Preface: A year has passed, and a new one is upon us. Time always urges us forward without pause. Following the bustling internet of 2007, next year promises to be even more worthy of our hard work and anticipation...
With the year-end approaching, I'd like to take advantage of the festive atmosphere to talk with everyone about SNS websites focused on food—a visual feast for all of you! First, I wish everyone a happy new year!
We’ve heard a lot about the concept of SNS, but when it comes to defining what SNS truly is or its core value, it’s often quite challenging to provide an accurate definition or perspective. I believe that SNS should be more of a platform. Its main function should address a new way of information transmission and integration rather than merely being a network of social relationships or a tool for making friends. Applications based on SNS communities give users two conveniences that distinguish them from traditional communities:
1. Knowing what your friends are doing and what they like.
2. Making friends with purpose, allowing your friends' friends to easily become your friends.
The success of MySpace and the popularity of Facebook have led many people to delve deeper into the value of SNS. As a result, applications centered around SNS have become increasingly numerous and diverse. We've previously mentioned SNS communities for making friends, music-based SNS websites, and pet-based SNS applications.
At least now, as people's understanding of the internet deepens and the quality of internet users improves, network-based applications are increasingly becoming more lifestyle-oriented and practical. This trend is most likely to meet user needs and align closely with real user behaviors.
There is a website in the U.S. called Bakespace.com, which is also an SNS application site. Wang Ruibin introduced it in his blog before. This website went online in August 2006 and quickly developed into the largest online platform for food sharing and exchange in North America. Thousands of housewives enthusiastically exchange their skills here, sharing the beautiful life brought by food. Recently, it was said that Bakespace.com will collaborate with publishers to publish and release some original culinary content.
China's food culture is vast and profound. Even without mentioning the eight major cuisines, street snacks alone are incredibly diverse. However, for a long time, there hasn't been a website in China that incorporates food into the SNS philosophy. Most food-related websites still operate in the traditional Web 1.0 mode, lacking user interaction. The content is outdated, and users often simply treat these websites as free recipe books, unable to genuinely communicate and share with other users. But recently, several websites in China have entered this field. These websites combine the interactivity of food communities with the sharing nature of personal food blogs, forming a new type of food SNS website.
MyCai (www.woocai.cn)
A food SNS website mainly providing exchanges and sharing of cuisine and cooking skills. The website offers an open platform where all content is provided by users through the UGC model. It encourages users to post their own culinary skills to exchange and share with others. The interface is simple, and the color scheme breaks away from the traditional red and orange tones of food websites, giving a sense of elegance.
The website's slogan: "MyCai showcases your culinary skills," clearly showing that MyCai is different from traditional recipe websites that only provide recipe search functions. Instead, it emphasizes the concept of a food community and skill sharing, advocating for users to come together to share food and flavors.
Of course, MyCai also has some issues. Launched in mid-November, the current number of users and visits is still relatively low, and the amount of original food content is limited. The interactivity of the website is not yet fully developed, but some distinctive information recommendation methods typical of Web 2.0 sites, such as "MyCai guesses you'll like," effectively capture user needs.
Chihuo (www.chihuo.com)
Chihuo is also a food SNS concept similar to MyCai. The website directly mentions the concept of a social food website in its introduction. In addition to recipes, Chihuo has many other functions such as encyclopedias and games. However, the website seems incomplete, with poor page production quality, and many internal pages having functions that cannot be accessed normally. Nevertheless, Chihuo appears to have strong advantages and operational capabilities in media promotion, and significant adjustments seem imminent.
Gezhi Recipe (http://www.gtogt.com)
The homepage of the website resembles a recipe search engine, but it is actually a food SNS-dominated website. To attract users, the website launched a paid submission campaign. Users receive 5 yuan for each confirmed original recipe upload, which is sure to be appealing to many users. However, currently, user interaction is not very active, and the website production is relatively rough. Additionally, it feels like the website design and color scheme explicitly mimic the Monster website.
Overall, SNS websites based on food or similar to Bakespace have already emerged domestically. It's still unclear whether the direction of food SNS can become a new approach, but at least the Bakespace model is worth referencing. Moreover, products like these are more closely related to life and family, potentially leading to more ideas combining with practical industries. Although the websites introduced above have differences, they share the same goal. Personally, I prefer the overall feel of MyCai. The pages are simple, with no ads except on the homepage, giving a clean impression. The names of the sections are very Web 2.0-like, such as "Vegetable Field" and "Vegetable Calendar," creating a fun experience.
The other day, I discussed this topic with a few friends. With the end of the year approaching, while offering everyone a sumptuous "feast" of food, I also want to discuss and exchange ideas with everyone about the in-depth presentation of SNS and its wide range of applications based on SNS. I hope all colleagues have a bountiful harvest in the coming year!