Social Networks for Car Lovers , Collectors, and Enthusiasts

When it comes to social networking for the average American, most can be found updating their profiles on Facebook, Twitter, and/or MySpace. I, myself, have used Facebook for the past 3 years or so, but have never used MySpace; I have started using Twitter this past semester for Information 3.0, but I have yet to truly acknowledge its usefulness and have failed to use it for tweets that don't pertain to the class. Recently, I discovered there are more specialized social networks that group together smaller groups of people. Whereas Facebook is a social network open to anyone, there are other social networks reaching out to people that, for example, work in an office or like scary movies. There are even social networks that connect lovers of cute kittens. And, after some further research, I found several that establish a social network for car lovers, collectors, and enthusiasts.

The most legitimate two I could find are CarSpace and the Automative Social Network, and although they are the first ones to come up on a Google search for "car social networks," they are the most professional-looking sites I could find. These two networks are common in many ways, but each have features specific to their styles. Both networks involve membership and contributions to the site; users will add photos, videos, and start discussions all pertaining to car models, car sales, car tips, car everything! Both have forums and member blogs, with news of new automobile advancements and happenings. CarSpace is more oriented towards helping the car buyer, giving new and used car sales and their reviews. It even has guides to car insurance! Although a social network, it deals greatly with helping the individual about as much as it does with connecting car enthusiasts. The Automotive Social Network (ASN) is much more like Facebook. It has intricate profiles telling details of users and uses a more formal layout (CarSpace's layout is more informal and cheery). ASN is more about posting, less about selling. It has larger forums and many more blogs; the members are more connected through pictures and videos than car sales. It is also more important to note that CarSpace has members find other members to make friends based on a survey similar to that on a dating site (but about cars) whereas ASN uses a system where you can find a person and friend them (like on Facebook) or find people based on interests. Overall, ASN is focused more on the social aspect and CarSpace focuses more on educating car buyers, though both are social networks that function similarly.

By studying these two networks, I have seen that there are some parallels involving choosing different social networks to join. I really like using Facebook because of all its features, but I dislike Twitter because, although it has its own unique features, it is basically a Facebook status. MySpace, to me, just looked like it took to much effort to make and handle. I didn't like the format or the design. The same thing can be said of members of these car networks. I'm sure different car enthusiasts and collectors would prefer ASN over CarSpace and vice versa. Both have different features that appeal to different groups; at the same time, I'm sure there is plenty of overlap in members of the different networks(just as many Facebook users are often Twitter users). What I have yet to find is a social network that discusses cars and the industry. If there isn't one yet, it would probably become very popular when it's made because cars are a hot, everyday topic under a lot of debate. Crashes, innovations, laws, and such things arise everyday in the car world and are avid topics in forums on the aforementioned networks. I'm sure enough debate could fill an entire site rather than just a forum or two. That's what's coming next. Social network sites that deal less with specifics and focus on major debate topics. People will be able to discuss major issues and comment on posts. Then major changes will occur. Industries will change their outlooks and the masses will be able to find compromises/agreements. OneWorld is a good example of one such site that started a couple years ago, but it lacks the publicity, professional layout, and the many concerning topics that a true debate network requires to function. Soon, though, these social networks, that deal with all the big issues, will arise and people will be talking about what they read on them everyday.