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The social networking landscape is growing bleak. With Facebook and Myspace dominating the market, developers hoping to break into this potential gold mine are forced to do it with a new approach. An example of a successful new concept being implemented into the internet would be Ning, a portal where users can create their own social networks. Recently, I came into contact with a new social network called ZLoop, and you’re just going to have to keep reading to see what sets it apart from the rest of those darned social networks. Trust me, it’s definitely interesting.

A week ago, ZLoop evangelist Mr. Brett Meyers contacted me and made me aware of a new up and coming social network, called ZLoop. ZLoop’s main feature that sets it apart from all the other social networks is called a Loop, which is essentially a group or community of people. Membership is purely invitational, which sort of limits the amount of undesirable spam users. Through the Loop, you can transfer files, hold discussions, and potentially meet new people within your Loop. Now that I’m done conveying the main idea of ZLoop to you, I want to move on to issues that you will perhaps have encountered.

Another Facebook?

After talking to a few friends about ZLoop, I was asked what the difference was between ZLoop and Facebook. I actually posed such a question to Meyers through our pre-ZLoop question/answer session. Let’s not beat around the bush – they’re both extremely similar:

• Facebook and ZLoop both use a single GUI in order to keep order and adaptability. Otherwise, a well-intentioned “theme is self-expression” mantra would end up leading to the cluttered, messy, and very disorienting space we call MySpace.
• Facebook and ZLoop are both used to replicate real life relationships – it is a Facebook faux-pas to add friends online that you don’t know in real life, and the same goes for ZLoop. In fact, I think it’s somewhat impossible to add friends that you have no connection with through ZLoop, because you won’t be able to find them.

However, this is where the differences lie:

• What kind of relationships do each focus upon?
  • Facebook suggests you join a network during the sign-up process. However, that can be completely negligible and you will probably still be able to find your friends. Thus, I’ve concluded that Facebook focuses on one-on-one relationships. Sure, there’s the network – but you don’t do anything with the people in it. Sure, there are groups – you join what you believe in, but you have no real connection with the other people in the group asides from the shared beliefs – which hasn’t kept members from becoming awfully hostile.
  • ZLoop on the other hand, rallies the network together. It is more of a community-based network instead of an individual-based one, as you are required to join a Loop in order to join ZLoop, and thus you already start off in a Loop. Even though there still could be people you don’t know, the discussions are moderated carefully by the administrators as well as members – as members are given the power to report a post. It’s much more like a forum, but it’s got a lot more functionality (ie. again with the file-sharing, event-planning, etc.).
• Privacy
  • Facebook allows you to see practically anybody’s profile in your network – as long as they don’t have privacy set up. I can’t tell you how the thought of some complete stranger reading about my hobbies and interests disturbs me – I don’t know why, it just doesn’t seem right.
  • ZLoop’s relationships are much different. There is no public wall. In fact, the relationship is very similar to a Loop with just two people in it – that way, nobody can see the conversations the two of you held, or the files you transferred, etcetera.

Hopefully, that clears up the confusion about ZLoop being another Facebook. They’re completely different, asides from having a few common, but minor traits that made Facebook famous.

Copy-Ning?

I’m embarassed to admit it, but I somehow got the impression that ZLoop and Ning were very similar. In terms of nature, they might be quite alike, as they draw communities together – but again, Ning is a networking site to meet new people with, whereas ZLoop replicates real-life relationships and takes it to an online dimension. ‘Nuff said.

Back That Loop Idea

If the Loop idea is still a bit fuzzy to you, I’m hoping this next segment will be able to clear things up a bit. To re-iterate, a Loop is a community where you replicate your online relationships. For example, you work for Company A, which has just created a Loop. Company A sells aPods, and you’re a junior designer. You join the new Company A Loop after hearing it announced at work, and then your buddy Joe tells you that he created a Loop just for Company A’s junior designers. You end up joining that Loop too. Your father tells you a few days after that he, too, has created a Loop – this time, for the family. So now, you’re in three Loops – and will probably end up in a bunch more.

Let’s stick with the Company A Loop:

• Thanks to Company A’s encouragement, everybody from Company A joins the Loop. The CEO sees that it’s time for the annual barbecue – he can:
  • Hold a conversation asking what everyone thinks of the proposed location and date.
  • Upload a .pdf file, which is an invitation showing the location and date.
  • Create an Event showing the same thing.
  • After the barbecue, display the photos on the Loop.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg – something similar could happen with the family, or with those junior designers. The Loop makes everything so much easier – it’s all in one universal location, not laid out through different forums and groups, and event-listings. And – dig this, you can join as many Loops as you want!

Privacy Protection

I’m really pleased with how far ZLoop went to protect user privacy. With all the buzz about Facebook profiles being scoped by potential employers, I figure they’d be darned if they didn’t do something about it – especially for such a social network that could end up so corporate-oriented. And so, ZLoop created their identity manager:

• Essentially, you start off with two identities: Professional and Social.
  • Your Professional identity allows you to choose what you want people that you maintain professional relationships with to see – not those embarassing photos, but your more serious side.
  • Your Social identity is the exact opposite, and lets people in on your real side.
• That’s not all – you can create more identities to serve different purposes – don’t want your company or your family to see that embarassing picture that you only want your graduating class Loop to see? Create a new Identity, and make the picture the avatar.

I’ve also already mentioned about how ZLoop doesn’t let any third-party view your profile or conversations with others, whether it be a curious friend or a scary stalker. Relationships in this case are a Loop between two people, basically. Simple enough to understand – you can hold conversations, transfer files, and do everything else you can in a Loop with that individual.

The Future

With the growing popularity of widgets, ZLoop has began development of their own widgets, called Portlets. Examples of Portlets would be the Conversation Portlet and Event Portlet that we have already spoken of. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg. With the growing popularity of ZLoop comes the development of more Portlets to suit the needs of its users.

Conclusion

I’ve started a CutEdge Loop which I’d love for you all to join by visiting this URL here. By doing this, you’re not only joining the CutEdge Loop and showing your support, but also gaining access to possibly the newest revolution out there. You can then also create your own Loops, and invite family members and friends and co-workers on board.

Although I’m not sure if this CutEdge Loop idea would work – as we don’t have any real-life relationships to maintain, I have a feeling that we’ll still turn out to be a strong community – something like a set of forums, but also as a way to get new people to meet and share their ideas and opinions through conversations. I hope to be a major participant through ZLoop, if enough people join (my expectations are low, so please sign-up).

Thus wraps up my somewhat comprehensive view into ZLoop. Hopefully, I didn’t bore you half to death – I looked through my previous draft, and ended up cutting half of the material out, but still found this to be a relatively long article. I hope you do give ZLoop a try, even if not through the CutEdge Loop, which is a great way to gain access to ZLoop. Also, pardon the lack of images – there aren’t any Loops I’m part of to show you – yet. And remember – ZLoop is unique, not just another pretty Facebook or Ning.

If you want more information on ZLoop, they’ve got a great Help/FAQ page to help the non-users get started and educated.

Visit:

http://zloop.com/

http://zloop.com/help_index/

https://www.zloop.com/portal/Login.html?loopkey=cutedge&keypassword=cutedge