Social Networking to the Next Level?
January 18th, 2007 | Published in Uncategorized
(This is actually a bit old news already, but…) Just as the fuss over MySpace has started to calm down, another social networking site, Bebo, has quickly been gathering momentum particularly in the UK. While there are, of course, several other MySpace rivals, some of them way older than MySpace itself, like Faceparty, Friendster, and Facebook, Bebo promises to take “social networking to the next level.”
Like MySpace, which has become almost the standard homepage for at least electronic musicians and rock bands, Bebo invites bands/artists to create their own profiles and use it for promotion. Bebo also provides video sharing (via VideoEgg widgets) and built-in Skype presence.
While Bebo feels a bit more controlled and better designed than MySpace, which still boasts a very home-knit interface and annoying bugs, it is really just more of the same. Nonetheless, it might still become the next big thing: they’re already backed by Benchmark Capital and have just hired a former Google executive to lead international expansion. Another recent “connection” with Google is that ‘Bebo’ was listed as the most searched for term on Google in 2006, ahead of MySpace.
Karri Ojanen
About the author
I’m an interaction designer, information architect, strategist and creative lead, multi-skilled and versed in creative, strategy and technology. I’m also known as an electronic musician who has traveled the world from Tampere to Tokyo. I earned my experience as art director, concept designer and creative director in Scandinavia, praised for its award-hoarding digital agencies, then went on to work in the Middle East, the United States, and Canada. Currently, I work as Interaction Design Director at R/GA as well as a freelance interaction designer and information architect. My work has been awarded with national and international awards.
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