Microsoft SOCL: Microsoft's Social Network - Will It Work?

Microsoft seems to have launched SOCL - social network that is expected to compete with Facebook & Google's Google+ network. Microsoft's social network is codenamed 'SOCL' and it was first surfaced in November 2010. Microsoft never publicly announced that they've been working on FB rival, but it seems that Microsoft's booked a shorter domain: #-Link-Snipped-# where you can see that MS research's doing quite a bit there.
microsoft-socl-network

The Redmond giant seems to be tapping the students community to promote their social network and has identified selected selected Universities in the US. From the official website: -

So.cl (pronounced "social") is an experimental research project, developed by Microsoftâ€™s FUSE Labs, focused on exploring the possibilities of social search for the purpose of learning.

So.cl combines social networking and search, to help people find and share interesting web pages in the way students do when they work together.
So.cl helps you create rich posts, by assembling montages of visual web content.
To encourage interaction and collaboration, So.cl provides rich media sharing, and real time sharing of videos via "video parties."

We expect students to continue using products such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other existing social networks, as well as Bing, Google and other search tools. We hope to encourage students to reimagine how our everyday communication and learning tools can be improved, by researching, learning and sharing in their everyday lives.

Replies

Gandalf

Hey except something that would change way people use internet
But keep my fingers crossed

Expecting Something innovative and different like facebook did to orkut when it was introduced

P.S: Pathetic new look on facebook calls for a change too
K!r@nS!ngu

Interesting...
Kaustubh Katdare

Facebook's story is little different. First it was MySpace that grew 'BIG' and then stopped providing a 'platform'. Then in India and Brazil, it was Orkut where the 'community' was. Facebook began by being exclusive and was open only to people from 'Harvard'. When students from these top Universities got hooked to the site; they slowly began pulling their friends and the domino effect began. People go to Facebook because that's where there friends are.

For SOCL to be popular, only innovative features won't be enough. People already have mechanisms on Facebook to share stuff. However, I believe that Social Networks will be abandoned in a matter of few years (my guess is about 4-6) and people will focus more on person to person networking through newer mechanisms. Mobile *IS* going to be a dominant device in the future.

Lot of people are already quitting Social Networks.
PraveenKumar Purushothaman

The user interface is quite similar to facebook. But yeah, since it is from Microsoft, the brand says it all! Hoping it should not get quit like Bing! (Yeah! How many use Bing!?)
As MSPs got their first access, let me put a sneak peak of the inner views. 😀
Ankita Katdare

Yes. Share some screenshots with us here. By the way, people are asking if I need an invite. I declined. 😛
How many invites have you got?
PraveenKumar Purushothaman

I have no clue. I guess the default. I haven't gone inside to check it out. Lemme do it now and get some screenshots for you! 😀
PraveenKumar Purushothaman

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Microsoft SOCL: Microsoft's Social Network - Will It Work?

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