For some utterly inexplicable reason, I woke up this morning with Lipps Inc’s 1980 disco hit, “Funkytown” running on an auto-play loop in my mind. And with Microsoft’s launch of the So.cl social networking site, I’ve got a valid enough reason to use it in a headline.
The story should be all over the tech press (if it isn’t already). It was just 3 days ago when Fusible.com reported that MS was testing out its new social networking site on the so.cl domain hack. While MS also owns the .com version (Socl.com), the Redmond giant has decided to go with the domain hack for its official launch instead (Socl.com does not resolve).
I’m not going to go into the details on what the site is about, how it works, and how it differs from Facebook. TechCrunch has done a good enough job of doing that.
What does interest me, however, is Microsoft’s insistence that it is a ‘research experiment’ for students only. It’s hard to take that claim at face value given the kind of social media envy Facebook has inspired in Google, and to some extent, even Apple (anyone remember Ping?). To dub it a ‘research experiment’ is, to my mind, a rather pussy-footed way of covering up for any future criticism.
In other words, ‘research experiment’ may very well be the new ‘beta’ label. If they point fingers and tell you its broken, you can just shrug your shoulders and say, ‘well, it was a research experiment. What do you expect?’
Not too long ago, Gmail stuck with the beta label for more than 5 years after launch (and there’s even a little extension that’ll bring the comforting ‘beta’ tag back to the logo). Michael Arrington wrote back in 2009 that
“Retaining the Beta notation in the logo gives the company a sort of get-out-of-jail-free card when problems occur. Hey, it’s still in Beta, so don’t be surprised when something goes wrong”
Since then, I’ve seen fewer startups choose the ‘beta’ tag route – which is a good thing because it tells me that the product is in its final iteration, and (probably), bug free.
Microsoft knows that the criticism for virtually anything that it offers will be vociferous, even more so with a social product which competes (or complements, howsoever you might want to put it) with two other polished offerings. The ‘research experiment’ tag preempts some of that criticism.
At the same time, I’m not naïve enough to assume that this little salvo is Microsoft’s final volley at FB and Google+. It’s more of a ‘testing the waters’ step before the inevitable assault. What So.cl points to is a future iteration of another social network from Microsoft, one that is perhaps tied into its entire range of offerings, from Windows to Office to XBox to Windows Mobile. Microsoft has its fingers in search, mobile software, and of course, PC software; it’s hard to imagine Redmond not itching for a slice of the social networking pie (though that 2% FB stake should’ve satiated the appetite somewhat).
I won’t venture a guess as to So.cl’s fate. I was tempted to offer the typical knee-jerk reaction to any Microsoft offering popular in the tech world – “it sucks!” – but then I reconsidered: Windows and Office might still be older than your grandpa, but in Xbox and Windows Mobile, Microsoft has two well loved, well reviewed, ‘cool’ products. Perhaps some of that will rub off onto So.cl
One More Thing
When signing up, it’s hard to not notice this little box:
I won’t comment on the first paragraph because that is a privacy nightmare waiting to happen (you do get what you sign up for though).
What I like is the second paragraph. How I wish more startups told me outright that they won’t harass my friends, nor clutter my FB feed! I would use the FB Connect option a whole lot more, if only I was told beforehand that there would be no abuse of my Facebook wall.
Startups, please start adding this little paragraph next to your sign up page. I can guarantee that you will see sign ups increase.
