Social Networks as MMP entertainment

I had a great conversation today with Hunter Walk (formerly @ Linden Labs, currently @ Google) about where social software is headed. It turns out that we both view social networks as a type of massively multiplayer gaming experience, and we speculated about what next-gen social networking apps might look like. We also talked about the 'walled garden' vs. 'permeable-membrane' approach to personal profiles, which is a hot topic these days -- both in social networking and mobile services. If we believe the rhetoric at the 3GSM conference this week, the mobile industry seems to be getting a clue. Exciting stuff for us networked systems geeks :-)

This reminds me: -- as a background task, I've been putting together a list of game mechanics and game-like elements that are appearing in networked people-centric services. I'll pull together my notes and post something later this week - I'd love to have a productive dialogue with y'all around this topic.

Comments

[Scott Moore]

Your comment on the game-nature of social networks reminded me that it's been a while since I picked up my copy of James P. Carse's "Finite and Infinite Games". His initial definition has always stuck with me when thinking about tools that allow people to interact:

"There are two kinds of games, finite and infinite games. A finite game is played for the purpose of winning, and infinite game for the purpose of continuing the play."

The book attempts to use aphorisms to build it's case so it's not for everyone. It looks like someone posted some random quotes at blogcritics:

http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/01/13/160932.php

Specifically, a finite game has unchanging rules that guide each move toward ending the game with one player being the winner. Players attempt to end the game and compete to be the winner (or avoid being the loser). Infinite games have guidelines or changable rules that guide each player into keeping the game going. Players attempt to keep the game in play and any competition on that front benefits all - no specific winner or loser.

I use this concept a lot when I am working on a conflict resolution problem. Sometimes a conflict can push towards an end with only one winner (and at least one loser). By finding the infinite game (keeping a customer, creating an evangelist, continuing whatever relationship), new resolutions appear viable.

I would like to see tools built that allow people to continue "the game" of interacting. What allows relationships to start, develop and continue rather than (mostly) define and categorize.

It's also a guide for administering technology mediated social interactions (ooo, how's that for all-inclusive). When a service creates and enforces restrictive terms, they have defined a finite game which they are attempting to win (no fake profiles, no selling virtual items on eBay, etc.). Applying the notion of infinite games to terms and *how* they are enforced strikes me as something that is too little done.

Looking forward to that discussion

[AJ]

Great comments, Scott -- I love your notion of community mediation as a kind of infinite win-win game. I'm excited to see people expanding the definition of what a game can be -- and mobile communication apps are blurring the lines of entertainment-vs-utility even further.

[jb]

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http://www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m0PJQ/2_1/110364470/p1/article.jhtml

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