Okay, It’s the Holi day!!! So before I review action for you on the Social Media front, here’s wishing all the readers of my blog a very Holi, full of colors of happiness and love!
There is a lot of action in the Social Media front, whcih I really don’t see calming down any way (I’m a Social Media Evangelist) so I can’t see it calming down 
Well, but more Social Networks?
In the league there already are enough, there is a good community size which is still grappling with the facebooks’ – twitters’ – Myspace’s of the world, and to add onto this collection, well you have a new Social Network coming, itimes, by the Times Group in India.
Advertising happens offline
Times Group does know its marketing good, thus they would be covering the Holi bash happening at the Group’s MD Vineet Jain’s place in New Delhi at the site. Well, a good way to start with the launch and make a splash, but well as in the morning I registered onto the community, I thus present you my review of the community site.
So much for the launch and making a splash, but what’s the value that the community site brings to the already evolving Social Networkers?
itimes brings to you the following features:
- blogs
- networking
- there are groups you can join
- chat
- you can upload your photos
- Videos from YouTube
- Using Open Social you can develop your own Applications
- Fan clubs for stars
So much so, and the site is in Beta right now.
Design and UI
My take on the design and Layout of the site is, well its neat, but they have tied in too many things at the same go. The profile page can be made simpler and much easy to navigate through. The celeb profiles on the right hand column is a disastrous effort in attracting people. I hated the feature.
If someone needs to join a fan club, well, please let him do it by creating a group, the photographs of random celebrities on the page takes away the focus from the basic content of the page and creates a disturbing effect which beats the entire purpose of the profile page.
Linkedin, SiliconIndia and Facebook
Well, if I mention these three Social Networks, I find itimes coming up with nothing new.
I think there is enough clutter in the social network space and how much the market demands another one in the league, well I would not give in. Social Networks now have to evolve as specialized niche offerings to the target markets. Otherwise starting a blog, integrating your photographs, videos, your friends commenting upon it and subscribers following your updates from across the world, how is a vague Social Network, better than your own blog?!
Full support to all your points, plus :
> They even copied the Google Logo color scheme style
> The site is kinda childish…try visiting the chat section, you’ll understand.
> The design and the whole outlook of the site could have been MUCH better, considering the parent company’s stature.
> The idea is stale. Really stale.
Maxx
Thanks Mayank, for your comment!
1. About the Google logo color scheme, well I skipped that point
nice observation!
I would really not go back to the site again as I felt so out of purpose, like in a foreign land on the site
2. I dont really see a dedicated segment, the site is catering to
3. About the idea, well I can have better words than STALE
Cheers,
Paritosh