Socl - Microsoft's Secret Social Search Project
Microsoft is apparently ready to mix it up with Facebook and Google
Earlier this year Microsoft accidentally published a Web site called Socl.com which caused various rumors that the company will launch its own social network with social search service. According to the company statement, the site was an internal design project from one of Microsoft's research teams which was mistakenly published to the Web.
Socl.com, which was found to be a Microsoft project, was described as a "social search" service that would allow users to find what they need and share what they know. The site, which is still in private beta testing and may never be released publicly, mixes search, discovery, and, go figure, a social network, the blog reported.
Socl offers a basic three-column layout that is reminiscent of Facebook's design, with navigation tools to the left, a social feed in the center, and invites and other options to the right. Central to the experience is a pseudo status box at the top of the page that asks users "What are you searching for?" Search functionality would presumably be provided by Bing, Microsoft's search engine.
The site relies heavily on tagging, allowing users to identify topics they are interested in and receive social updates on those interests. However, The Verve contends that Socl's approach isn't much of an improvement over Google's saved searches function.
Socl also touts a video party feature that allows users to chat and view YouTube videos with their friends.
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