Microsoft is throwing its hat into the niche-social arena by going after students in a bold and likely-futile move with so.cl (pronounced “social”).
“With So.cl you can share your search and help others discover what they might be looking for,” they say on their website. “Fun commentary and discussions usually follow.”
This is a bad idea. People do not want to share their search. College students are hooked in to Facebook and have study groups already positioned there. Microsoft does not have the clout to be able to muscle their way into social the way Google has and the way Apple could, not because they’re too small (they’re much bigger than Google) but because their online clout is minimal by comparison. They’re a software company first.
ReadWriteWeb said, “File this in the ‘we-try-it-out-so-you-don’t-have-to’ category. So.cl is a derivative social network that may be useful to students, but it won’t fly elsewhere.”
We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. We’ll monitor for developments at so.cl, but at this point there’s no need to waste your time. It’s nothing special.
