Alternative to Facebook
May 31, 2010 is being heralded as “Quit Facebook Day”. At the very least, I think many people who have lost their blinders about the trustworthiness and integrity of those who run Facebook will just drift away, leaving their profiles active but checking and posting very little.
So where are we all to go, if we just can’t stand the thought of giving Mark Zuckerberg, or his backers, or his developers, or all the data they released in the past to Google and the Internet, another day to pour over what we uploaded, posted, and shared presumably with our network of friends? What are our alternatives.
I think the first thing to do is decide what you wish to accomplish in the time you devote to Social Networking. A lot of people are starting to realize that Social Networking can take over your life… can become your life… to the detriment of your real life relationships, your pets, garden, hobbies, physical health, etc.
My primary reason for getting on Facebook was to keep in touch with one of my daughters while she was in college. She graduated. Now my purpose is mostly to network with business people and making new friends and connecting with old ones is the bonus. But I’m self employed, so I look for business connections primarily. Lately, I’ve gone back to using ancient technology (email) to send items of interest to my friends. At least all I have to deal with in that arena is getting past the spam filters.
So, here are a few alternatives, and believe me the list is not exhaustive… it’s less than incomplete. And tomorrow, it will be even more incomplete. Because everyone out there who knows how to develop CRM software is dreaming of capturing just a splinter of what Facebook has in user-base and try to monetize it.
LinkedIn - primarily business profiles, with capability to create groups, publish articles, and interact on forums. The way I utilize LinkedIn is to keep in touch with business people I know, especially if I or they leave a company that forbids me from contacting them first to let them know I’m gone. But I can update my profile and all my contacts see where I’ve landed. Then they can reach out to me and I haven’t broken my prenuptial with my employer.
My profile on LinkedIn is: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jonrichardson
Fuzzy Orb – I have only just started examining this one. It appears to be geared toward socializing rather than business and primarily focused on the privacy of its user’s data. There isn’t much on the front porch to see, I’m sure there’s more when you create a profile.
Well, I just created a profile and I have to tell you it’s like going to a new school and sitting down at a table in the cafeteria by yourself on the first day. It appears to be very private until you recruit a bunch of your friends to join your club. So where Facebook may err on the side of exposing us to everyone a little more than we’re comfortable, Fuzzy Orb, at least for now, leaves us alone… for better or worse.
Virb.com – I heard about this one a few days ago. It appears from the front porch they cater primarily to artists, but may be changing their focus to capture some of the Facebook disaffected. The doors were closed to anyone wanting to create a profile the last time I looked (this morning). This is what their sign up page looks like today:
Hola. Guten Tag. Namaste. Yo.
Exciting changes are on the way for Virb. Until we unveil our game plan later this month, we have temporarily modified our signup process. So, if you are…
A) A musician or band wanting to create a site to showcase your tunes, or
B) A human being with a creative itch desiring to set up a portfolio
…then drop us an email and tell us why you want an account . We will get you set up with everything you need — in a jiffy.
For the rest of you, sit tight. We’re about ready to pull the rabbit out of the proverbial hat.
Thank you!
Brad & Team Virb
We’ll see how long it takes them to throw their doors open. The front porch looks a lot more rich than Fuzzy Orb, or LinkedIn for that matter, but what do you expect, they’re artists!
Virtual Meet and Greet – Anyone who’s an entrepreneur will recognize this is a social networking site for businesses. This site appears to be focused on helping small businesses market themselves and become part of a community. Having worked on my own for 7 years, I know how isolated one can feel when they’re in business for themselves.
Link to website: http://www.virtualmeetandgreet.com/
Public facing business directory: http://virtualmeetandgreet.com/dir/Business-Directory.html
Video going over features and focus: http://www.virtualbiz4u.com/blog/virtual-meet-and-greet-business-networking-membership
I’ve run out of time for today… but that’s the great thing… when I come back there will be something new to buzz about.
