There are a lot of social media sites out on the web, MySpace, Facebook, Flikr, and LinkedIn are just a few names that pop up. Frankly there are too many to name or even think about. This being said, if a single site where to combine the type of content on these sites, the public would love it. In fact it would be a dream come true for avid or even moderate social network users. If this where to happen it could be compares to the multi-protocol, proprietary, IM application for Windows, created by Cerulean Studios known as Trillian

There are several companies trying to consolidate all existing social networks into a single unified interface. One is Blue Swan which is a private beta startup phase; Mozilla is also developing a social –networking browser that compiles several different social networks. Google who only foray into social networking media has not been a big success, in fact it has never even cracked the Hitwise top ten for the U.S. None the less Google being a long time name synonymous with web searches and information, has been funding a project that they hope will finally unify social media in a way we have never seen before. The project is called “Socialstream” and would aggregate all existing social media to interface in this united manner.

The incidence of social network users having periods of inactivity on any given site has been regularly a problem. This combined with the fact that after a time some individuals grow tired of a certain site or sites that they normally would use and start looking at and using other sites. A prime example of this is Friendster, in 2003 when it launched it attracted over 20 million users only to fall to less than one million regular users in less than three years. This is where a unified social network would really come into its own and monopolize on the changeability of the public. In a system like this the chance to try something new and still be a part of this interlinked network would be a boon.

 

A consolidated social network would allow for collaborative filtering to be applied. What this means is, by using the larger pool of information available it would allow for predicting the interests of its users by sharing the gathered data from many users.

Another way the aggregation of these types of media would be very influential is filling in the gap that has occurred in publishing because of the wide spread use of social media. Users of these sites have started veering away from traditional news and publishing resources and have focused their attention more on the information and news given or linked to their specific sites.

One type of information that would definitely be bolstered by the integration of social networks would be informal and personal research. This is especial true in answer finding search engines where users get to vote and rank on how useful or concise they found the information that was given to them. This due in large part to the fact that individuals tend to trust the ideas and insights that individuals who share a common interest or belief with them, far more than those who do not.

There are a lot of possibilities out there for as how the integration of social networking sites could go. One thing is for sure; it will lend more power to the individuals using these services and connect them with individuals that otherwise they would have never been able to interact with, even in today’s connected media world.