A Platform that Actually Works?
The world before Facebook looks a lot like the world after Facebook, except that now people we spent serious effort escaping in the real world can more easily re-connect virtually. This is underwhelming. At the same time, Facebook alerted us to the notion that virtual platforms might offer a new way to bring people together. Want to organize a meeting? Set up a “meetup“. Well, no thanks.
But, what about using a platform to make money? That might have more appeal. KaChing is the first such platform that I have seen. Here is what the site says about itself
kaChing is the best place to find and follow top investing talent. Where you can see at a glance if they’re skilled or lucky. And where you can see every trade they make in real time, so you can make the same trades yourself. Better yet, we can make them for you.
I think this will work because it can work as a game/enhancement hybrid. It provides a tiny but entertaining escape from the real world, and potential real world rewards. You might want to compare this with Second Life, that is massively distracting with fewer payoffs.
I think we will see more kaChing types of platforms, and perhaps then an open source system for building onto and making platforms ourselves (a modular platform system). Interesting.
FOLLOW - Oh … and by the way, there are some folks in the magazine industry who think they should be in the platform business. Josh Quittner from Time, Inc. has this to say.
2d FOLLOW - Foursquare is another example of this new type of hybrid game/enhancement platform. You use Foursquare when you check into a public place in one of the listed cities (like a restaurant or bar). You win points when you give tips about the place, which give status. And BTW, your friends who want to meet you know where to find you. NYT has a review.