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Social Networking From Your Cell
A small startup VCEL (Virtual Communication Expression & Lifestyle) has unveiled a new social networking service for cell phones. All you need to do to keep in contact with your friends 24/7 is to create a profile with their website, download a Java application for your cell phone (more than 20 models are supported already), and send an invitation to your buddies. Here we go: you can exchange comments, pictures, plan on activities together, etc. You'd have the same control over your profile either from phone or from web browser. They have a nice Java applet for your page, so you can leave your buddies a voice message right from your computer and so on.
There are only so many friends that any one person has. Friends of friends make for interesting conversation, but ultimately there is no relationship friends of friends. Extend that even further outwards towards friends of friends of friends and you are now talking about perfect strangers. It's like playing the Kevin Bacon game, but without any of the fun.
What is the benefit of having a huge social network if you're not directly linked to the people who are in the network? It's not like you can call them up and crash at their place. More time should be spent cultivating actual relationships and not trying to make a game out of creating links where none actually exist.
The real next boom in cellphone software services is mobile blogging. Snap a shot while walking and upload and comment on the picture.
I can already see the next gen of this: Cells that let you call your friend and tell them you want to meet!
Gosh. I'm bouncy.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.