January 22nd, 2007
The social networking run is over, kaput, done, finished
Is it any coincidence that IBM announced new social networking software and Getafirstlife, a Second Life parody, debuted within a few hours of each other?
Of course not, IBM getting into social networking is the equivalent of the cab driver touting stocks and the dunce down the street trying to flip real estate. The appropriate response to those aforementioned signals: Sell! The top of the market is here.
IBM launching social networking software (just for those corporate types that just can't wait to produce MySpace-ish pages) is the same as the cabby and the real estate flipper down the street. Translation: The social networking run is over. Goodbye. It's kaput.
Don't believe me? Try asking some of the avatars at IBM's Second Life pavilion to chat about Lotus tomorrow. After some thought they'll tell you all of this is downright silly.
The truly unfortunate thing about all of this is that I didn't call the end of social networking despite my disdain for Second Life. This guy did with a brilliant parody of Second Life. It has zero sympathy.
Larry Dignan is Editor in Chief of ZDNet and Editorial Director of ZDNet sister site TechRepublic. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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