FOAFnet presentation at Galway
Julian Bond (of Ecademy) is up on stage right now - explaining the FOAFnet.
I have some screen shots to show - of the upcoming new release of Tribe.net - which will have FOAFnet features in it.
From the Tribe marketing team:
[[[KEY MESSAGES - GUIDE FOR TALKING ABOUT TRIBE'S BUSINESS]]]
Message #1 - Consumer Benefit
Tribe is an online resource for enabling consumers to make local connections in their respective cities and leverage community opinion/feedback to get things done. Our leading marketplace can link members with local opportunities around apartments, jobs, events and services by connecting who they know (friends and those with common interests) with what they are looking for (sublet for the summer, coffee table, dentist recommendation).Message #2 - Business Opportunity
The online classifieds market is exploding as more consumers move online
- However, research shows half of person-to-person buy/sell transactions occur outside of traditional classifieds channels (KRD research) - i.e. local word of mouthEstimated size of this private party market = $7B-9B by 2008 (Kannon
Consulting)
- No local media exists today to capture these dollars - virtually untapped.Tribe fills this gap with its local focus, community networking tools and Web-based, self-service listings.
- Tribe is well poised to capitalize on this opportunity with $6.3M in funding from Mayfield, Knight Ridder Digital and Washington Post Company. These big media companies view our offering as a way to capture dollars around private party transactions.Message #3 - Revenue Model
Tribe is pursuing a proven, traditional classifieds revenue model - we will eventually charge for commercial listings in a handful of high-value categories, like jobs or apartments, but the bulk of our listings will be free. Unlike sites like Friendster, we have stated from the beginning that we have no plans to charge our members subscription fees to connect on our site.Message #4 - Competitive Landscape
Companies like Friendster and Craigslist leverage certain elements of our offering, but no single Web site merges online community tools like individual profiles, online discussion groups and networking technology, then applies this combination to a local classifieds marketplace.We are not a pure social network like Friendster or LinkedIn. Tribe’s social network has always had a specific purpose - it gives consumers visibility into important connections so they can make better-informed decisions and reap unexpected benefits.
Message #5 - Differentiators
Craigslist: We think the opportunity around the local Internet is staggering. Craigslist demonstrates that there is a wide open field around localized online media - and we aim to take it to the next level. Tribe wants to be the ultimate tool enabling your community to act as your filter
– surfacing shared local opinions/information so it can help guide your life.Friendster: Both Tribe and Friendster leverage social networking technology, but that’s where the similarity ends. Friendster is competing with Match.com in online dating and is pursuing a pay-to-connect model. Tribe is building a local classifieds marketplace. These are entirely different businesses.
[[[SPECIFIC Q&A AROUND LAUNCH PLANS]]]
Q: What are Tribe’s plans with Knight Ridder and the Post? What can we expect to see next?
A: Tribe’s primary goal is offer consumers new ways to connect with their respective cities and leverage collective feedback to make better decisions. In collaboration with its investors, Tribe is crystallizing its strategy for delivering its marketplace and expects to start testing some new functionality in certain markets in the next month or so.
Q: Is Tribe targeting Philadelphia specifically?
A: Yes. Tribe is actually active in several markets, including San Francisco, Boston, New York and Los Angeles.
Q: Does Tribe have plans to integrate with Knight Ridder properties?
A: No.
So you can see Tribe in heavily into FOAF. Others are too.