• by March 17, 2005

Yahoo!'s news that it will create a service that combines blogs with social networks is a kind of window on the current cultural zeitgeist. Yahoo! 360, launching on March 29 as an invitation-only service, will enable users to cull content from Yahoo! services and publish it to their Yahoo!-hosted blogs. The content will come from the portal's discussion groups, movie, restaurant, and music reviews, as well as photo albums. The service will also allow users to peak at their friends' blogs via their My Yahoo! page, mobile service, or RSS reader.

The plan taps into the notion of "communities of interest." The Web, of course, makes it easy to share information, video, music, photos, and ideas with people. Finding 138 people like you who collect those silly troll dolls from the '70s is facilitated so easily with the Web. The success of eBay is a testament to this. But Yahoo!'s 360 service expands the concept of community by tangibly enabling folks to share their talents and passions. It allows them to publish their blogs - video diaries, photography, and animations - and further enables them to search for people who indulge in similar interests. Heck, Yahoo! says 360 members will also be able to instant message one another.

Of course the melding of blogs and social networks will allow Yahoo! to offer a rich palette of groups that are bonded by specific interests. These audiences can be attractive to advertisers. But, these like-minded folks aren't likely to embrace advertising as part of the equation.

Knowing Yahoo!, the Minute cannot imagine a scenario where advertising would be intrusive or gauche. What is more likely is that, say a national chain of craft stores sponsors the knitting community. (Hey, isn't everyone knitting or crocheting ponchos now that Martha is so au currant?) Or, the gourmet venison group will attract Omaha Steaks. Who knows?

That's the beauty of this wild Web.

Yahoo!'s 360 is just the latest plan to monetize interest hubs on the Web. It represents the latest iteration of social networking. Let's see what happens.