Wordpress + Buddypress = Facebook
By Julien in 
Sometimes it’s difficult to keep track with every piece of technology being released on the web. I’m usually pretty good at keeping up with new software via RSS feeds or social network platforms like Facebook and Twitter but from time to time, one manages to slip through the cracks. BuddyPress did just that until it reappeared this morning in my feeds.
I am a huge fan of Wordpress. If you are not familiar with this amazing blog/CMS/do-it-all software, check out wordpress.org. Our blog at Frogman was built in Wordpress. The Wordpress community is by far the largest when it comes to free blog/CMS platforms, surpassing easily the Blogger community. Therefore, new tools, gadgets, bells and whistles are created on a constant basis to answer the ongoing requests from users seeking new ways to deliver their information.
BuddyPress seems to do just that when it comes to the high demand of Social Networking. It can turn any Wordpress blog into a robust, multi-users Social Networking platform like Facebook. Why go through the trouble of paying a designer to implement such a software when Facebook is free, you may ask? Well, Facebook does the job just right but at the end of the day it still looks like Facebook and you still have to obey Facebook rules. If you are a large corporation, you may want to “skin” your Social Networking platform with your colors and your logo. You may also want the flexibility to control the way your platform works. In other words, when your company has already invested large amount of dollars in branding, you may want a custom design and custom tools whether you are looking for an Intranet solution or a Social Networking platform.
BuddyPress can do that!
Thanks for the pointer, I’ve not seen that tool.
However this begs the question – should one pile onto the Facebook wagon or build/buy your own wagon?
I’ll point you at a case to study. The Mission Zero ORG web site. http://missionzero.org/ It is an attempt to build a community around the concept of sustainability.
– snip –
“What is Mission Zero all about?
Mainly, it’s all about enlisting the support and energy of millions of people who can help correct the world’s environmental course.
It’s about a big goal of zero environmental impact that is achieved through little actions that make a difference. It’s about hope and commitment. It’s about challenging ourselves to greatness. It’s about collective action.”
–snip–
So that is their goal – but if you visit their site – you feel like you are in a ghost town, tumble weeds blow by – figuratively speaking.
So my question – if you believe that “if you build it, they will come” – Field of Dreams – will it take too long to reach a critical mass, that supports your dream, your social community? Or do you go with a large community and try to carve out a little corner in that space?
Is there an alternative hybrid solution? Can the two be symbiotic?
By David Koontz on Feb 19, 2010
Good question and it will all depend on the audience and marketing strategy of the company who chose that path. I assume Facebook, Twitter and even MySpace asked themselves that same question at some point in their development. It worked for them and failed for many others nobody will even know of.
In the case of Mission Zero, only time will tell if this website will end up being a success or a failure. If marketed properly and kept alive, it does have a chance to grow. Of course, the subject matter also makes a difference. Are people ready to be part of a “greener” world? Is the target audience large enough?
Regarding BuddyPress, I think this software has great potential for Intranet systems in large companies. The Winston-Salem Journal was in this situation last year. They needed a platform where employees and employees only could exchange information, post calendar events, etc. It looks like BuddyPress may have been the perfect solution for them.
By Julien on Feb 19, 2010