Good info on this thread!
I've never really been into these social network type sites. Nothing against them, I just haven't felt the need I guess. Following some advice from a credible source, I have decided to "explore" setting up a social network of types on my domain Character .com. This name would work if I had a clue what the heck I was doing or how to approach something like this.
Upon doing a search for "social network software" waaayyyy more search results came up than I expected. Very competitive, and leaves me more than confused. The above comments have been helpful, and I appreciate that, but there are still many questions.
Trying to keep it on topic and not hijack this thread, let me ask, is any of the above mentioned softwares unique? By this I mean, are these all very similar, or do they allow enough customizability to differentiate themselves and appear unique to the end-user? My hunch is that in order to be a successful social network you almost need to have a software custom built, rather than widely sold. Am I off here?
From what I am hearing Social Engine is one of the best new social softwares.