Nextdoor: Your Neighborhood Facebook
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/26/there-posts-the-neighborhood/?scp=5&sq=networks&st=cse
Recently, a company based in San Francisco launched a new social networking site that attempts to take the neighborhood online. Already claiming to have thousands of members from all over the country, “Nextdoor” creates a private online community where neighbors can share information about anything from doctor recommendations, to baking recipes. According to the CEO, Nirav Tolia, success of the network lies in several key elements. First, anyone who joins a neighborhood’s network must live there. A postcard with an activation code is sent to the address stated on the network, which is the only way in which people can gain access to the site. Second, all of the sites members must use their real names, as to reduce anonymity and decrease improper or potentially harmful use of the site. Finally, the company ensures that Google and other search engines will not be able to index information from the site, leading to much less leakage of information from the site onto the rest of the web. Though the new social network appears to grant its members several privileges, there are some possible negative effects the network could bring about. The first is that the amount of information on the site may become overwhelming if too many people join, or the neighborhood itself is too large, Second, because the information is uncensored, it could be used a medium to publicly embarrass or shame certain individuals. Finally, it could completely substitute any other method of interaction between neighbors, thus weakening the very thing that Nextdoor was created to strengthen.
Though only time will tell if Nextdoor will become the next Facebook or twitter, one can speculate about its possible success. One way in which it could achieve success is if a positive, or accept cascade develops. In determining whether to use Nextdoor or not, people will look to the outside world for signals. If two individuals, in succession, choose to adopt this new network, an accept cascade will be produced. In such a cascade, people will ignore their own interpretations of signals from the outside world, and choose to use Nextdoor just based on the fact that post of their peers have adopted the program. If such a cascade is produced than it is most probable that the product is actually beneficial. Therefore, if Nextdoor is to be a success, the social network must not only have a good product, but must successfully market it as well. Another possible pitfall design that was raised is that in the case that enough people do adopt the social network, an overwhelming quantity of information will be produced. As a result, individuals will stop finding Nextdoor useful and eventually reject the social network. Therefore, another thing that Nextdoor must be wary of is the phenomenon of network effects. On the bell curve, this fact suggests that unless the Nextdoor network needs to find equilibrium. This fact directly relates to the emergence of cascades. If people’s expectations for the network are high, then it is likely that Nextdoor will reach a tipping point, where the amount of users reaches a high stable equilibrium. If more people than the stable equilibrium begin using Nextdoor, then the quantity of information produced on the site will become overwhelming and people will stop using the product, thus shifting demand downward to a stable level.