Back in the day AOL was pretty much the sole tap into ‘the internet’. For the general consumer, that sign on was the only way to access the underlying structure of the web. They had a pretty good run at regulating this flow of information but we all know how the story goes…
My question is, are we witnessing a similar phenomenon today? We can all agree that social networks are creating an underlying structure of interconnectivity based around identity and interaction. Facebook, and to a lesser extent Twitter et al, are building the railroad tracks of the social graph as well as pioneering its migration into the new (old) world of the broader internet. But is this the creation of a social information pipeline? I think so.
As seen in the past, activity tends to congregate around these portals that control access to the pipeline. This is most certainly the case with Facebook and Twitter who tightly regulate the connection to their pipeline. But what happens when new entrance points become available?
Twitter developers have voiced the desire to create a pipeline away from the main site supported by 3rd party apps. Now a couple of NYU students are tackling the social network from a new angle with their sights set on Facebook.
At best it’s an open-ended question to ponder but one that will definitely be in the back of my mind.
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