aimInfo

Sunday, March 18, 2007 I have been spending a lot more time recently thinking about how we managed to build AIM into a huge brand, and how it became a major part of social networking tools.  I have seen over the past couple of years how product managers refer to their products as "central to their users' social network".  I actually think that statement is a fallacy.

My theory on the way to think of social networks is to borrow an idea from the airlines, I call it the "hub and spoke system."  In theory the hub is you, the user, and each spoke are tools that you use to communicate and share within your social network.  Some example of these tools might be, AIM for instant messaging, your cell phone for voice calls and SMS, or Facebook for your profile.  But social networking tools do not end with the obvious sometimes.  I would argue music is a major part of your network so things like iTunes, Bit Torrent or LastFM would be a spoke.  Here is a screen shot of some of the tools I use.



So what is the point of this?  Well as these tools open up their APIs to 3rd party developers, it is the developers jobs to start connecting the spokes.  For example, we are connecting the dots of the music spoke and AIM, and mobile phone companies have bridged the gap between your location and your buddies.

In my opinion product people should rethink how they are implementing their applications to make it easier for integrations of the other spokes with their product.  For example, we have a radio player in AIM, but does that contribute to the model I describe?  It seems very user centric to me, and for now we do not hook the player to share what song is currently playing, nor can LastFM hook the songs, so the experience of listening to music or sharing what you are listening to is not possible. 

I think we should all start thinking about when we integrate code or features into applications, how they can play nicely within the "hub and spoke system," because after all we should be writing technology to empower social networks instead of only thinking how the user at the keyboard is only using our product.  There is a whole world out there of tools that our users use, so lets help them all play nicely together.

We have a bunch of APIs that definitely allow developers to connect the spokes.  Needless to say, OpenAIM, but there are some other great ones out there.  Mapquest, WinAmp, Boxely, Userplane, and video search are all easy APIs to use and with the addition of Open ID support coming to many of our services, connecting the dots are simple.


gregsblog at 9:00:00 PM EDT Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this

This entry has 0 comments: (Add your own)