Social networks are prolific. I don’t even know how many are out there right now. Today I received an invitation to build a professional profile at Brightfuse.com. I already use Linked-In. Do I really need yet another site to broaden my network?
Sure everyone has the dream of building a better mousetrap. My problem is that I hate to shop around when I already have one that works just fine. I feel the same about using the latest and greatest web application. Facebook is for fun, Linked-In is for my professional profile and connections. Twitter, well, I’m still undecided about Twitter. I’d still rather call someone than have to add a text plan to my mobile phone in order to keep up with Twitter.
Is it really useful to participate in every option out there? Do our web apps work so poorly that new companies think they can build a better mouse trap and make money? I’m not sure it’s worth the investment but I’m not the designer, I’m just a user.
Once I have a product that works, I tend to be loyal as long as the price is reasonable. If my trusted advisors insist that a product is really worth looking at then I will investigate but chances are I won’t sign on to the newest product just because it’s there.
I’m not one of those first round of users. Like the Kindle, I’ll wait for the 2nd generation to see if the bugs are worked out so that I’m not frustrated by the application that just isn’t working the way I think it should.
If you build the best mousetrap in the world and I still have one that is working, you will have to convince me give it a test run. BrightFuse, I’ll need to hear more about you before I spend time setting up one more web presence. However, I do like your clean streamlined look of profiles. It looks like a traditional print resume.
Hi Answer Maven. I’m Will, one of the developers for BrightFuse.
First of all, yes, I totally agree with you. There are a ton of social networking sites out there, and more popping up all the time, just like BrightFuse. It is overwhelming, and no reasonable person would possibly care to jump onto all of them. Well, there are “power users” out there eager to try them all, and I mean them no disrespect, but I think you and I are on the same page. Personally, I only use Facebook and BrightFuse (and LiveJournal, if that counts). I’ve used Friendster, MySpace, Orkut, and Twitter in the past, and I do have a LinkedIn profile.
The trick is to find what speaks to you. LinkedIn and BrightFuse are both professional networking sites. However, LinkedIn does very well with its professional, well-dressed atmosphere in appealing to people with established careers, while BrightFuse aims to give more casual users a fun and engaging way to boost their careers.
On your end, it’s all about finding what suites you. On our end, it’s all about taking aim at our demographic and giving them what they’re looking for.
So we’re not building the best mousetrap in the world, but hopefully we’re building the best mousetrap for our users.
-Will
http://www.brightfuse.com/will