Fixing .Mac - Idea 3: .Macster!

Apple's nebulous .Mac services were introduced in What the Heck is .Mac? In 10 Reasons Why Apple Can Kickstart Web 2.0 I presented why Apple is uniquely poised to actually deliver .Mac services well worth the price of admission. In this series, I'll describe features I think Apple needs to add to their .Mac service to move it from "web hosting and email plus" to a complete suite of services that are valuable, obvious, and will sell themselves to potential .Mac subscribers. Plus, I want to use them!

Idea # 1 | 2 | 3 : Add Network Profiles

Borrows Ideas From:

Friendster, LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace, Tribe

Apple next needs to add community networked member profiles to .Mac. All the benefits of existing social networks, including meeting others with similar interests, would tie in well with the hyperblog content submission system and earned reputations. Imagine adding Digg and Wikipedia to MySpace, except instead of flashing inverse text on top a stretched out photo of Britney Spears, with some awful pop diva tune set to autoplay, you'd have sharp looking profiles based on classy iWeb templates.

Not only can Apple's network look classier, but it can be ad free. Existing systems are plagued by a glut of interstitial advertising, and in some cases harvest member's details like spyware. Unlike MySpace, Apple wouldn't have to demand a "non-exclusive, fully-paid and royalty-free, worldwide license" on everything that appears on a member's pages, as part of their business plan.

Like Tribe, Apple could foster communities by building richer integration with existing .Mac Groups. Like Facebook, Apple’s system would also benefit from being semi-exclusive and related to a real connection, so membership wouldn’t just be throwaway fad.

Why Apple Can Deliver this:

Apple can build upon existing services because, Apple has (1) the users, and (2) owns the platforms to roll it out. The system is (3) given away for free, as part of .Mac, which users (6) trust. Further, Apple has proven they can build things that (7) work, are (8) usable, (9) very cool, and (10) will actually get finished.

Apple has a lot to offer a social network of its own making: rewards from the iTMS, insider access to updates and new software, special beta testing programs. Plus, Apple already knows how to run such a system because the iTMS already has the beginnings of one, as does the Apple discussions forum.

Further, Apple already has real world networks that could benefit from an online social network. They have a Certified Network Technician group, a Developers group, and most importantly, they have (5), a group of retail stores which function like a community organization.

People don't just show up to buy things, they go to Apple’s stores for training sessions and business presentations. Parlaying the success of their stores in building consumer loyalty into an online community would further build upon this foundation, and extend Apple's reach into areas that can't support an Apple Store of their own.

Here's how it works:

Apple could integrate many social networking features into elements for use in iWeb:

•Members set up an iWeb element with a chosen public photo, a blurb, and other profile information,
•They stick the element onto an iWeb page, hosted on .Mac,
•Apple's servers automate linking by creating add, invite, change, and message controls to the member’s page.
•An invitation affiliate system rewards members for signing up friends to .Mac accounts of their own.
•Feedback and messages could be integrated into iWeb, just as website commenting already is.

Networked members could have a number of social network features automatically built for them:

•

Geographic mapping of a member's family and friends associate network.
•An interactive display page presenting the photo profiles of linked members in their network, similar to iWeb’s photo page.
•Mapping of the user’s website visitors and traffic statistics.
•Links to a user’s submitted iMixes, iTMS recommendations, website taggings, comments, ratings, and other hyperblog content created within the .Mac world.
•Badges representing attained levels of community awarded reputation.
•Apple could even register iChat presence information with .Mac, so users could choose to advertise their availability to chat or cam.

Once again, the unique security of Apple's .Mac membership would prevent the scourge of fakesters and fraudsters who spam up social network sites to publish inflammatory hate mail. Further, a reputation system would reward user contributions, such as recommendations or answers to questions.

Bang! Apple could easily create the richest user networking system anywhere, tightly integrated into iChat and iWeb for posting comments and trackbacks on blogs, and exchanging endorsements and comments.

But wait there's more.

More ideas for .Mac: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8. Let me know what you’d like to see from Apple.