Forza Futbol on OleOle
Hannah on OleOle
Elisa on OleOle
Mando on OleOle

OleOle is a football social network. I know that niche social networks are the new thing and I can sort of see the value in one based around the worlds biggest sport. That said I started out as a social network sceptic and I am not totally cured. Any new venture, OleOle included, faces the facebook dilemmas - Why can't I do this on facebook? and Why should I be arsed to set up another account somewhere else?

Also facebook, brilliant though it is, still has the feel of a Google looking for its Adwords. There is no doubt that facebook can sell things, I've bought stuff after seeing updates from my friends and I can begin to understand the $15bn valuation since FB will be worth a lot more if they crack it. I have no idea what is going on inside facebook but from the outside it looks like a fair amount of stumbling around. As far as I understand it most of their cash comes from a big ad deal with MS which is not really a good basis for an independent business.

I see the merit in opening up the platform to developers - if even a tiny percentage manage to develop a money generating widget facebook is in the hay without having to do anything. The problem is that none of the widgets make any money (please correct me if I'm wrong) not even Slide with its pedigree. Levchin himself recently conceded that startups had to look beyond advertising but that $80bn by 2010 pie which drew MS to Yahoo looks mighty inviting and most people can't take their eyes off it even though they know Google will eat most of it.

FB has a chance too but it needs to make it far easier to buy straight from the site then take a cut from the sale. I've already told FB what my favourite films are and through that it can link to other like minded people and recommend me things I might be interested in. FB doesn't do this right now - at least not in any way I notice when I'm using it.

Ultimately that's all advertising is - getting people you trust to recommend things you like. One of my favourite film reviwers is Matt Cale, every time he releases his top 10 films of the year I buy the number one sight unseen and I'm never disappointed. I never would have bought Cocaine Cowboys were it not for his review but he doesn't see any cut from the sale. And I won't see any cut when you rush to Amazon to buy it either, but you will buy it.

Posted using ShareThis

A tak sobie tylko testuję nowe bajery na OleOle :P