Social Networking From Your Cell

A small startup VCEL (Virtual Communication Expression & Lifestyle) has unveiled a new social networking service for cell phones. All you need to do to keep in contact with your friends 24/7 is to create a profile with their website, download a Java application for your cell phone (more than 20 models are supported already), and send an invitation to your buddies. Here we go: you can exchange comments, pictures, plan on activities together, etc. You'd have the same control over your profile either from phone or from web browser. They have a nice Java applet for your page, so you can leave your buddies a voice message right from your computer and so on.

Great

[NitsujTPU]

Facebook.com isn't distracting enough already. Now I can assure that my productively plummets to the Earth's core.

Sweet!

[Lord Aurora]

Or...you could...just...go talk to them. That's what me and my friends* do. *(Term used loosely)

Why?!

[pen]

Ok, here are the three main drawbacks I can think of so far:

1. Signing up seems to take place on a web site. This rules out being accessible to people who don't have computers or Internet access -- the only benefit I could imagine for this service.
2. My cell phone has a tiny screen. I won't even bother to elaborate on this.
3. I pay per-kilobyte charges for network traffic. Social networking just isn't important enough to pay for.

Social networking is out

[BadAnalogyGuy]

There are only so many friends that any one person has. Friends of friends make for interesting conversation, but ultimately there is no relationship friends of friends. Extend that even further outwards towards friends of friends of friends and you are now talking about perfect strangers. It's like playing the Kevin Bacon game, but without any of the fun.

What is the benefit of having a huge social network if you're not directly linked to the people who are in the network? It's not like you can call them up and crash at their place. More time should be spent cultivating actual relationships and not trying to make a game out of creating links where none actually exist.

The real next boom in cellphone software services is mobile blogging. Snap a shot while walking and upload and comment on the picture.

No thanks...

[__aaclcg7560]

Call me a primitive bastard but I prefer my cell phone to be a cell phone. I don't need text messaging (which I get 10 spam messages and forced to pay a buck for every month), video games, TV, porn, or Muppet Show ringers.

Just looking at the Subject line...

[TKBui]

I thought the Department of Corrections was allowing inmates expanded Constitutional Rights... but alas, it is just more telephonic gimmicky crap I do not need.

I See....

[ericdano]

So, wait. I see Verizon offering this as part of their music/video package. So I can dance to the latest tunes while shopping for clothes and scheduling something with my friends with this social networking. Wow....

Seriously. This stuff is so stupid. Why not actually use the phone and TALK to your friends?