Microsoft launches So.cl social network

Microsoft has quietly launched its own social network -- but the company swears it isn’t a Facebook competitor.

You can even use your Facebook account to log in to it.

The So.cl experimental research project combines social networking and search, according to Microsoft. It launched 4 months ago in conjunction with the University of Washington, Syracuse University, and New York University. But it only opened to the public at large this weekend.

And the Windows giant swears it isn't meant to compete with "Big Blue."

'We expect students to continue using products such as Facebook.'

- Microsoft

“We expect students to continue using products such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other existing social networks, as well as Bing, Google and other search tools,” Microsoft said. “We hope to encourage students to reimagine how our everyday communication and learning tools can be improved, by researching, learning and sharing in their everyday lives.”

In other words, the project is meant to complement Microsoft’s competitors.

So.cl distinguishes itself by focusing on learning and education. The company says its meant to make it easier for students to collaborate, sharing the results of Internet searches and the photos, videos and stories they uncover. The layout resembles an amalgamation of existing social networks, taking cues from Google+, Facebook, Twitter and more.

You can follow other users or interest, noted the Washington Post, and a "bookmarklet" function adds a "Share on So.cl" button to your web browser making it a cinch to collaborate and share searches with others.

“What we’ve seen in the last year or two is innovation in the way schools are teaching and learning from students, creating new programs to study how information spreads, motivates learning, and creates expertise,” said Lili Cheng, general manager of FUSE Labs, in a statement about the project.

“In So.cl, there’s a shift in emphasis toward improving collaboration and connecting with other people around common interests,” said Shelly Farnham, a FUSE Labs researcher working on the project.

The project was originally launched in conjunction with the three universities. It was created by Microsoft’s Fuse labs, a “skunkworks” style development lab that is exploring how social information can change and enhance sharing on the web.

What is So.cl?

So.cl (pronounced "social") is an experimental research project, developed by Microsoft’s FUSE Labs, focused on exploring the possibilities of social search for the purpose of learning.

So.cl combines social networking and search, to help people find and share interesting web pages in the way students do when they work together.
So.cl helps you create rich posts, by assembling montages of visual web content.
To encourage interaction and collaboration, So.cl provides rich media sharing, and real time sharing of videos via "video parties."

We expect students to continue using products such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other existing social networks, as well as Bing, Google and other search tools. We hope to encourage students to reimagine how our everyday communication and learning tools can be improved, by researching, learning and sharing in their everyday lives.

Who can join?

We are formally partnering with selected schools (including University of Washington, Syracuse University, and New York University).

However, anyone can participate in the FUSE Labs research community as several of our experiments are available for use on the web. For those who wish to be more involved with FUSE, please e-mailSocl@microsoft.com.

In So.cl, how do I share a search?

By default, searches in So.cl are shared publicly. As students work together, they often search for the same items, and discover new shared interests by sharing links. We see this trend today on many social networks, such as Twitter, where shared links spread virally and amplify popular content. So.cl experiments with this concept by automatically sharing links as you search. The So.cl search experience is powered by Bing, and we use the public Bing API’s to display search result data.

How does So.cl work?

The So.cl search experience is powered by Bing; we use the public Bing APIs to display search result data. As students work together, they often look for the same content, and discover new shared interests by sharing results. These results can be web pages, images, or videos found through Bing. We see this trend today on many social networks, such as Twitter, where shared links spread virally and amplify popular content. So.cl experiments with this concept by letting you easily share links as you search.

In So.cl, how do I create a rich post?

So.cl makes it easy to create a beautiful post you’re proud to share. Just find interesting images and links on the web, and So.cl helps you assemble them automatically into a compelling visual montage. To explore this concept further, try our related project Montage.

Example of a rich post in So.cl

What is the So.cl bookmarklet and how do I use it?

The So.cl bookmarklet is a new and easy way of sharing content on So.cl while navigating the Web.Click here to learn more.

In So.cl, what is a video party?

Students spend time sharing videos. So.cl extends this concept by making it easy to share video parties, with So.cl friends who are online. Video parties let you search, and quickly assemble a list of movies to view together with friends. You can view any existing party collection created by any other So.cl user, or create your own, and easily chat with other So.cl users.

Example of a video party in So.cl

Is So.cl data public?

Yes. Unless you mark it as "private", your search results, and any other data you post to So.cl may be viewed by all other So.cl users. In addition, we will make data that was publicly posted on So.cl broadly available for use by other entities and individuals.

For more information please read our Privacy Statement at http://www.so.cl/app/privacy.

Public data enables new types of research and experimentation, a primary goal for So.cl.

Can I delete my data in So.cl?

Yes. You have options ranging from deleting a single item, search or post, to deleting all your history, or your entire account. The data you have deleted, however, may have been included in data sets shared with third parties. Deletion of your data from So.cl will not delete entries from such data sets. For more information please read our Privacy Statement at http://www.so.cl/app/privacy.

Does it cost anything to join?

No, So.cl is free.

Is So.cl a part of Bing?

No, So.cl is a research project from FUSE Labs in Microsoft Research that is focused on learning more about social search. So.cl uses Bing for search data via the public API, but it is not a Bing product.

Does my So.cl data appear on Facebook?

So.cl uses Facebook authentication, which means you use your Facebook account to log in, and your name and profile picture from Facebook appear in So.cl.

By default we do not post any content from So.cl into your Facebook stream. If you choose, you can post content to Facebook using the share to Facebook feature in So.cl.

Why haven’t you added features commonly used in social networking and search sites such as: Facebook, Twitter, Bing, or Google?

So.cl is not meant to replace existing full-featured search and social networking tools. It is an experimental research project using a minimal set of features which help combine search with the social network for the purpose of learning.

Can So.cl be used more generally for people not focused on learning communities and academics?

So.cl can be used by the general public, but it is our goal to focus on learning communities.

What are the other social experiments that you are engaged in?

Other ongoing experiments include:

Kodu: teaches kids programming and creativity on the XBox and PC
Montage: creates a visual album of the web on the topics you care about
Docs: lets you discover, create and share documents with your friends, coworkers, and classmates on Facebook
or see more projects from FUSE Labs

These projects are experiments from Microsoft Research, and like other research projects, you should not expect that these projects will be supported by a Microsoft product team.