More news from WordCamp–BuddyPress: why do we need another social network?
Because it’s not. BuddyPress is a platform that works with WordPress, hand in hand, connecting your blog with something like a “Facebook.” However, It has open source, better control, more choices, than the others, according to Andy Peatling of BuddyPress, and greater support for open standards. Unlike other social network sites, BuddyPress is not a “data silo” for someone else to mine.
COMPONENTS of BuddyPress
- extended custom profiles and fields
- blog can be front page or profile front page
- private messaging between friends and site wide
- friends, can search for
- create groups, public and private
POTENTIAL USES of BuddyPress
- business or school or other social networks
- niche social networks–like minded or interests
- more
Why use WP for BuddyPress?
- active and supportive community
- functionality
- existing platform
- existing plugins
Not only is BuddyPress for people to stay connected, it’s a buddy to WP. If you’re on WP, it will be easy to add BuddyPress.
While most of the components are available now as plugins to those with WordPress.org accounts, BuddyPress V.1: coming to you 12/08!
Of course if you’re on wordpress.com like me, you’re out of luck since the only way you can use plugins is if there’s a Firefox greasemonkey available to help. But it is compelling, and for the first time, I am considering having something like a “Facebook” account and can see some purpose to it. Please don’t tell me this is a slippery slope to a twitter account!
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art predator 
Yeah, I don’t understand the function of this except as a time vacuum for everyone. A blog, two email accounts, a reader, what else do you need really? Who has that much to say? I like the previous guy’s idea better.
I just joined Facebook but I have to admit I’m not sure what to do with it. I’m interested in the Firefox greasemonkey comment. I’m going to look into this.
What I like that’s behind the idea of BuddyPress is that basically you can have a page on your blog that operates like Facebook with a link to your blog. Or vice versa. Or not. Or you can have a BuddyPress page w/o a WP blog.
So as an extention on my blog? or a service from my blog? ok by me.
I also can really see using it with a company, where people within a company can have pages to help with connectivity, familiarity with each other.
Maybe. I’ll wait and see what happens, as usual. If you say it works, Ms Predator, I will follow you,