Just took a quick look at Tribe.net — after reading about Mayfield funding them and having a friend tell me I should consider starting a tribe. Fascinating — or, rather, amazing. Social networks — the whole genre feels like a bubble — but, then, what do I know? “The Internet changed everything.”
I was involved for many years with CompuServe’s online communities — quaintly called “forums”. Looking at what Tribe is doing, it’s basically at its core just a discussion forum — with revenue generation coming from advertising listings sold within each of the communities.
Back in the heydays of CompuServe forums, forum managers participated in the revenue generated in their specific community. Does Tribe offer the same kind of deal to Tribe moderators?
What goes around, comes around. There’s nothing new under the sun, etc. I wish them well and hope the founders and Mayfield make a gazillion dollars on this play. Maybe Google will just have to own Tribe? If not Google, then it must be Yahoo?
Meanwhile, I’ve yet to sign up. My needs for community are being met in other ways.