How do we manage multiple
online profiles?
Kate Ho
@kateho / kate.ho1@gmail.com

This is something that I’ve been thinking about
for a while ... But still not quite figured out

But before we start ...

What you should do:
Interactive talk – i.e. shout out, or post on
twitter
Purpose:
Looking for ideas and start a discussion
Just to differentiate, I’m talking about Personal
rather than Business

Social Networks are amazing

They allow us to share links, give our opinions, connect
with people that we do know and we don’t know

So whats the problem?

Multiple Social Networks
Lots of social networks:

Problem 1:
There are different etiquettes associated with
different networks

IMO: Twitter expects more updates than
facebook statuses

Problem 2:
They serve different audiences

Serve different Audiences
Blogs Twitter Youtube Linked In Facebook
Public Broadcast/ “Friends” and Business and Friends
Public Public Professional
Public Private
Open networks Closed networks

LOSE
WIN!
LOSE
Intended Audience !=
Intended Audience ==
Actual Audience
Actual Audience

Problem 3:
They serve different purposes

Facebook/ Twitter Linked In Youtube Blogs
Bebo
Sharing with Short Providing an Sharing video Long(ish)
friends comments Online CV content pieces of
(providing prose
valuable links /
content, brief A form of
news journalism
broadcasts)

This is an increasing problem ...
Especially in the Future

For example:
Opinions change
Your opinions when you were 13 will be different
from when you are 23 ... Or 33 ... Or 43 ....

So the big question is

How do we manage multiple online profiles?

What are the solutions?

Solution 1: In your head and be Disciplined

Step 1. Make Coffee
Step 2. Sit down and write down the social
networks you’re in
Step 3. Set down some rules about what you
want to do, where
Step 4. Publish your rules and Stick to it

But thats hard work

Solution 2: Social Aggregators

3 types of Aggregators

1. Force you to have a unified profile and push that
out

Facebook
Bebo
YOU
Twitter

2. Collating content that you have on the different
profiles

3. Helps you keep track of your friends (Friend Feed)

But I’m still not satisfied by this

And I think we can do better

How?

Want to design a better social network
aggregator

What would the feature list include?

Some ideas ...

Grouping similar tasks
Sharing items on similar platforms
(e.g. photos on Facebook and Bebo)
But excluding others

Having multiple updates
Fast moving (Twitter),
slower moving ones (Facebook)

Group Social Networks by similar functions
Linkedin for Business,
Bebo for Personal

Any more?