Comments on: Trade-off: Facebook vs. Ning http://www.salas.com/2008/04/16/trade-off-facebook-vs-ning/ Some stuff I just figured out Thu, 20 Nov 2008 08:39:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: ICeman http://www.salas.com/2008/04/16/trade-off-facebook-vs-ning/#comment-29312 ICeman Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:03:58 +0000 http://www.salas.com/?p=2035#comment-29312 I am registered in Facebook and a friend of mine created a social network using Ning. I use both, but, to be honest, there's no much movement on the Ning group. I have to admit that i look far more often my Facebook page than my "generaciongeek" page. And i'm not the only one. The registration barrier is still too high; the bright side is that the Ning ID is useful for any other Ning-based network, as if i wanna use <em>another</em> Social Network... I'm tempted to write that everybody should use Facebook and don't try to make other networks that ask for registration, but i don't like monopolies of any kind. I am registered in Facebook and a friend of mine created a social network using Ning. I use both, but, to be honest, there’s no much movement on the Ning group. I have to admit that i look far more often my Facebook page than my “generaciongeek” page. And i’m not the only one. The registration barrier is still too high; the bright side is that the Ning ID is useful for any other Ning-based network, as if i wanna use another Social Network…
I’m tempted to write that everybody should use Facebook and don’t try to make other networks that ask for registration, but i don’t like monopolies of any kind.

]]> By: Pito Salas http://www.salas.com/2008/04/16/trade-off-facebook-vs-ning/#comment-28142 Pito Salas Wed, 16 Apr 2008 18:01:39 +0000 http://www.salas.com/?p=2035#comment-28142 @gen kanai: I wasn't referring to "Social Graph" - I assume you mean the Google API which I didn't even realize was called Social Graph (now I do: http://code.google.com/apis/socialgraph/docs/) I was speaking conceptually: the Social Graph in the Real World exists as represented by who knows who in meatspace. FB's 'mission' as I heard it explained is to try to capture that Social Graph or as much of it as they can, in a database, represented as FB 'friends'. Anyway, I clarified my post a little to avoid confusing readers. @gen kanai: I wasn’t referring to “Social Graph” - I assume you mean the Google API which I didn’t even realize was called Social Graph (now I do: http://code.google.com/apis/socialgraph/docs/) I was speaking conceptually: the Social Graph in the Real World exists as represented by who knows who in meatspace. FB’s ‘mission’ as I heard it explained is to try to capture that Social Graph or as much of it as they can, in a database, represented as FB ‘friends’. Anyway, I clarified my post a little to avoid confusing readers.

]]> By: Andy-Qlubb http://www.salas.com/2008/04/16/trade-off-facebook-vs-ning/#comment-28140 Andy-Qlubb Wed, 16 Apr 2008 17:36:39 +0000 http://www.salas.com/?p=2035#comment-28140 An additional benefit of Facebook and Ning is that they have search and connection capabilities to help people find groups and join them (with an edge to Facebook - because of the viral social graph aspect). With a website you can rely on the things you mentioned (adwords, email blasts, etc.) plus some SEO work to get people to find you. This costs money and effort I've seen several companies create presences in several different sites which has pro's that you can reach a larger audience that way but has the con of having duplicated efforts in multiple places - it's effort for the leader/moderator and it's confusing for the community. An additional benefit of Facebook and Ning is that they have search and connection capabilities to help people find groups and join them (with an edge to Facebook - because of the viral social graph aspect). With a website you can rely on the things you mentioned (adwords, email blasts, etc.) plus some SEO work to get people to find you. This costs money and effort

I’ve seen several companies create presences in several different sites which has pro’s that you can reach a larger audience that way but has the con of having duplicated efforts in multiple places - it’s effort for the leader/moderator and it’s confusing for the community.

]]> By: Gen Kanai http://www.salas.com/2008/04/16/trade-off-facebook-vs-ning/#comment-28121 Gen Kanai Wed, 16 Apr 2008 14:35:30 +0000 http://www.salas.com/?p=2035#comment-28121 Depending on the goals, timeframe, budget, etc. it would make sense to try to do both FB and Ning. As I see it, with FB you are wading into that existing userbase and trying to fish out your FB-app users from within the total pool of FB users. With Ning, you're basically starting from scratch with the basic infrastructure required for an SNS but with so much more freedom. With both, the demerit is that FB/Ning own the platform and the users essentially. Rolling your own SNS with your own server and your own software would be the highest cost and longest timeframe but you get the most control and your users are your own, so to speak. Social Graph is interesting but it's not really prime-time and so I would never recommend it to anyone for any kind of production SNS. Depending on the goals, timeframe, budget, etc. it would make sense to try to do both FB and Ning. As I see it, with FB you are wading into that existing userbase and trying to fish out your FB-app users from within the total pool of FB users. With Ning, you’re basically starting from scratch with the basic infrastructure required for an SNS but with so much more freedom. With both, the demerit is that FB/Ning own the platform and the users essentially. Rolling your own SNS with your own server and your own software would be the highest cost and longest timeframe but you get the most control and your users are your own, so to speak.

Social Graph is interesting but it’s not really prime-time and so I would never recommend it to anyone for any kind of production SNS.

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