WordPress users may be interested to learn that a new adaption of their favorite blog software, called buddypress, will be released later this year. Buddypress, formerly ChickSpeak, is set to turn any WordPress blog into a social networking site.
Using WordPress-MU (multi user), buddypress will enable various users to log in and create their own pages. The original ChickSpeak pages from WordPress.com describes the ‘home page’ as:
A member home page includes a users own personal profile front and center, their own personal “journal” as a feature of their home page, as well as private messaging functionality.
The original developers handed the code over to the WordPress community to complete and it seems that it is not far away.
In a little self promotion post, the code developers state:
It’s clear that the future is social. Connections are key. WordPress MU is a platform which has shown itself to be able to operate at Internet-scale and with BuddyPress we can make it friendlier. Someday, perhaps, the world will have a truly Free and Open Source alternative to the walled gardens and open-only-in-API platforms that currently dominate our social landscape.
The question is whether we have time for more social networking sites. Of course, for small niches this could be ideal. They will be able to set up their own ‘by invitation only’ private networks totally free of any of the influences of the large scale sites.
It will be interesting to see whether or not it actually gets of the ground and if it does, will it fly – or fly away?
I just can’t imagine that everyone has time to join and maintain a slew of social media memberships and connections. I barely have time to eat breakfast in the morning let a lone check messages from all over the internet. While i understand the practical application of such websites and motivations, I think for many it isn’t feasible. Every new website is an other time burner, and most people can’t afford that. Unless I’m the only one who’s busy.