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The Importance of a Profile

Many attempts at social networking and the creation of online communities have failed due to a lack of understanding of the basic elements of social networking. Community cannot exist without adhering to these simple and basic rules which were eloquently stated in a

• Construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system,
• Articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and
• View and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system.

Upon analysis of several sites, I find that attempts at community are often thwarted by the lack of unified profiles. Community member interaction starts and is centered on people and the interests of those people. Interests of like minds are what build the connections, social ties, and thus the community aspect of the social network. To take the rules one step further, the activities of the network revolve around the user and the individual user’s contribution to the activities of the site, not the activities themselves.
 
Personal identity and interests are conveyed through these profiles. This can result in connections between individuals that would not otherwise be made, and that these connections are frequently between "latent ties" who share some offline connection and commonality such as being members of the same church or organization.
 
On niche social networks, participants are not necessarily "networking" or looking to meet new people; instead, they are primarily communicating with people who are already a part of their extended social network. That extended social network consists of people that have similar believes and interests, are members of the same organizations, and feel an affinity and trust even though they have never actually met that person. This connection is a critical organizing feature for people involved in similar activities regardless of locale.
 
Social networks are known for their vast array of functionality, but the backbone consists of visible profiles that display an articulated list of friends or connections that are of like mind and interests. With a profile, a user can literally create a unique page where they can "type oneself into being" and announce their importance to the network by showing their contribution to the community. It is human nature that people are ego driven. Ego is the fuel that drives the particpation of a social networking communities members. The profile is the functionality that enables a member’s ego to be satisfied.
 
Another reason a person joins a social network or community is for fellowship and to identify others in the network with which they have a relationship, be it driven by a specific ethnic, religious, affinity group, political, or other identity-driven niche.
 
Social networking communities work best when they are primarily used to support pre-existing social relations. For instance, all members of a religious belief are brothers regardless of locale, and the community is used to unify and grow the fellowship of those that participate in that belief or organization.
 
Following these simple concepts will separate your network from the thousands of existing networks and greatly improve your chance of success.