Social Networking Watch

Tagged Does Dating?

2008-08-20T15:51:38-04:00

SNW -- Aug 20 -- Is Tagged a dating site or a social network? I just got this email through. Looks like they want to reel me in as a casual dating site/SNS. Your comments please. - Mark Brooks

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This post also appears on OnlinePersonalsWatch.

MeetingWave Helps Make Offline Connections

2008-08-20T15:30:00-04:00

ONLINE MEDIA DAILY -- Aug 19 -- MeetingWave is the latest startup that has developed an online tool aimed at fostering offline connections. Meetingwave.com, allows members to post potential outings like coffee, dinner or even a brainstorming session, then screen respondents and get connected. The tool, which also has a dedicated mobile Web site and a Facebook app, can synch pending appointments to a calendar, as well as import contact and company data from sites like LinkedIn. FULL ARTICLE @ MEDIA POST

Meet2Go.com Adds Social Bookmarking

2008-08-20T15:23:18-04:00

NEW DESIGN WORLD -- Aug 19 -- Meet2Go has taken its popular dating platform and added a social book-marking system that allows users to post all of their favorite activities. Other members can vote, comment, and show interests in the events by adding their profiles to the events. FULL ARTICLE @ NEW DESIGN WORLD

This post also appears on OnlinePersonalsWatch.

Friendster Launches Support For OpenSocial Apps

2008-08-19T14:45:30-04:00

TECH CRUNCH -- Aug 18 -- Friendster has launched support for OpenSocial apps on its development platform. Friendster initially launched its platform last October, but has restricted available applications to those developed especially for Friendster's API. Beginning today, Friendster will allow developers to submit OpenSocial compliant apps (up to the .7 release of the API). FULL ARTICLE @ TECH CRUNCH

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3jam Looking To Fill Twitter's Mobile Shoes

2008-08-19T14:40:05-04:00

MASHABLE -- Aug 18 -- 3jam, a company specializing in Web and SMS communications is launching a new service. The service is looking to act as a replacement to the recently deceased capability for Twitter to send messages to users' mobile devices. Twitter said that it simply can't afford to support long-distance SMS Twittering anymore and the company claims "it could cost Twitter about $1,000 per user per year to send SMS outside of Canada, India, or the US." 3jam joins the also opportunistic TweetSMS in an attempt to fill the void left by Twitter for worldwide SMS users. The service will deliver your Twitter direct messages as SMS to 3jam users' phones. They'll also be providing local Twitter posting numbers for folks in Australia, Sweden and Germany. FULL ARTICLE @ MASHABLE

Mark Brooks: But Twitter, as a typical SNS, should be able to raise enough VC money to handle that cost base, surely. Advertising can support that, can't they? Your comments please.

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Facebook Narrows The Traffic Gap

2008-08-19T14:34:00-04:00

MASHABLE -- Aug 18 -- While Facebook recently took the worldwide lead in social networking traffic, MySpace has been quick to point out that they still occupy the top spot, the US market. With 34.3m visitors in July, Facebook still sits well behind MySpace with 59.2m, but MySpace has stopped growing in the US (down 3% y-o-y according to Nielsen). LinkedIn continues to grow quickly, registering more than 10m monthly uniques in July. Music focused social networking application provider Imeem also had a big month, registering 3.9m unique visitors, placing it handily above competitor Last.fm (2.4m). FULL ARTICLE @ MASHABLE

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Cisco Systems To Keynote At The European SN Conference

2008-08-18T15:38:25-04:00

NEWSWIRE TODAY -- Aug 18 -- Fernando Gil de Bernabé, the Managing Director, Internet Business Solutions Group at Cisco will discuss the future of European Social Networking in communications, entertainment and productivity tools at SNC2008 London. The European Social Networking Convention will focus on management and technology for the social networking in Europe. This includes internet, mobile, and enterprise social networking technologies. The event is taking place September 22-23, 2008 at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel Kensington and Conference Centre in London, UK. FULL ARTICLE @ NEWSWIRE TODAY

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Bluepulse Builds Mobile Social Networking

2008-08-18T15:32:55-04:00

GUARDIAN.CO.UK -- Aug 18 -- Bluepulse founder and chief executive Ben Keighran is hoping his mobile business will become the next big thing in social networking. With $6m in investment from VantagePoint Venture and 16 full-time staff on board, Keighran explains that his biggest problem is hiring enough staff.

Q: Explain your business to my Mum.
A: You can send messages, share pictures and videos and show your friends who you are friends with using your phone.

Q: How do you make money?
A: We are not currently making any profits, as we are focusing our efforts on building our userbase. We plan to make money in the future by implementing an ad-supported model. Q: How many users do you have now, and what's your target within 12 months?

Q: How many users do you have now, and what's your target within 12 months?
A: Bluepulse is currently delivering more than 150m messages per month to users in more than 190 countries. Within 12 months, we plan to drastically grow our user base within the United States.

Q: What's your biggest challenge?
A: We have so much that we want to do and build that we just can't hire fast enough.

Q: Any weird business experiences so far?
A: Raising money is definitely pretty bizarre.
FULL ARTICLE @ GUARDIAN.CO.UK

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LinkedIn: Ready To Rumble

2008-08-18T15:21:42-04:00

FORBES -- Aug 18 -- The business networking site LinkedIn is facing competition from start-ups such as Talkbiznow, launching on Monday, which claim to offer more sophisticated tools that will appeal to professionals. However, LinkedIn, which was valued at $1.0 billion in June and signs up 1 new member every two seconds, says it's prepared for the challenge. Forbes.com spoke with Kevin Eyres, LinkedIn's managing director for Europe.

Q: What is your reaction to companies such as Talkbiznow.com?
A: Competition is always good, but there is a distinct difference between social networking applications and LinkedIn. People come to LinkedIn because they want to exchange information and ideas, and make better business decisions.

Q: LinkedIn is sometimes criticized for the types of tools it offers. What are you doing?
A: We have recently added an application which gives you the ability to poll an audience that you designate. We have added an answer section where you can post a question and get highly qualified answers.

Q: You charge your users for some services. How much is it a threat that some companies will provide these services for free?
A: We have built a highly innovative service that we provide for free. We do have premium membership for those who are conducting business transactions such as recruiters and business developers. It's partly about protecting our users from spam.

Q: What new tools will you be releasing?
A: We don't get into pre-announcing things.

Q: What markets are you focusing on at the moment?
A: We have members in over 170 countries, and half our members are outside the U.S. The U.K. is a particular focus for us right now.

Q: How confident are you that you can deal with new competition?
A: We now have 26 million members. You don't grow to that size overnight: it took us five years. We had a 100.0% growth in membership last year and a 361.0% growth in page views between April 2007 and April 2008, which means a 361.0% growth in usage. Unless you have the network, there is not a lot of value, no matter what tools you offer.
FULL ARTICLE @ FORBES

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A Place For Local Geeks To See And Be Seen

2008-08-18T15:16:42-04:00

WASHINGTON POST -- Aug 18 -- Social Matchbox, a networking event once called "speed dating for geeks" was held last night in McLean. Unlike the standard chaotic networking event at a loud bar or a local firm, the first hour of Social Matchbox featured an open mic, at which 19 presenters -- mostly Web start-ups -- gave two- or three-minute spiels on their companies and ideas. Some just hoped to make the community aware of their existence. Some wanted advice or partnerships. Others wanted to hire programmers. FULL ARTICLE @ WASHINGTON POST