Tulalip: A Next Kin to Social Network Development

Although the revolution began with GEOCITES.com in 1994, we knew about it only after Orkut came into existence. Millions of users started sharing every minute detail of their life; for example, what they eat, when they sleep, and where they shop. Looking back over the decades, it is not wrong to call a social revolution that entered the life of every individual driving Internet into a new era.

As we dive into the past, I remember connecting with old school friends reaching at their houses. Thanks to a single update is enough. Sharing photos and memories won’t take more than a few clicks. If you have anything funny to share, just post a video and get comments from your group. To know what future holds for , it is crucial to know its ancestors.

Beginning with “Geocities” in 1994, social networking headed to “TheGlobe.com”, which gave freedom to the users to publish their own content personalizing their online experience. Later, “Sixdegrees.com” offered a profile creation and listing friends’ option, engaging audiences even further. Pioneering the online connection, “Friendster” was launched in 2002 with user-base as large as 3 million users in the first three months. MySpace, Facebook and Twitter followed giving us a completely new definition for the social network.

Google + being the newest buzz after Facebook, we are here to discuss on a completely new platform by Microsoft in answer to Google and Facebook. The news leaked as a surprise to many when they got to know that Microsoft’s new social search feature integrated with Facebook and Twitter is about to launch in the near future. Microsoft named its future as a , the name associated to Native Americans.

Last week, Microsoft published the prototype of an extremely secret social media design project. Tulalip is an internal project name for the site Socl.com. It’s an internal design project from one of the Microsoft’s research teams. Although it is not confirmed that is a , speculation arises as its first page read “Find what you want and Share what you know, easier than ever”. Also, shown were non-working links for “See how it works”, “Privacy statement”, and more.

It seems Tulalip tribal members are not happy with the moniker Microsoft has attached to its upcoming project. Tulalip members are in talks with Microsoft with this regard. For now, Tulalip and Socl.com are mysteries as the site shows the accidental release of the page. Even if such a development comes-out, masses expect this to be more enticing than what Google+ has offered. Audiences need a reliable platform and not the replica of Facebook with a new look. Honestly, after the release of Google+, I did not find any reason to switch to it only for its circles and a video call feature, which is soon to arrive in Facebook too. Not official yet, but we look forward to follow the story.