Socialight

[[image:socialight_logo.gif]]
http://socialight.com/

Description
[|Socialight] is a free mobile phone and web based platform that allows users to create and share location-based messages called StickyShadows™. These StickyShadows are virtual multimedia sticky notes that you create anywhere in the world using your mobile phone or this web site. A StickyShadow is made up of media, such as text and a picture, and information about who can see it and when and where it's available. Socialight notifies your mobile phone any time you're near a note, displaying the note content and allowing one the option to instantly respond, leave a note, or just move on. The goal of the site is to make you always feel like a local, where one get's a place vibe from stories and information of all the people that went there.

In such a way, Socialight works like a tagging service and is sometimes called "geo-tagging." It allows social networking through the cell phone. Aside from creating and sharing stickynotes, one can create their own channels or update it on mspace, facebook and blogs.

Analysis
Socialight presents a very unique idea that involves social networking through cell phones. Involving social mapping technology, it works almost like a tagging service that allows users to create and share information. The fact that it is mobile also enables users to discover information as they walk around. In addition, it is also accessible via desktop computers, handsets, and there's even a TXT version for users with older cell phones. It shows that the site has thought of other possible means to share the information aside from cell phones.

Socialight allows one the ability to privatized or publicized your sticky notes within your Contacts, Channel or the whole world. There's also a search function, allowing the user to enter a key term and the option to select "where" on the Google-powered map area. It also contains two views: map view and a tag view, giving variety in terms of one's search. One can even search without signing up. The site is also easy to navigate and includes a blog for recent news and such (also to personalize it), a help section and faqs for the confused people, and even implemented a wiki for the community.

Socialight is very personal and user dependent, where the users submit their reviews. One can also make comments and rate various things. Similarly, the users can also personalize their network, listing their favourites and interests, in which the site will notify you based on that.

Socialight is a great example of a network that can share information yet still revolve around the community.

However, on the other side, the web experience of Socialight can be affected by different browsers, platforms and user settings. Moreover, there is the issue of "fake information" or "intenetional advertising." There may also be charges from your mobile network provider for the use of the Service despite the fact it is free such as text messaging, multimedia messaging, and data network access charges. The Socialight Mobile application also uses an especially large quantity of data network bandwidth. Therefore, it is recommended that users have a mobile network plan that allows for unlimited data usage for a fixed fee.

Related article by Fast Company where they notice that “Social mapping technology grows up a bit” and that Socialight is part of the next stage in its evolution.