Social Network For Your Jock Itch?
David Krug alerts us to yet another social network on the rise (or otherwise?).
A Social Network That Won’t Work?
Please don’t call me a chauvinist, but would you female athletes out there really participate in a social network called Takkle, put together by Tampax? There are some social networks that we just don’t need. Can you imagine one by some company that offers a jock itch product? Do you want to be reminded, each time you visit?
From Takkle’s about page, Takkle is supposed to be a network for athletes, where they can both connect with fellow athletes and show off their expertise to potential employers or colleges/universities.
TAKKLE was developed to help high school athletes succeed. Create your own profile, post your stats, show off your favorite photos and videos, and instantly look up info on opposing teams and rivals. After you fill out your information you can invite friends, students, teammates, coaches, family and friends to join.
Athletes can use TAKKLE to check in with your favorite groups, check your practice schedule, and post your best photos/videos. TAKKLE. is your place to shine. The site gives you the ability to compare your rankings with kids across the country, watch video footage of everyone’s best moves, and connect with other players.
Now why shouldn’t this work? There are probably many reasons why naysayers tell you that social networks like Takkle are doomed to failure. One is that there is already a lot of social networking sites that cater to sports-minded people. Mashable mentions them here. Another is that the site is sponsored by a corporate entity—in Takkle’s case, Tampax—and would therefore probably not subscribe much to the ideals of all things Web 2.0. (But then again, successful web app models are initially independent, and then later on backed by moneyed entities.) And then there are already a plethora of tools that people can use to collaborate and coordinate activities (take Google Calendar, for instance). So why should athletes and coaches use such a site like Takkle for these instead?
But here’s one reason I think sites like Takkle are cool. It’s great to have networks focused on a single niche. Whether it’s based on location, school, favorites, and the like, it’s always good to know people in your network are those whom you share the same interests with, and not just the whole shebang of everyone (including the stalkers, kidnappers and serial killers).
Big social networks are, well, big because anyone can be part of the game. But smaller ones that focus on single shared interests do have a place in this world. Again, I mention that social media only mirrors how “social” society is. And in real life, there always is room for exclusivity.
Oh, here’s an interesting quip from Mashable’s Pete Cashmore.
There are many, many jokes I could have uh…inserted…into this post, but we’re not doing any Tampax gags and that’s the end of it. Period.
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