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TopSocialNetworkingSites

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Google Spreadsheets Social Network Matrix: Latest version here, as we've outgrown this wiki page.


Purpose: What social networking services implement which technological functionality, like single-server sign on (OpenID), widget sharing (OpenSocial), exporting/importing of profile information (PortableContacts, FOAF) and so on. Is there any open-source software that runs these services (important for two open-source interoperable implementations)? What is the policy and privacy settings for each service? Do they allow use of context, and so can take advantage of the mobile web?

1. List produced based on Alexa top 100 on 1 June 2009 by Harry Halpin. In original order as in Alexa (most popular descending) with, if found, descriptions from Alexa but slightly modified.

2. List of 30 popular community services compiled on June 9 by Christine Perey.

NOTE: Joseph Bonneau and Sören Preibusch compiled a market overview by assessing 45 social networking sites by 250 criteria. The paper and the dataset are freely available: The Privacy Jungle: On the Market for Data Protection in Social Networks.


List compiled based on Alex top 100:

  • YouTube Upload, tag and share videos
  • Facebook A social utility that connects people, to keep up with friends, upload photos, share links and videos.
  • Blogger.com Free, automated weblog publishing tool that sends updates to a site via FTP.
  • QQ.COM Chinese instant messenger system - does it have web-sites? Social networking features? Chinese speaker to investigate.
  • WordPress.com Free blogs managed by the developers of the WordPress software.
  • Flickr Picture galleries available with chat, groups, and photo ratings.
  • V Kontakte The most popular social network utility in Russia. Russian speaker to investigate?
  • hi5 One of the world's largest social networks
  • Amazon.com Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company - but does it count as a social networking site?


  • Twitter Social networking and microblogging service utilising instant messaging, SMS or a web interface.
  • Orkut.com.br Orkut Brazil - Portugese speaker to investigate?
  • Skyrock French Social Networking Site - French speaker to investigate?
  • Orkut.co.in Orkut in India? How is this different than other Orkuts?
  • Friendster Friendster is a leading global social network emphasizing friendships and the discovery of new people through friends.
  • Rediff.com Does this Indian site also feature social networking features?
  • Tagged Tagged.com is one of the top social networking sites in the world.
  • ameblo.jp Is this a japanese social networking site? Japanese speaker needed.
  • Mixi Japanese social networking site. Japanese speaker needed. ソーシャルネットワークサイト。メッセージ交換、日記、コミュニティ作成、友人紹介機能。


  • KU6 Looks like youtube? Social Networking features? Chinese speaker needed?
  • LiveJournal A service for journals and blogs, that also offers privacy controls, photo storage, publishing tools, style templates, and online communities for many interests.
  • LinkedIn A networking tool to find connections to recommended job candidates, industry experts and business partners. Allows registered users to maintain a list of contact details of people they know and trust in business.
  • Kaixin Chinese social gaming site. The main feature is a vegetable planting social game. Biggest social network in China.
  • wretch Chinese Social networking site? Chinese speaker needed to investigate.

Comments on the above list posted by Christine Perey on June 9:

1. it is limiting to refer to social networks as "sites." Sites are a concept which really stems from thinking in a browser-centric paradigm. Sites are too easy to think of as destinations, "places" to which a user "goes" using a browser, for a purpose. When one thinks of sites, one thinks of pages (hence, the logical next step to consider those with the highest page hits/views as the most important).

Suggestion: It is useful, instructive, and, I feel, more flexible to think, speak and work on social networks as IP network-based community "services." Services provide "community" or social features. Services are architected with features (Messaging features, Voice features, Photo features, Rating features).

Sometimes the service is accessed by a user opening a browser or, in other circumstances, a service can be accessed by way of a client application. Many services support both application and browser access.

2. In this list (above, based on Alexa) there are many services which are not, in my definition, social networking services. Is a media sharing service with social networking features (e.g., YouTube, Flickr) a social network service? Is a publishing tool (aka microblogging or just blogging) a social network or a messaging service?

Suggestion: Can the XG back up a level and define the scope of what constitutes (in the W3C parlance) a social network or a community service?!


List(not arranged in any particular order) of 30 popular community services posted by Christine Perey on June 9:

  • Facebook Global "Friending" community service
  • MySpace Global "Entertainment" community service with emphasis on music
  • QQ.COM Chinese instant messenger system with extensive community management features, "Friending" service
  • Bebo Global "Friending" community service
  • V Kontakte Russian "Friending" community service
  • hi5 Global "Friending" community service
  • StudiVZ German "Friending" community service (three sub-services)
  • Hyves Dutch "Friending" service
  • Dada "Entertainment" community service
  • Orkut.com.br Orkut service in Portuguese for Brazilian audiences
  • Skyrock French Social Networking Service
  • Match Global "Friending" service emphasis on finding a match
  • Friendster Friendster is a leading global social network emphasizing friendships and the discovery of new people through friends.
  • CyWorld Korean "Friending" service, in Korean
  • Mixi Japanese "Friending" service
  • Mobagetown Japanese "Friending" and mobile game service
  • Gree Japanese "Friending" and "Fame" service
  • Xing A "Productivity" service, particularly popular among German language speakers
  • LinkedIn A "Productivity" service, global in reach and appeal
  • Kaixin Popular Chinese "Friending" service
  • TX Chinese "Friending" community service
  • Flirtomatic "Friending" community service with emphasis on flirting
  • MocoSpace Mobile "Friending" community service
  • MyGamma Mobile "Friending" community service
  • ItsMy.com Mobile "Friending" community service
  • Mig33 Global "Friending" community service with emphasis on mobile voice