SOCIAL NETWORKING AND FRIENDSTER

[Dan Buenaventura]

Hi everyone, we need help. We are College Students from San Beda College Alabang, currently doing a thesis entitled "The Anatomy of the Rise and Fall of Friendster (And Its Eventual Rise)" and we need your opinion, and you may  answer these questions, agree/disagree with our research (answers).

Your participation will be greatly appreciated. Thank you :)

What made social networking a phenomenon?

The rise of Social networking sites has transformed the internet from a cold and technological place to a comfortable and fun hang-out venue where people bond with each other. There was a shift from Human Capital to
Social Capital, and Friendster was first to capitalize on this.

 

Why is Social Networking appealing to Filipinos? 

Simply put, we are social creatures. Undoubtedly, we are hardwired to connect. There are different psyches for people in various places and diverse cultures. To each, his own. Social
Networking may not be as huge in other countries. They prefer the use of search
engines more, and the like. Nevertheless, the sites dominantly visited in a
region / country somehow defines its psychographics.

 

What needs of users did the rise of Social Networking sites served?

Social Network focuses on social capital – an exciting venue for the people to connect and convene. Social Networking has been evidently integrated to the lives of many people. Much more than just a
functional activity, it serves as a tool for emotional satisfaction to users as
they can easily communicate and interact with one another, as well as to and
express themselves.

 

What are the socio-economic actors of Social Networking?

It comes across all economic and demographic segments. When you talk about the internet, one does not segment among classes. In the internet, people can be themselves without the need of
defining who has money or not. Hence,
most of the behaviors
are the same. We all do the same activities -- 
check other’s profile, post  own
pictures, update our status,  chat with
friends and the like – and all is beyond class structure. Regardless of
economic class, beyond demographics, Filipino psyche is same all through in
terms of internet use.

 

What do you think are the reason for Friendster’s collapse?

Founded in 2002, Jonathan Abrams founded the pioneering online social network, Friendster. As much as it celebrated its heyday, it was deemed as the biggest disappointment in the internet scene.  All
along, we assumed that Friendster’s plummet was attributable to Facebook’s
sensation. It was a serious consideration since Facebook has become and still
is, the talk of the town. In the course of our research, we’ve recognized that the
cause of its collapse is more than just the emergence of a new challenger but
unsolved internal conflicts.

 

The feedback gathered from our focus group can be summarized to this - when everything is as fast as a blink of an eye and where most people seemingly have a short attention span, constant
innovation is a necessity. There were no new features offered, upgrades were
limited; nothing new came out of it for a long time that kept the interest of
its users. It became dull and lifeless. Also, it was perceived as an online
territory of 'jologs. To many,
these were the reasons for Friendster fall from
grace. User opted to shift to other social network sites – Facebook was more
than just an option. User attitude towards Friendster became
unpleasant as if they feel embarrassed for having Friendster accounts or
implying that Friendster was so yesterday.

 

Do you think there is still a future for Friendster? What do you think should Friendster do to reclaim their status?

 

Friendster revamped their site last December 2009. They had a relaunch which includes having a new logo and tagline,  “Connecting Smiles”. Friendster now positions itself as “Asian site for Asian people”. They aim to be the favorite network of
the Asian youth.

 

During his presentation in the Advertising Congress in Subic, Friendster Asia Head Ian Stewart explained that Friendster is positioned as kid’s bedroom. It is the place where their parents are not in and they can freely express their selves with their
friends. They cater to people ages 16-22 years old. 

 

In our interview with Mr. Donald Lim, CEO of
Yehey! Shared that internet website has a cycle; it has a life of 7 years. After
which, it’ll be inevitably replaced. Friendster was indeed the pioneer for this
phenomenon but it was succeeded by new ones that it slowly elapsed. To take on
with the competition, Friendster has to innovate.