Social Networking Goes Mobile

[Mike Temporale]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB114411026875415973-lMyQjAxMDE2NDE0MDExMTAwWj.html' target='_blank'>http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB114411026875415973-lMyQjAxMDE2NDE0MDExMTAwWj.html</a><br /><br /></div><i>"In a development likely to generate dismay from some parents and teachers, social networking sites MySpace and Facebook are going mobile. Tens of millions of teenagers spend countless hours logging on to such sites, updating their profiles, posting pictures, writing blogs and exchanging messages. Until now, the services have been largely tethered to desktops or laptops. Now, Facebook Inc., a popular social-networking Web site among college students, and Cingular Wireless, Sprint Nextel Corp. and Verizon Wireless are starting a service that will make it possible for users to post messages on Facebook's home pages or search for other users' phone numbers and email addresses from a cellphone."</i><br /><br />This shouldn't come as much of a surprise to anyone here. Anything that the youth of today are spending their time on, better be looking at a mobile solution if they want to be around for any length of time. ;) What I find most interesting, is that companies that deal directly with mobile users (like various online mobile software retailers) have yet to figure this out. :roll: <br /><br /><b>Please Note:</b> The link is to a Wall Street Journal article. Registration might be required to read it.

[edgar]

I believe the link I provided Mike gives free access for a week. I can renew it again if this thread gets enough traffic.

These guys, as most Blogging company's do, understand that the kids are the main users. I blog, some, but nothing like these kids do. Personally, I won't use this - I might use the photo blogging software though, not text. However, my 19-23 year old nieces all called me about this and whether their RAZRs (pink, of course) would support it - it does.

MySpace, I believe, provides a great service but does not implement security and safeguards very well - thus all their bad press about how the child predators are getting too much information.

Is this the kids that keep open blogs, or grant access at the slightest request, the company that provides the tool and the access with minimal training or knowledge transfer, or the parents that let their kids access the internet openly and freely with minimal supervision? Probably a bit of each. There are pitfalls and lessons to be learned by each party, and each has to take some responsibility to make it better. Unfortunately, the kids and the parents are learning this through negative press. But I applaud MySpace for getting in front of it by starting a parent's awareness campaign just this week. They are also doing more for the kids security as well. The blogging industry has exploded, and with it came the growing pains. At least they are recognizing it, and trying to address it.

I, too, am floored that there is not more mobile software and items that focus on this market segment as well. Teenagers and "tweeners", at least in the US, are a huge money machine and very marketable. When it comes to technology, they are more savvy then most Enterprise businesses - they market amongst themselves and drive product very well. I talk with my nieces and nephews (6-24 years old - I have tons of them, I'm the youngest of 9) and they talk of network interfaces, and will the phone they buy today support IPv6, what can they use to do video phone over GPRS, why isn't the US on UMTS like Europe, Can I pay for my clothes at Macy's with my phone,etc etc. Not just talking about how cute the pink RAZR is, or how cool the new carbon fiber covers are - but the technology.

Get with it developers, there's lots of money to be made. And us old folks will take advantage of it as well.

-Edgar

&lt;edited to correct my lousy typing - google speel cheek :lol: is your friend>