Prompted by discussions on GoogleBuzz, a foray into ALT's CMALT CrowdVine (http://cmalt-net.alt.ac.uk/), I've been looking at some FriendFeed profiles trying to see if I miss anything by not being there, or there. CMALT is 95% (ish) noise while FF profiles that I have seen dip down to, oh, like 90% noise (i.e. items reposted from other networks on which I already follow those people).
I think we need to distinguish between large general social networks and small, function/task/topic-specific networks. For the smaller networks (public or private) consensus among the individuals can determine which one platform to use for conversations pertinent to that function/task/topic. The small network functions like a break-out room in the big conference of life: go there, talk about the function/task/topic with like-minded (or otherwise!) people; then, come back to the more general network.
But, for the larger more general networks, I want a "personal friend aggregator" (pace @DaveCormier for using the p-word):
- so that I can follow people on multiple networks and filter out duplicates posted/reposted to the multiple networks thereby getting just one of any message
- TweetDeck is sort of starting to enable this; if only I could create mixed-network groups: I'll see that person on Twitter, that person on Buzz, them on LinkedIn and all in the same column
- Maybe FriendFeed can do this already (for some, but not all networks)
- that knows how my friends follow me so that I can target my posts/status updates at friends/followers preferred network so they do not get multiple identical posts from me
- Possibly using my wish-ware version of TweetDeck mixed-network groups (above)
- that will allow friends/followers to choose how/where to follow me
- i.e. friends have a say in which of their friends' mixed-network groups they appear in (should they care)
- or, they run their own mixed-network aggregator
- that allows comments so that I can have threaded conversations (like Buzz) but across networks
Not sure that is the spec, exactly, but heading in that direction. Any thoughts?
rWorld2 