When we think of social networking tools, the obvious choices that come to mind are Facebook, Twitter, and (perhaps) MySpace. They  follow a somewhat similar format; you can add your own media (music, pictures, links, etc.), there’s a place for you to give everyone the 411 on what you’re up to or who you are, but more importantly, you can socially network. Your friends or people you awkwardly added to your friends list can interact with you and vice versa. You can even follow people or have them follow you, despite how unbelievably creepy that sounds. So when I first heard Chatroulette being mentioned in this arena, I really began to wonder…is this really a social networking tool?

Here are some things you should know about Chatroulette.  First, unlike Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace, there is an age restriction to Chatroulette -  you must be 16 and over to enter. Secondly, anything goes for the most part. Despite the weak warning from the site, anything you do is really all good unless someone reports it. You can see an Al Gore masked man, followed by boobs, followed by some American troops stationed overseas who are just as curious about Chatroulette as you are. Thirdly, this was invented by a 17-year old boy in Moscow, yet the servers for the company are in Germany. Why Germany? Because it’s halfway between the United States and Russia (there’s something oddly politically poetic in that precise planning).

But, I digress. As much as I wanted to shun Chatroulette from the realm of social networking and put it in the category of short term novelty/failed speed dating site, I have to admit, there is some social networking going on there. I don’t just get a link to a rockers music – she can play it for me live. I don’t need to look for the latest pictures; there’s a live feed of your face. And I don’t need to add a comment on a wall and wait for a response. I can tell that strange Asian guy in a bra “Dude, that bra is working for you.” In a way, I am social networking.

It is nowhere near as organized as one of the other major social networking sites, but it works, and maybe it’s better. Socially interacting with total strangers seems to be a bold move, but it’s strangely making the world a smaller place which seems to be the overall goal for social networking sites. In the end, Chatroulette might not be the prettiest person at the party, but it’s the one you’ll have the most fun with.

Google’s latest foray into social media arose the day before yesterday with their announcement of Google Buzz, a feature that tacks right onto a GMail user’s inbox. It’s Google’s belief that organizing social information on the web, or “finding relevance in the noise” is a huge problem. So they decided to do something about it with the introduction of Buzz. A social media sharing service, Buzz integrates with your blogs, photo sharing platforms, Twitter, YouTube, and other sharing sites.

Microsoft and Yahoo then released announcements that they offered similar services years ago, notably Microsoft’s Windows Live service and Yahoo Profiles. So there, Google.

Google Buzz is found in your Gmail account, and automatically follows those you follow the most. However, if you are only using Gmail as a tool to sign into AdWords or AdSense, like I am, then you don’t have many Gmail connections. Not to worry.  Google will suggest new friends for you, plus you can interact with Twitter on Google Buzz.

To be quite honest, another social media tool to organize my existing social media tools isn’t such a great thing. I can’t keep up with the flood of information hitting me right now. How will Google Buzz make my life different, or more organized? It won’t. Relevance is subjective, and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve found something “relevant” and wanted to get the news out to the social stratosphere only to find my excitement waning as time passed. After all, there is a point where the number of social tools I use will eclipse the time I need for truly relevant affairs…such as work. Read the rest of this entry »

Back in 2007, MySpace was still formidable competition for Facebook, and Friendster was going the way of the pager (“pager,” i.e. a small electronic device assigned to a telephone number which alerted device-holder that a person was attempting contact; holder could then respond using one of those pay-phoney-thing-a-ma-jigs). Also in 2007, Twitter was but a fleeting twinkle on the net, and Brady Becker was just some hipster nerd in Denver, quietly concocting a little thing called Brightkite. Once unleashed, however, Brightkite took flight.

Unlike the standard-issue social networks, Brightkite doesn’t cater to the generic hogwash to which others  are prone. Closer to the up-and-coming Foursquare and the now-defunct Google acquisition Dodgeball, it’s a free, location-based networking site that’s also comparably sparse, user-friendly, and a superbly designed must-have communication tool.

Brightkite’s site is like a slap in the face for all of us networking zombies. Our eyes have literally adjusted to finding relevant areas on browsers. Brightkite’s homepage is so amazingly NOT complex, it literally makes you feel like the page must still be loading. (Coincidentally, as I write this, I am searching for “home” on Facebook’s horrifically redesigned page. Facebook is sure as shit joining its predecessors; it’s only a matter of time before it becomes as tainted and overrun with crappy bands as MySpace). Brightkite’s site is simple, it’s clean, and with the absence of seizure-inducing advertisements, it’s totally inviting.

You “check in” when you land at the corner bistro/dive bar/after-party, and it automatically posts your location to your Facebook, Twitter, or Flickr account. Take a picture of the obese hippie wearing butterfly wings at Whole Foods in Union Square, then post it on Brightkite so we can all enjoy the image of a fairy guzzling a Kombucha!

Below is my compelling and hard-hitting interview with Brightkite founder, Brady Becker.

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