UnLtd World – Social Entrepreneur Network?

UnLtd World is a new beta that I was invited to test today. This charity based social network has a vision to be a platform for social entrepreneurs and a base for socially minded people to interact. My first impression of the site (outside the slick design) was skeptical I must say. My vision of the next social network, if we ever need another, has been something possessing unprecedented flexibility and function. While UnLtd does not possess Web 3.0 technology or massive function, it does have a great potential as a niche service if the people come.

Basics Plus
On the face of it this service has all the “bells and whistles” of any decent social network: rich profiles, an easy dashboard, sharing, groups, a photo gallery, and a variety of other social tools at hand. UnLtd is comparable to any of the larger such sites at this stage of development and a hint of a little bit more. Where the site really diverges into something out of the ordinary is in the audience it is designed to attract – social entrepreneurs. I am not entirely sure I know what a social entrepreneur is, but I assume it means social people desiring monetization.

The Site
UnLtd World is a very pretty site, site designer Pete Harris has done an a great job of creating a platform that is useable and aesthetically appealing. Between the resources and services sections this approach to niche utility and user advertising of their services and interests could appeal to many people in search of a new social network, but at present the services and content are thin. This is to be expected in any beta of course, but I am not all together sure that what UnLtd has to offer is unique or usable enough. By usable I simply mean that all the services are textually presented (not very Web 2.0) and there appears to be nothing more than a search aspect for finding relevance. This is not such a bad thing, but without some advanced indexing and relevance tool the site has little that cannot be found elsewhere.

Conclusion
The greatest redeeming aspect of UnLtd World is their status as a charity. In practice social entrepreneurs, as UnLtd calls them – can share, network, promote projects and services and expand ideas. The biggest problem I see is that any user can do this on Facebook or a dozen other places. Perhaps UnLtd has plans that will attract a segment from other social networks, but the driving force behind any such move is not readily apparent yet.

Still, the site is well worth checking out and like any other – it is all about the people. More people and good feedback can add up to a promising startup if the developers are responsive enough, but a late entry without a smashing innovation or calling card is going to have a go of it in my opinion.