Confide in me

According to Jyri Engeström, while wearing his anthropologist hat, all social networks are based around objects. Not necessarily a physical object, but a focus. Flikr for example, is based around photographs and locations. Networks built around people have a problem; for a while it is all about "how-has-the-most-friends" but that game stops being interesting fairly quickly. (Of course a network built around, ahem, dating has a focus, just a very different one. You might get photographs but...).

But what about a network build around a person?

I've been reading reports that Kylie Minogue (of the music charts, Neighbours and Dr. Who) is setting up her own social network called Kylie Konnect.

Now I don't know how well it will work out for anyone, but I can see the appeal.

You have a fan club where all the fans can talk to each other. Pick up the opinions of the fans and sell the music directly to them thus by-passing the record label (if you want to, this site is being run by EMI). Inspired or a silly idea. Add to the mix that it's a dot mobi, which means it might be a source of ring-tones and other gphone-ish goodness. Or use an Open Social API so that they can leverage the fans in other networks, from their own hub here.

At least that's what I think is the idea. If its just to replicate another social network, then its going to quickly have digital tumble weeds on it's site.

take care,
Will

tags : Jyri Engeström, social network, Kylie Minogue, Kylie Konnect, EMI