Will Social Networks Replace Forums?

Posted on July 19, 2006

In reporting the upcoming launch of a new social network for hockey fans called NHL Connect, Mashable says he likes the sports and social network combination.

Social networking plus sports seems like a great combination - rather than having to build new communities, these sites just represent existing groups (fans of certain teams) on the web. That means user acquisition is easier. What's more, there's actually a common goal (to talk about sports) - that's in stark contrast to the sprawling, generic and seemingly directionless networks that dominate the scene.

Communities slready exist on the Internet for all kinds of subjects -- not just sports. How long before someone creates a do-it-yourself php script and social networks become as commonplace as web forums -- or replace web forums? It looks like there are already some scripts available. Some existing forums may simply upgrade their existing forums to offer common social networking features like expanded profiles, friends and blogs.