Comments on: The Hospital’s mashup of real and virtual networks http://eu.techcrunch.com/2008/05/29/the-hospitals-mashup-of-real-and-virtual-networks/ Tracking European web and mobile start-ups Tue, 24 Nov 2009 23:14:29 +0100 hourly 1 By: Rune http://eu.techcrunch.com/2008/05/29/the-hospitals-mashup-of-real-and-virtual-networks/comment-page-1/#comment-137954 Rune Thu, 29 May 2008 21:46:16 +0000 http://uk.techcrunch.com/?p=1288#comment-137954 At www.EypLondon.org we stayed away from making a community site online, we decided to use facebook and where-ever else the users are rather then build or use ning, it was a concious decision to only let members be offline, as when there they will hook up on FB or similar afterwards anyway. We looked at The Hospital's model, It's rather expensive to get to a level of social networking that works, and have all the features required and I still don't think their site works. I have been on the hospitals networking site since it started but haven't logged in more than twice. European Young Professionals are now 3000 members in London, and 6000 globally, and have monthly events every second Wednesday. The reason an open social network with closed groups and open groups is more popular is that you can do and add the networks you like, and we are all members of more than one network, Swedish Beers, Chinwag, EYP, The Hospital, momolondon, Ecademy, Tuttle club just to name a few. If you have to log into every single one and also keep an active profile and spend time on them to find friends and collegues, can you imagine any work being done, and more importantly any real life social networking being done? Open and member profile updates across several sites is and idea, like when twitter updates on facebook etc. Status messages on Msn Gtalk, Skype, etc have now become twitter's On another note EYP is open to suggestions from companies wanting to test location based applications with our members so get in touch.. At http://www.EypLondon.org we stayed away from making a community site online, we decided to use facebook and where-ever else the users are rather then build or use ning, it was a concious decision to only let members be offline, as when there they will hook up on FB or similar afterwards anyway.

We looked at The Hospital’s model, It’s rather expensive to get to a level of social networking that works, and have all the features required and I still don’t think their site works.

I have been on the hospitals networking site since it started but haven’t logged in more than twice.

European Young Professionals are now 3000 members in London, and 6000 globally, and have monthly events every second Wednesday.

The reason an open social network with closed groups and open groups is more popular is that you can do and add the networks you like, and we are all members of more than one network, Swedish Beers, Chinwag, EYP, The Hospital, momolondon, Ecademy, Tuttle club just to name a few. If you have to log into every single one and also keep an active profile and spend time on them to find friends and collegues, can you imagine any work being done, and more importantly any real life social networking being done?
Open and member profile updates across several sites is and idea, like when twitter updates on facebook etc. Status messages on Msn Gtalk, Skype, etc have now become twitter’s

On another note EYP is open to suggestions from companies wanting to test location based applications with our members so get in touch..

]]> By: Mike Butcher http://eu.techcrunch.com/2008/05/29/the-hospitals-mashup-of-real-and-virtual-networks/comment-page-1/#comment-137918 Mike Butcher Thu, 29 May 2008 17:36:50 +0000 http://uk.techcrunch.com/?p=1288#comment-137918 Ian (and others). I know I know, it's a good point. Why invent the wheel. But then the point here is that a club has control. What's Facebook, right? A closed club. If he Hospital is smart, from here on they make their network interoperable with others, get distribution, and retain that level of control for actual members of the physical club. But also - and I think this is really they key and something anyone else could maybe think about - their members could vet other members for eventually approval - think Digg, with the guys who make it to the front page then let through the front door...maybe... Ian (and others). I know I know, it’s a good point. Why invent the wheel. But then the point here is that a club has control. What’s Facebook, right? A closed club. If he Hospital is smart, from here on they make their network interoperable with others, get distribution, and retain that level of control for actual members of the physical club. But also – and I think this is really they key and something anyone else could maybe think about – their members could vet other members for eventually approval – think Digg, with the guys who make it to the front page then let through the front door…maybe…

]]> By: Ian Delaney http://eu.techcrunch.com/2008/05/29/the-hospitals-mashup-of-real-and-virtual-networks/comment-page-1/#comment-137909 Ian Delaney Thu, 29 May 2008 16:44:52 +0000 http://uk.techcrunch.com/?p=1288#comment-137909 Isn't this a tad naive? Surely, the way all the original social networks operate is to mirror classroom/social group relationships out here in the real world? Can't see anything new here. Sorry. And worse, they are reinventing the wheel by creating their own social networking software. What's wrong with a ning or FB group? Isn’t this a tad naive? Surely, the way all the original social networks operate is to mirror classroom/social group relationships out here in the real world?

Can’t see anything new here. Sorry. And worse, they are reinventing the wheel by creating their own social networking software. What’s wrong with a ning or FB group?

]]> By: paul fisher http://eu.techcrunch.com/2008/05/29/the-hospitals-mashup-of-real-and-virtual-networks/comment-page-1/#comment-137904 paul fisher Thu, 29 May 2008 16:12:04 +0000 http://uk.techcrunch.com/?p=1288#comment-137904 I love this idea. One of the challenges of getting ANY fledging social network is getting that early traction, and this seems like a great way of getting a small active and meaningful user base. Not a bad springboard for a business.... I love this idea. One of the challenges of getting ANY fledging social network is getting that early traction, and this seems like a great way of getting a small active and meaningful user base. Not a bad springboard for a business….

]]> By: rtrthrthhrth http://eu.techcrunch.com/2008/05/29/the-hospitals-mashup-of-real-and-virtual-networks/comment-page-1/#comment-137900 rtrthrthhrth Thu, 29 May 2008 15:48:02 +0000 http://uk.techcrunch.com/?p=1288#comment-137900 seems retarded given the ability to create groups on any of the billions of existing socnets . why re-invent the wheel? seems retarded given the ability to create groups on any of the billions of existing socnets . why re-invent the wheel?

]]> By: Craig McGinty http://eu.techcrunch.com/2008/05/29/the-hospitals-mashup-of-real-and-virtual-networks/comment-page-1/#comment-137889 Craig McGinty Thu, 29 May 2008 14:34:44 +0000 http://uk.techcrunch.com/?p=1288#comment-137889 Has a similar set-up to InterNations which I'm slowly exploring: http://www.internations.org/ Has a similar set-up to InterNations which I’m slowly exploring:

http://www.internations.org/

]]> By: Geoff Wright http://eu.techcrunch.com/2008/05/29/the-hospitals-mashup-of-real-and-virtual-networks/comment-page-1/#comment-137883 Geoff Wright Thu, 29 May 2008 13:55:03 +0000 http://uk.techcrunch.com/?p=1288#comment-137883 The Hospital is co-founded by one of the senior Microsoft guys if I remember rightly... The Hospital is co-founded by one of the senior Microsoft guys if I remember rightly…

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