’s life while keeping it closed to those not invited to your network. It also limits ‘friends’ to a 50 max.
I did not know that. I’m going to give it a try! Good job young urban professional. Does that make you a yuppy?