Comments on: Situational Relevance in Social Networking Websites

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 01 May 2007 12:35:00 +0000

As you said i find myself geting bored with myspace. I find myself on smaller social networking sites where you can meet new friends and without the spam.

By: europa

europa — Fri, 24 Nov 2006 10:06:00 +0000

Eerst Europa Doelstellingen: De Ci2i Verzekering (Ci2i) zal het nummer een gebrandmerkte pan Europese commoditized online verzekeringsmakelaar door 2010 zijn.

By: Joe Suh

Joe Suh — Tue, 05 Sep 2006 23:44:00 +0000

Fred, we’re starting a discussion about this here: http://www.mychurch.org/blog/view/?ID=406 Would love for you to join in…

I’m realizing there is no community more dynamic and in-flux than college communities. You throw students from around the world into 1 packed location, take away the primary networks they’ve known for years, and give them high-speed internet and heavy dependence on their peers.

On top of that, you introduce them to new classmates, dorm neighbors, teachers, even majors every few months to make it interesting.

No SNS will ever be more useful and pertinent than those serving the college crowd. Neighborhoods, PTA’s, churches… they are nowhere near as dynamic and in-flux as a college campus. Not even close.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 10 Jul 2006 14:36:00 +0000

Hi fred.

I read your piece. thanks.

Respectfully, I just wonder whether you're using big words/terms to describe what is perhaps knowlingly simple: social networks are relevant to my age and stage in life. what about that is new?

Friendster etc have softened because social networks in and of it self are useless. It's the utility of the network that matters. What about this am i missing?

I realize i have a small brain...

Thanks,

Jonathan

By: Vivek Hutheesing

Vivek Hutheesing — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 22:43:00 +0000

The anonymous person’s comment above is valid as there is no simpler form of address verification. Thanks.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 14:56:00 +0000

re: Vivek's question -

wouldn't snail mail be a logical means of verifying a local neighborhood network founder?

Physical presence at an address in the neighborhood seems like the most important thing...

By: Vanina

Vanina — Wed, 05 Jul 2006 16:31:00 +0000

Thank you for this article. I am in favor of social networking for the only reason that we can know people that we never would have know otherwise.

By: Fred Stutzman

Fred Stutzman — Wed, 05 Jul 2006 13:50:00 +0000

Vivek, my pleasure! Best of luck.

By: Vivek Hutheesing

Vivek Hutheesing — Wed, 05 Jul 2006 06:20:00 +0000

Hi Fred,

Thanks again for this perspective. I understand it much better now. You are doing great work and making the web a better place for all of us.

I look forward to more communications with you in the future.

Best regards,

Vivek

By: Fred Stutzman

Fred Stutzman — Tue, 04 Jul 2006 21:24:00 +0000

Hi Vivek, I’m afraid to say that MicroID would not work for those purposes. MicroID is a way to verify that two things are the same – for example, a claim of ownership of a flickr photo, and the microid of the flickr photo.

Another way to think about it is a receipt for a computer that shows the computer’s serial number, and the actual computer. Since you have a receipt that makes a claim on a unique item (unique because serial numbers generally are), it will let you make a claim of ownership on the computer. If you try and claim a computer that has a serial number different from the one on the receipt, it will be unsuccessful.

I think your situation requires a different type of identity verification. You might wish to look at Trufina – I believe they do “trusted” identity verification. Credit cards are another venue, but it seems like that would be a significant barrier to entry for your product.