Social Games essential elements of Social Networks, Email may become next essential element

Facebook mail will beat Gmail or not is a big question. But one thing is for sure that Email is now becoming the most essential part of the social networks. Ibibo, Itimes, MySpace, Facebook offers integrated email service in their social networks already and many other are ready to do so.

Social Games have become the most essential element of Social Networks. All social networks offer social browser games or apps to keep the user at their sites for a longer period of time. Now the same trend can be seen for the email service. Some Tech Gurus say that "email is dead" but i feel that traditional email is dead and there is a requirement of some new kind of email which is a bit social.

Social is the word that is more popular than web2.0 these days. The sites which are not social are on a decline. Big internet groups like Yahoo are looking towards new entrant Facebook and Twitter to survive. Now Facebook has launched its own email service so it is very clear that email is also essential to complete the overall social structure.

Gmail is one of the most used Google product and now Facebook is targeting that market also. This trend of mail integrated with social has not been a success in the case of MySpace and Ibibo but can be a success in case of Facebook, as Facebook have equal crazy fans as Apple.

Who so ever win, Facebook Mail or Gmail, but social networks will not start integrating mail service.

Rockmelt – The new social web browser

Rockmelt the new web browser based on chromium is launched. You can get the browser invite by connecting it to your Facebook account. They have the target of one million in six months, so you can hope for the invite soon. They have kept monetizing as their second priority and concentrating right now to make it a hit. Its has following challenges:

1. Already we have browsers Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Safari and Opera fighting for the market share. It will be tough for Rockmelt to eat their share. Still one thing goes in their favor that they have ruled the browser market with Netscape earlier.

2. Flock (Chromium Based) and Epic Web Browser (Mozilla Based) have not made any significant progress and are quite similar to Rockmelt social browser.

I feel that it will be very tough for them to make any impact on other browsers. All major browser have made there own source like MS, Mozilla, Google, Apple and Opera where its use open source Chromium. We have seen that people feels that Google Chrome is the real browser and others are like replicas. Even these bars will slow them. So they need to make there own source and then can only have tough fight with them.

It has toolbar on both side: Left for friends and Right for sites. A big share button on top. It takes care of all social activity but do we need to be so social? Will the net users want a separate browser for their social activities? All this and more will be answered in six months.

Rediff Vs Indiatimes Vs Web18 : Indian Internet War

We have seen several internet wars in the past:

1. Netscape Vs Internet Explorer

2. MSN Vs Yahoo Vs Google

3. Facebook Vs My Space

4. Google Vs Bing

5. Facebook Vs Google [Which still continues]

But they all were in USA and we have never seen this to happen in India till now.

Today when i saw an advertisement in Times Of India showing Indiatimes getting more unique visitors than Rediff and Web18, smell like a new war will start soon. Actually this all happens because of report of Comscore showing Indiatimes over Rediff and Web18 in unique visitors and Web18 over Indiatimes and Rediff in terms of traffic.

Lets see on what front can they fight and who will emerge winner:

1. NEWS: News the most important service given by them. Indiatimes has an advantage that they have the leading newspaper Times Of India, Economic Times and Financial Times so people will prefer reading its online news. Web18 has leading news network woth CNBC and IBN so they may also lead over Rediff. With Rediff we have the advantage that its famous in US so they will be prefered in US which contributes most of the advertising revenues. My rank Indiatimes>>Web18>>Rediff.

2. Mail: Rediff is quite famous and their Rediffmail NG has proved to be one of the best mail service on Mobile at Rs 50. In.com Mail is also good enough and people will like it after they use but it needs to gain market. In.com Mail has done quite an advertising so may be we see it growing. Indiatimes Mail is below standard and even they pay no attention to it. My rank Rediff>>Web18>>Indiatimes.

3. Search: Rediff is light so a preferred home page of many and will go under a seach deal. While other two: Web18 and Indiatimes, have a partnership with google. My rank Rediff>>Web18>>Indiatimes.

4. Social: Rediff has “My Page” which needs revamp. Inditimes has Itimes which has integrated mail service but lacks chat. Web18 has no presence in this area. My rank Indiatimes>>Rediff>>Web18.

According to me its going to be tough fight among them and Rediff seems to be emerging as a winner.

My Rank:

1. Rediff (which may be Google of India)

2. Indiatimes (which may be MSN of India)

3. Web18 (Which may be Yahoo of India)

Facebook Vs Google War II – Facebook Mail will eat GMail?

Facebook Vs Google War I: Won by Facebook by beating Orkut, Buzz and Wave.

Facebook Vs Google War II:

GMail is very popular in India like all other products of Google. Indian net users are bigger fan of Google than they are of Apple. But Facebook has made an equal place among Indian users by offering quality social network. So, we can say that India will accept Facebook Mail as the primary mail address.

Plus points for Facebook Mail:

1. Every social network user has a Facebook ID.

2. Indians love Facebook as much as they love Google.

Negative points for Facebook Mail:

1. GMail is used in corporate and government in India so replacing it will be tough.

2. Offices and Colleges have Facebook blocked so no access to Facebook Mail.

3. Facebook Mail is attach to social network so many will not like to compromise on its privacy.

I feel that this time Google will win the war as war is fought in the Google arena (as GMail is the fastest growing mail service). Unlike the War I which was fought in AOL arena (MySpace) so Facebook looked more serious player than Orkut. If this time Facebook Mail beats Google Mail than Facebook will become unbeatable.