In fact, all social networks should have the ability to group connections however the user prefers them to be grouped – and not just for consumption, but creation. It’s no secret I love Path, but my goal of limiting connections suffers because I enjoy the user experience so much. This is a problem for services such as Path which obviously understand the value of less is more.
“We tend to have 5 best friends, 15 good friends, 50 close friends and family, and 150 total friends. At Path, we’re building tools for you to share with the people who matter most in your life. Our intent is to nurture quality relationships to offer you the comfort to share all your personal moments.”
The Real Problem
2 out of 3 are misaligned…
What I share with my 5 best friends is different from what I share with my 150 total friends.
Why I share with my family is often different from why I share with my 15 good friends.
How I prefer to share is via Path, yet they don’t allow groups for sorting the different Whats and Whys.
The Best Answer
Facebook and Twitter both allow for grouping of connections to filter content. However, neither of them have done so in a way that makes a real difference in How I Share. The current solutions for grouping are best used as a filter for consuming content from my connections. I think the social network that creates the best solution for creating content in a filtered manner will be the next big success. I’m going to go a step further and say this could also help solve the problem of creating One Graph to Rule Them All. Not that I support solving this problem, I’m just simply wanting a better way to share content on Path – my preferred social network.