Does the Web have room for one more social network? Microsoft thinks so.
With Facebook hogging the spotlight last week and Google working to stay in the game with Google+, Microsoft has quietly launched So.cl, which it describes as a social-search tool to share information and meet people with common interests.
What it's not, Microsoft says, is a rival to Facebook.
"So.cl is an experimental
research project focused on the future of social experiences and
learning, especially among younger people," Microsoft said Monday in an
e-mail.
The tool was launched
late last year for students at a handful of colleges and universities.
Last week, the company quietly made it available to anyone for a public
beta test period.
Among the features of
So.cl (pronounced, of course, "social") is a "bookmarklet" feature
similar to Facebook's "Like" button. That lets users share sites or
pages they find interesting with other users. You can share, comment on
or tag other people's posts.
So.cl also has a "video party" feature that lets users chat with others and incorporate videos into those chats.
The tool comes from Microsoft's FUSE Labs, which works with product research and development teams on new Web and social tools.
The initial focus on
students still shines through. With So.cl, users can build posts with
many elements -- such as photos, video and text -- and share them. It
also lets them find other users with similar interests and build
communities around specific goals, educational or otherwise.
The researchers behind
So.cl deliberately sought to collaborate with a student audience that is
more holistic -- encompassing representation from the sciences as well
as the humanities -- rather than simply technical, says Lili Cheng,
general manager of FUSE Labs.
Just don't call it
Microsoft's answer to Facebook. Google and smaller rivals have struggled
to gain a foothold in a social-media landscape that Facebook dominates.
On So.cl's FAQ page, Microsoft makes it clear that their new tool is designed as a layer on top of existing networks.
"We expect students to
continue using products such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other
existing social networks, as well as Bing, Google and other search
tools," it says.
"We hope to encourage
students to reimagine how our everyday communication and learning tools
can be improved by researching, learning and sharing in their everyday
lives."
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