Social networks are hot right now; not just in that venture capital, big names are talking, new conferences are springing up kind of way, but in a way that users can see and enjoy. We are enjoying that blissful time in the tech cycle when great ideas are turning into things we can play with, and perhaps use to enhance our work as bloggers and podcasters. and they’re coming faster than most of us can track em.

The most visible social network explosion is happening over at Facebook. And by the way, you’ll find a Blogger & Podcaster group there, so please join us.

First, Facebook opened its doors to people without an .edu email address. Some “older” users jumped at the opportunity to connect with friends and colleagues, without all the spam and other baggage of MySpace.

Next, Facebook shared its API with developers who are now adding new applications daily. Facebook isn’t just a place to collect friends: it’s a hub of activity and tools that brings people back, even when they don’t have a new photo to share. The dizzying array of apps may not all stick, but the presence of apps itself is great for users who can customize their experience and bring the things they already do online into the Facebook universe.

For bloggers and podcasters–podcasters epecially have stuggled with, and in some cases, embraced the collaboration possibilities of MySpace–Facebook seems to be quickly gaining traction. Producers can offer listeners membership in a group devoted to the show, message listeners as a group to promote activities and events and even use the new applications to create a collaborative experience with their audienec. How about an iLike channel for your music podcast, that people can join from your Facebook group?

If you want to follow the explosive growth of Facebook apps, try allfacebook, the unofficial Facebook blog.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 19th, 2007 at 12:38 pm and is filed under Blog Entry. 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.