Over the past year Facebook has been broadening its horizons, facing a bit of criticism each step of the way. First there was the newsfeed. Then there was the opening of the network to high schoolers and the general public. Largely the expansion has paid off for the Facebook, with the site’s growth rate hastening after each change. However, the changes have left some users wistful for a time when Facebook was a place just for college students.
College.com plans to serve those users. The site has all the basics of any other social networking system, but includes features specifically tailored for college students. They’ve just launched the site into public beta with over 30,000 students at Florida State University. To support the alumni network, they’ve also kept registration open to anyone, .edu address or not.
Like other networks, you can create a profile, make friends, write blog posts, hold events, join groups, and post videos. It’s all specific to what college you go to or of which you’re an alum. Similar to Facebook, your viewing privileges are linked what college network you joined with. However, they’re not tied to your email’s domain name. On top of the usual features, College.com has added some of their own. The more notable smaller features are dating compatibility tests, flash cards, news bulletin board, and a wake-up call feature that rings your phone at any time you choose.
The bigger difference comes with their school specific features. Like Facebook used to support, College.com lets you find and post your class schedule to your profile. To aid with college life, they’ve also included specialized profiles for professors and the Greek system. Professor profiles are listed in a school-specific directory, allowing you to read bios and rate them. The Greek system features profiles for Fraternities and Sororities on campus, with the ability to rush or list new organizations.
I can’t help but feel that a lot of this functionality may wind up returning to Facebook through the application platform. Not to mention the number of college specific Facebook competitors stacking up (ConnectU, CommonRoom) or that they need to keep alumni engaged post graduation in order to sustain any real growth. However, MyYearbook has gotten a lot of mileage out of targeting a social network that’s for and by high schoolers. College.com may do the same.
If they keep registration open to allow for alumni, how is this much better? Wouldn’t it just be Facebook, but only for those 18 and older (and with college degrees)?
From that screenshot, the interface looks interesting, at least. Kinda like netvibes or similar page agreggators
I see it as a niche play. I talked about myyearbook because their is a segment of the market that enjoys networks specific to their interests, despite Facebook or MySpace seemingly to offer more.
I thought it was Netvibes-like, but you can’t rearrange the modules.
I agree with you Nick. MyYearBook ‘leeched’ off myspace to bring the high schoolers to its website, and it gained a lot of publicity that way. I am sure college.com, will be doing the same. Facebook/Myspace competition or not, I am sure they will make a nice sum of money, and run a successful website about their niche.
And one day College.com will want to grow, and they’ll open up the site….
and the beat goes on…
I perdict that college.com will be acquired my classmates.com within the next 4-6 months. Mainly for the domain name if nothing else.
Okay, I don’t get what’s up with all these college things…first you get the facebook types then you get all the other competitors. Don’t get it.
What I wonder about from a typical Hollander’s perspective is why they focus on the term college. For instance, most of the focus in the USA seems to be on going to “college” — when the real term with cache that should be hitting the pocketbooks of investors is “university.”
Places like zeeya.net and any of the Australian-themed sites, or the U Sphere folks you wrote about in June — all have more of a global look and feel to them. Some have been slower to do the social networking thing by design I’m sure.
universia.net is one in Latin America, too, that could take off…more focused on getting students to college. Or I mean University. But it’s run by a bank.
This is a niche that ain’t going away.
To where does this stand to expand? Facebook already conquered this market. At most these features will be compressed into a facebook app and implemented into facebook.
So how much do you think they paid for the domain? I know it was bought in the last couple of years by a guy in ft.lauderdale (I think thats where the buyer was located). my guess, 2mil.
the thing with making social network sites out of generic domain names is it looses it’s theme/personality.
facebooks, myspace etc have themes and originality. and that’s what most people want when they come to a social network.
if i owned college.com, i’d just leave it as either a landing page or a more complex general college info site.
Beneath the surface of all the social networking sites lurks a volcanic eruption.
Lots of money will be lost by the end of 2008. All the “me too” cannot survive.
Watch for Meltdown 2008.
Shouldn’t they call it collegeBook or something?
http://fakesteveballmer.blogspot.com
Slightly unfortunate twist on ‘fresh meet’, intended or otherwise
The interface reminds me of yahoo and this is another social networking site that won’t go anywhere. My thought? Create social networks in countries that are not covered by Facebook — that would be a good start.
asdasdasd
Competition is always good. Good luck!
What about BigLickU.com?
Just found this at http://www.noledigest.com…FSURULES.com has been around sine Spring 2007…
Move over Facebook and MySpace, this is a new beginning. If you haven’t seen FSURULES.com yet, you must check it out!
FSURULES.com is a FREE social networking web site designed by FSU graduates, specifically for connecting FSU students, alumni, and fans around the world. The concept behind FSURULES.com is “smaller is better”. Unlike other networking sites on the web with millions of members, FSURULES.com targets a smaller market in order to offer a cleaner and easier website to navigate as well as offering features aimed at a more specific user…the FSU fan! Within the pages of FSURULES.com you will find several premium features such as:
· Web mail account(username@fsurules.com )
· Customizable personal web page ( fsurules.com/username)
· Student information section that is “for the students, by the students”
· Blogs and forums
· Picture gallery
· Many internal communication tools (IM, private messages, profile comments, and more)
All these features and more, for FREE, to help you stay connected with other FSU fans.
Whether you are seeking information about activities around Tallahassee, looking for an internship, wanting to buy/trade game tickets, looking to hire a student or recent FSU grad, or simply wanting to meet new friends, FSURULES.com is the place for you.
FSURULES.com, get connected, stay connected!
College.com has a lot going on for it. I registered my chapter in the Greek section and found out that there is already 900+ chapter in there…that is huge growth since they launch on Labor day. Also for all those who think Facebook has dominated the college market…market analysis actually reveals that college students have found it far less appealing since it has opened to other networks. That means they will start looking for a substitute.