Industry Standard reports that SK Telecom’s social network Cyworld has 12 million subscribers — nearly a quarter of South Korea’s population — with up to 17 million unique visitors a month. Some users spend as much as 10 hours on the network, and are buying and selling stuff like mad. Wonder, why Friendster and others could not evolve as quickly? via The Industry Standard: Internet News Feed
Yes why don’t the English speaking social networking spaces evolve as quickly as Cyworld-well one observation- from an academic in Australia, is that the English speaking, personal media and social networking site, Friendster etc’s “interface” is premised on the “profile”- a list of self ascribed, personal attributes- while the Korean site is premised on “building a visual and personally identifiable space/place on itssite-with all your favourite media included.
Its like making your own “dollhouse” or if you like “shopront” qualities visually displayable, with all their peculiarities and personality in order to attract a network of interests—
much more imaginative, playful and captivating, recognising the intuitive attraction of visual communication-over the distanciated, wordy “profile” approach the western social sites accommodate.