Yeah Kathy I agree. Afloral has done a poor job representing what a social network is. I see no social network at Afloral, I see a tacky website trying to pawn their goods. Pitiful.
Ryan I think a lot of people here aren't sure of what a social network is to its full extent. I think what you have created here is a social network, a @@@@ good one, with the bells and whsitles, but not in the same GUI format. Your work here is a Social network web 1.0 and could be updated to a web 2.0 version integrating Google new Open Social (which they just released) with one of the many white labeled social networks out there. Here is a crappy sandbox version of a social web2.0 network I worked on awhile back. Please forgive the lack of design and crappy style, it's just my test site, my real site is still undercover.
http://webcamflowers.com/ (I told you it was ugly, but I was working on 'social' type features, the design comes later.
So I have been working on this 2.0 version of a floral community and came to the conclusion.. naaa. Why? No offense, but this industry is filled with professionals who say, when asked what their email address is, "Isn't that the new Tom Hanks movie"? /sigh - Now you guys reading this, which = less than 1% of the florists out there are up with the times, I am talking about the rest. I need more eyeballs than this industry and this target market, us, is just too small and those of us can rarely agree that an orange is really an apple.
So my top secret project is no competition to flowerchat. But I can tell you I am working on everything I am passionate about. Fine Flowers, chocolate, wine, coffee and food.(A trading up type social network) This idea will have enough eyeballs. But the flowers part of the social network will be invite only and for florist who sees our industry more as an art and not a commodity. Sorry JB, I love bro, but you're not getting in.
I have always been passionate about helping the boutique type florist, because we, the underdogs, have to battle some of you, who make a mockery of our art by selling it out as a commodity. /ducks
With that said I still respect "those type" of florists in many other ways, I just take the commodity thing personal. Hell I love sitting down with JB , having a beer and talking shop, it's exciting! and I learn so much from him too. Me and JB are total opposites when it comes to floral philosophy, but like old Nam buddies when it comes to everything else.
Anywho... if anyone wants to know more about creating a social network, I would help you in any way I can... unless it's for FTD. /kicks JB in the ovaries and runs
Kathy, again, great post, this community owes you so much, I hope they know that. Ryan, you've done an awesome job here with your team, updating your site to a web 2.0 social network would look cooler, be up to date, your florist return rate would go up and it would look more organized. If you have not seen this yet Ryan, you should:
http://code.google.com/apis/opensocial/ - It's apart of the future of your community and how you can stay in the lead, compared to these cheap knock offs like afloral who obviously have a hidden agenda for sales, not helping florists.
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I checked this forum because a friend here sent me the link, I'll be back in 3 months or so
- I do receive my PMs via email if you need to call me names or ask a question.
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off topic shout out! - I love to support Julie -
www.humanflowerproject.com - My fav floral blog!
