On Monday, Facebook released a sample site that demonstrates how Facebook Connect (previous coverage), their new authentication methodology for logging into third-party web sites, will work. On the demo site, instead of registering for an account, you're presented with an option to use Facebook Connect instead. The Facebook team built the site so developers interested in using this technology could see how it works. The source code was provided as well.

The research contained below is focused specifically on social network sites (or "social networking" sites). Some of this is connected to social media, social software, Web2.0, social bookmarking, educational technologies, communities research, etc. but this is not the organizing focus and not everything related to these other topics is included here.

According to a rather speculative report by research firm ABI Research, location-based social networks like Brightkite, GyPSii, Pelago and Loopt could reach revenues as high as $3.3 billion by 2013. The report, however, also warns that the business models might differ from what most analysts are expecting today. According to ABI research, most of these networks will make their money from licensing and revenue-sharing with network providers or handset manufacturers.

Shirky’s Law states that the social software most likely to succeed has “a brutally simple mental model … that’s shared by all users”.

Extracting Textual Data for SNA and CDA

What is the desired outcome for the group? What is the INTENT?

It may be all the rage, but are company-built social networks for customers to socialize in really smart?

One of the hot investments for businesses these days is online communities that help customers feel connected to a brand. But most of these efforts produce fancy Web sites that few people ever visit. The problem: Businesses are focusing on the value an online community can provide to themselves, not the community.

I’ve spent the past five days testing the iPhone 3G and many of the wonderful applications that have been made available at the App store. Much of this time I focused on the “Social Networking” apps, or the ones that had social networking features. However, I came across a huge problem: without any friends, these applications are rather useless. This is a direct results of the Twitter vs. Plurk vs. Pownce issue: You have to go where your friends are.

NYU Professor Clay Shirky discusses social software and the future overlap of well-developed online campaigns and politics in the next decade.