Others have referred to the next level of social networking as Social Networking 2.0. Whereas the first generation has been marked by face-to-face interaction progressing to the telephone then to email and now to collective group communication, we believe the next generation of social experience, borne of the digital realm, will engage and motivate communities in wholly original ways. The result will be journeys of the heart and soul left unexplored until now.

So what are the characteristics of the next level in social networking?

First, in order to truly connect emotionally in life changing ways one must do so on a deeper platform than functions and features. One must connect with people, places and things based on the thread of ignited interests.

Second, In order to do this social technologies must infuse real meaning not just offer standard functionality. Utilities are self-liquidating, meaning is not. Many interpret this to mean niche-based networks. To us that is not enough. These micro-networks must be motivated to inflict change on an otherwise lethargic status quo.

As a result, Fuego Nation is organized exclusively around one’s most cherished beliefs and motivating behaviors (e.g. passions). In our nation, passions are called ‘States.’ So while I might aspire to the doctrine of Fuego Nation as a whole (e.g. the nation concept), I might also fuse most powerfully with my state (e.g. passion to end homelessness in San Francisco).

The collective harmonizing of energy associated with individual passions provides the ignition necessary to combust social change on a macro level. We believe that Social Networking 2.0 is also about leveraging next generation RIA technologies to enable these more scintillating connections between people, places and things. We believe that 3D simulated environments will create an atmosphere that better represents our citizens’ passion-states and create new degrees of power in self-expression. Social Networking 2.0 is also about moving from user generated content to user-influenced design and user-determined communities. We want to provide the framework for people to connect in ways of their own choosing and to make passions discoverable in ways that elevate human understanding and tolerance and propel us to ever-greater collective achievements. Next generation interfaces and user experiences enable the shift from inclusive communities to discoverable worlds. The emphasis will go from the current obsession with binary profiles to a more comprehensive toolset that more efficiently matches interests and makes any number of connection types more actionable.

In the end, we’re collectively embracing the potential engendered by the next generation in social technologies and their implication in generating communities of change agents. We have committed to lead the way because, more than anything else, that is our passion.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 4th, 2008 at 1:45 am and is filed under Social Networking 2.0. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.