Social networks in good health and good business

Internet is like a large particle accelerator. If instead of atoms, protons, electrons, neutrinos and other subatomic particles put business ideas, proposals business start ups or business initiatives, we have accelerated an environment where life cycles are shortened. The obsolescence of any content is so rapid that converts a new concept in a old concept before the market potential is able to assimilate it.

 So much so that when the Web 2.0 remains a mystery or an unknown or a new phenomenon for some, for others it is somewhat outdated, and withered without interest that has already lost its prominence in front of the Web 3.0. The particle accelerator is that the Internet has these things. Nothing new.

The Web 2.0 not only not dead, either expired or outdated, but you still have to go either way, in our opinion, we should all do an exercise in realism and common sense to exploit their chances before ordered a elephant graveyard illustrious both of which abound in the network.

 If we talk about Web 2.0, we speak of social networks (in the same way that when a few years ago we talked about electronic commerce, we talked about Amazon.com…). The Social networks are not a new invention, nor is ebay, nor are the portals or job search partner. They are neither more nor less, adapting to a new paradigm of a type of relationship between people who already took place before the Internet reaches our lives. Before, long before that communications and telecommunications we change the habits and customs, had already clubs and circles where people are linked together by interests, hobbies or common concerns. There were also street markets, pawnbrokers, bartering and selling second-hand goods. There was also a vacancy on bulletin boards and in newspapers, just as it has always been places of “Men seeking men”, “seeks partner partner” and “couple seeks mature” or vice versa. All that already existed, what happens now is that the possibilities of relationships, and exchange transaction multiplied by thousands and thousands and thousands…

A social network is what a few years ago called “virtual community” (if someone wants to explain the fundamental differences, if any, we welcome your comments ), people who have affinities and relate to one another. Today we have at our disposal many social networks that no longer belong to what we know, what we are interested and, most importantly, what we serve… if we serve for something.

But platitudes on the sidelines (and when we talk about social networks any trivia thousands), many of these networks which are nothing other than an agenda online, or a book shared direction. Nothing more.They consume time and do nothing.  Others, by contrast, have a practical use, allowing qualitative and profitable relationships (either from a personal point of view, intellectual, professional or daily) and, therefore, their benefit is clear to the user.

Regarding business model we have not uncovered, for now, nothing new. Payment for membership in the network in question, usually a standard and free access to the payment of premium services. Business-based advertising targeted at the value of the profiles of the Database of the social network, as we said, nothing new. There may be other more innovative business models or more interesting, but for now are nothing more than timid and very localized experiences (experiments, we could say).

 Where social networks walk? Undoubtedly toward specialization. They continue a transit of the generic to the concrete. In other words, the social networks we cross “migrating” to the vertical social networks. So much so that while one looks, large social networks incubate and create sub themes within it. Networks in other networks.  We can say that professionals in large networks as Xing or LinkedIn subnetworks that there are other different groups, communities or associations that are formed and grow internally.

But here we would like to highlight a line of evolution of social networks that will have a tremendous impact in the short term. This is what we might call the Health 2.0. Already in the summer of 2007, the prestigious Wall Street Journal devoted an interesting article on the social networks health oriented, indicating that this is only the beginning and networks as Sermo is an example of what will come very soon. One trend that in September of that year confirmed another article Lindsay Blakely for CNNMoney.com.

This evolution, perhaps revolution, which will speak, of course, Google’s hand. And there is nothing less than Google Health.  Google Health will store health data, clinical records might say, of thousands of people who voluntarily enroll in this service to share interests, councils, situations and problems related to their health.

With the collaboration of the Clinical Cleeveland, Google Health is at the moment, a test pilot with the participation of some 10,000 volunteers who share his “state of health” on the Internet. When the Washington Post published the first article about the Beta of Google Health, included a statement from the very top of the Clinic Cleeveland saying that with this new service expected to help create a health system more efficient and effective.

You do not need too much imagination to project a service Healthcare large scale where the relationship between patients, medical professionals, medical institutions and pharmaceutical laboratories forming a true global Health System. We will not use qualifiers, even we are going to make or epic disaster. What is true is that one thing is to share business or professional relations, and quite another to share something as sensitive as information relating to health. The positive reading is that if Google Health is launched and expansion with the same speed as all the initiatives that have left the company Sergey Brin and Larry Page, will be a strong signal that the Internet, or Web 2.0, has generated so confident as to have our medical records online will not produce headaches. The other reading is that we are returning all crazy, but that long ago that we know and has nothing to do with the Internet.

The health, welfare, care of body and mind are primary concerns of human beings. Revolution Health works for some time now in U.S. and is going consolidating as a real centre of medical information and health care.Endorsed by thousands of subscribers, recognized specialists in various medical disciplines, and prestigious pharmaceutical laboratories and hospitals renowned, is a relation of confidence prevailing on the Net.

So, we think that Web 2.0, understood for what it is: the network fed, accessed and promoted by users, has a long life ahead. It lacks, however, innovation, which will, which is already coming. And the social networks, whether to share information on travel, as Wolpy to share PowerPoint presentations, as SlideShare, or to share training of the most diverse topics such as Sclipo, enjoy good health.