| By Jeremy Geelan |
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| March 21, 2005 12:00 AM EST |
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27,187 |
Yahoo's "Mingle" project has been formally announced, and re-named "Yahoo 360" - a social network or "social software" platform integrating Yahoo's existing products such as instant messenger, photos, local search, music, and groups with new offerings such as blogs, mobile blogs and sharing tools for recommending movies, restaurants and other items.
It can suck in buddy lists from Yahoo Messenger, and is set to grow fast. The service will enter a restricted beta period on March 29, Yahoo! says.
Marcel van Leeuwen, CEO of YEALD, believes Yahoo 360 will succeed where many others will fail. It could become "both huge and financially successful," van Leeuwen says, because, as he puts it:
"It's not just another blogging site.
It's not just another photo site.
It's not just another music site.
It's not just another review site.
It's not just another email site.
It's not just another messenger site.
It's not just another news site.
It's not just another niche site.
It's the link that makes many of Yahoo's services come together and more valuable."
van Leeuwen continues, somewhat impenetrably: "Yahoo 360's value is deeply rooted in our nature to not only interact with other people but see ourselves do that. Yahoo 360 gives millions of Yahoo users an identity way beyond any of the single services. And it's an identity that is connectable."
Blogger Brad Hill has in the past worried that Google doesn't quite understand the mentality of the blogosphere while Yahoo! does:
"Recently I've been struck by how much cooler, meatier, and more entertaining is the Yahoo! Search blog than the Google Blog - Live. I've ripped both from time to time, for one reason or another, but on balance, the Yahoo! search team makes Google look clueless about the spirit and utility of blogging. Look at last week. Google's blog posted two entries: one announcing an update to Google Images (which wouldn't be necessary if that index were updated more frequently; see here for a recent semi-scandal in that department), and one announcing the release of Google Maps. I praised Google Maps to the skies, and I stand by that review, but the spare, uninformative announcement was a disappointment."
"Google should be taking lessons from Yahoo! in the blogging department," Hill concluded.
Julie Herendeen, VP of Network Products at Yahoo! has said that the 3 major components of Yahoo 360 will be:
1) Blogs for Yahoo! users.
2) The ability to add content from within the Yahoo! network to the personal space - Yahoo! Photos, Yahoo! Groups, and eventually also non-Yahoo! network content
3) The ability to see reviews from people within your "social network" - music, movie, and even local business reviews
Yahoo! 360 will be available only in beta only by invitation.
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