Yahoo!, MSN, Dell Start Networking With ‘The People’

We all know what ?too much? means. For instance, there is too much information for one individual to sift through on sites like Digg, Reddit, and Slashdot. One can even say there are too many sites that offer very similar or identical services. Well, maybe not Slashdot, which really is separate in its mission, but you get the picture. Really, it?s true. Visit Netscape and you can immediately tell it?s a rip-off of another, more popular service. (Which is legally okay, as the original ?idea? is open to mess about with.) There?s really no need to be naming names, because you must already know exactly what I?m talking about anyway.

So what made a trio of big corporations try the same thing at this precise moment, a time when the engines and APIs first to arrive are now have to loosen their belts by the day just to fit the submissions, the links, the info, the comments, and the multitude of other oddities under their respective roofs? They?re filled up to the brim, and it seems as if the trio - Yahoo!, Dell, and MSN - are just arriving to the party when the kegs have nearly been emptied. Or something to that effect. Well, thankfully, two of the three long-running industry giants have got their heads on straight. We think MSN has lost touch with reality yet again, so we won?t give their new service any more than a passing glance.

First up, Yahoo!. A fellow by the name of Bob Caswell at Computers.net dubbed it his ?least favorite,? though he threw in a ?likely? prior to making the declarative to save his hide a bit. Sure, we tease, but the fact that something dubbed a suggestion board is supposed to be anything more (say… a news aggregator) is, well, silly. The Yahoo! Suggestion Board is run by the engine?s users, and has little Web 2.0-ness about it apart from the voting system, but it does the trick. Whether Yahoo! cares at all what is suggested on the boards is something else entirely, but we?ll need to wait around a bit to see whether things around the portal change as a result of the Suggestion Board. Until then, we?ll dub it a decent initiative, one that the site has lacked for far too long.

Next is Dell?s IdeaStorm, which is all about customer suggestions for/about products and services. Guess what tops the list? Yep, Linux. Much of Dell?s website has received a makeover in recent months, and IdeaStorm shows the goods. It?s fantastically easy to navigate, read suggestions, and vote on things. (Without having to sign in, too!) One needs to sign in to write comments, but that?s a given. But we certainly love the openness of the voting, however. It either shows Dell doesn?t want to be open exclusively to members of the site and the Dell Forums, or that the company wants as much input as possible in its first real moments on the Web 2.0 stage, which it will only get if it is as welcoming as it is possible without rising a major spam attack. Kudos to Dell for building the foundation for a closer, more connected conversation between company and customer. We look forward to seeing quick implementation of the most highly-rated and best suggestions. Hear that Mike? Quick implementation.

Lastly, we have MSN Reporter, which is French. Nothing wrong with that, of course. Except, when you?ve introduced an obviously horrible Digg-type site with imposing advertising, you just can?t achieve success. Story headlines don?t lead directly to the page of origin, and descriptions are short. That might be okay for others, but not myself. Certainly not for the Digg faithful. The only thing I think MSN Reporter has going for it is the clear display of both positive and negative votes. Negative votes are not shown on Digg (only in the comments); if stories receive enough downward thumbs, they get buried and disappear from sight. This isn?t so on MSN Reporter. So chalk one positive up for Microsoft. But only one.

Caswell is right, Digg shouldn?t be worried. Furthermore, he also states that Microsoft isn?t doing a great job with Reporter. We?re also riding in tandem with his feeling that Dell?s site takes top honors. If you?re a fan of grids and charts, and want to see these three services side by side, check out Caswell?s piece on Computers.net.

Screenshots: 

Yahoo! Suggestion Board

Dell IdeaStorm

MSN Reporter