Introduction

Many websites have simplified versions for use on mobile phones.  Since sites are too complex to be displayed properly on most cell phones, companies have rolled out basic versions.  For example, Google’s Gmail service has its usual page at http://www.gmail.com, but it also has http://m.gmail.com, with the “m” signifying “mobile.”  This version is highly simplified so it can be loaded quickly and rendered well on a cell phone screen.  Simplified versions of web pages are not unique to the interactive web.  Today, however, more and more cell phones are able to render basic internet sites.  Some (such as the iPhone) can render the regular versions of web sites so users can access all of the features and aesthetics of the site from their phones.  This development has given rise to sites that focus their efforts on connecting people with a particular emphasis on the cell phone.  People are no longer tethered to their computers for social networking.  Now it’s on their phone, with the technology of social networks seamlessly integrated into the portability of the cell phone.

Read our case studies on Twitter and Pownce for examples of how this takes place

Twitter

Every day, social networking sites get more and more complex.  MySpace is the perfect example of this: clutter, embedded videos, custom layouts, photos, videos, bands, friends, message boards, and more.  Even Facebook, originally touted as a more simplified alternative to MySpace, is becoming more complex with the addition of “applications” in addition to the photos, videos, profiles, and walls.  But while most of the stereotypical social networking sites become more complex, some have gone in the other direction.  Meet Twitter.

Twitter allows people to connect to a network of contacts (their friends) and keep them updated on your plans, whereabouts, and life by updating your Twitter profile.  If you update your profile, notifications are sent out to your friends via text message, allowing you to stay in touch.  Twitter can be accessed online, but it can also be used via your cell phone.  What’s different about Twitter is that it’s not meant to have all of the bells and whistles of Facebook or MySpace.  Twitter’s messages are limited and users do not upload multimedia content.  Twitter is known as a “micro-blog,” a name assigned to services that allow you to post messages (much like a blog), but on a smaller, more compact level.  Also, recall the cell phone comment above; Twitter is often used from mobile devices.  Twitter allows you to update your friends without individually contacting each of them.  In this way, Twitter goes where no other service went before.  It takes the interactive web we’ve spoken of and connects it to a more accessible device (your cell phone).

Messages sent via Twitter are known as “Tweets.”  Tweets are limited in length since Twitter is largely centered around text messaging.  Tweets also cannot hold multimedia content such as videos and pictures.  That said, users can include links to images and other multimedia, which are automatically condensed into a shorter, “tiny URL.”  And what if one of your friends won’t stop sending “tweets?”  Twitter has an opt-out for particular members, so that you won’t be blasted with text messages. Such features add a subtle touch of customization to a simple, yet popular, product.

Interestingly, Twitter currently makes no profit.  Cell phone companies are certainly benefiting from the abundance of text messages, but the company has no advertising on its site or in text messages.  One of the co-founders, Biz Stone, admits that the site has no business plan and is only funded by its investors.  This is a stark contrast to many successful interactive sites like Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, and Digg, all of which utilize advertising.  However, it also illustrates one of the major criticisms of these new interactive start-ups—a problem worth noting.  Very few of these companies have viable business plans when they begin, and this makes the companies relatively unstable.  Nonetheless, Twitter has only continued to grow since its founding in October 2006, and it seems that it’s here to stay.

Pownce

Pownce is a social networking and microblogging site that shares some similarities to Twitter.  Pownce was created by Kevin Rose (already well established from his work with Digg.com, Revision3, and TechTV), Leah Culver, Shawn Allen, and Daniel Burka.  The site launched on June 27, 2007 for a limited number of users, and was opened to everyone on January 22, 2008.

The site is similar to Twitter in that it utilizes cell phones to bring social networking to you, even when you are not at a computer.  Unlike Twitter, which permits only messages and links, Pownce allows its users to share messages, links, events, and files.  For this reason, Pownce has been called “Twitter on steroids.”