Not all user generated content need be treated the same. As the article points out, a very small portion of consumers on a particular site turn around and create their own content. But, I think this mostly applies to general interest content sites. What if your site provides content as a result of providing a useful, provocative tool?<p>We have about 21k users on ridewithgps.com. The focal point of the site is the mapping functionalities for planning and logging bike rides. Users create this content by either drawing a prospective ride on a map, or, by uploading a log file from a trip they took. There are very few accounts that have no routes or recorded activities on them, because the site exists to provide utility to a user. With 134,000 maps, that's 6.4 maps per user. By creating an account, users are compelled to start creating maps because it is directly useful to them to do so! However, users can also add less important content: a mini-profile for their bike, photos, comments etc. The amount of this less utilitarian content that users create is significantly smaller. Photos, for example, are 0.3 per user. Comments are 0.1 per user.<p>What does this mean? Make sure your site provides a strong utilitarian aspect for your users! Provide them with value, not just another place register and store generic content.
I find myself torn around the value of content in web businesses moving forward.<p>On the one hand, there's the observations put forward (most strongly, in my encounters, by Scott Adams on his dilbert blog) that content is essentially in a race towards free. The value in this situation is those companies that can sort, aggregate, or point you in the right content direction (HN fits this group; so does Google).<p>But then there's the fact, and this article makes the point, that without content there's no value. Whether user-generated, expert-driven or otherwise, we do need some content, and no doubt some content is far more valuable than others.<p>My strength is undoubtedly in created meaningful content. Does that make me valuable, with the right connections, or a sucker with skills that are soon to be comparable to blacksmithing in NYC or making cars in Detroit?
You wouldn't believe the number of calls I got when I worked at an agency every day asking us to build facebook, but better in some tiny way. For free. The really generous prospective clients would offer us a share of the potential, expectedly limitless, profits. Critical mass of users is hard enough when launching real tools, social networks are the one in a million perfectly timed shots and follow up with great response to users' needs. You can't manufacture that kind of success, just hope to ride the wave well if and when it comes.
This is well written, and the biggest takeaway is probably the <i>content precedes design</i> line, which I think is pretty key.<p>On a side note, noticing that this is .ie, I can't help but try to read the article in my head with an Irish accent. But I've been watching a TV show set in Scotland recently (The Book Group, on Hulu), so I'm pretty sure I'm actually reading it in some bastardized Irish/Scottish accent that would surely get me killed in either place.
The only way to start a legit social network is doing so among a small number of people first and once you get some network effects in that group slowly expand out. Social networks aren't usually very good at bringing random people together, they are good at facilitating relationships that already exist.
The comment about empty input boxes brought forth a possible UI idea. What would happen if you showed users a profile page full of information taken from other random users and asked them to correct it?
That article totally describe me. Really realist and interesting read. However, it's kind of normal to have no content if the goal of the site is to let you share things with your friends.
Do you think there are more sites that say they are "like Facebook, but..." or more blog posts saying that "your site that's like Facebook, but... won't work?"<p>[edit: wasn't clear]