If social media and networking sites like Facebook, Twitter or MySpace have you thinking, “Ho hum… been there, done that,” you’re not alone. If you’re also feeling like the major social media platforms are just a more technologically advanced method of navel-gazing and that you should be out there accomplishing something? — you’re not alone in that thought.
In an ironic twist, two Twitter co-founders seem to feel the same way – and they’d love to help you unlock your potential using the power of positive reinforcement with Lift, their new social networking platform.
GQ “Nerd of the Year” Biz Stone has teamed with fellow Twitter founder Evan Williams, former Twitter VP Jason Goldman and CrowdVine’s Tony Stubblebine to create Lift. Stone and Williams’ The Obvious Corporation bills Lift as an “interesting new application for unlocking human potential through positive reinforcement.”
Though the Obvious Corporation is remaining close-lipped about the particulars of Lift, the company website emphasizes a core belief that people — not technology — are responsible for changing the world. They go so far as to describe the belief that technology is responsible for change as a delusion.
In contrast, Obvious states that technology’s role should be to facilitate and aid this human-driven positive change.
Their new social media application, Lift, is designed to do just that. According to Obvious, success is defined as a combination of positive impact, happiness and financial reward — all achieved through products that benefit individuals, organizations and society.
Though specific Lift details have yet to be released, many speculate that it may be similar to Mibbles — a predecessor site created by Stubblebine and partner Jon Crosby — that now directs users to Lift.
In its first iteration, Mibbles was designed as a tool that allowed users to share goals and track their accomplishments. Other users — friends or people with similar goals — offer encouragement through posting a +1; the goals and results are organized and shared.
Mibbles users were able to join groups that matched their personal or professional goals, from losing weight to improving a romantic relationship to learning another language. When a user made progress toward that goal, they posted it and received “awards” from other users in the form of clicked +1’s.
According to ReadWriteWeb, Lift may look a lot like a more structured version of Twitter, with goals and results shared in news feed format.
Lift may also incorporate aggregate data analysis. If many members of a group include similar goals, these activities are highlighted so other group members can consider including them in their goal lists.
What will set Lift apart from the many other productivity apps available online — such as MySomeday, Bud.ge or Steak.ly — that also leverage positive social reinforcement to help people reach their goals, remains to be seen. As of yet, Obvious hasn’t been extremely forthcoming in providing detailed product information.
In fact, Obvious describes Lift as being in a private, limited Alpha stage, which may indicate it won’t be up and running for some time.
If you want to get in on the ground floor, visit the Lift.do site and enter your email address for a chance at an early sign-up opportunity.
While the power of positive social reinforcement has been well-documented in research, when wielded through technology its effects are less clear. In rapidly evolving — and ever popular — sphere of social networks, Lift may offer a fresh new way for users to both achieve their goals and help others do the same.
However, only time with tell if Lift has the potential to meet its own goals – and its success or failure will likely be based on the willingness of users to get involved.
Does the Lift platform sound like a good idea? Would you use it to try and achieve your personal or professional goals?
About the author: Jaime is an avid hiker and skier who loves to write in her spare time for CenturyLinkQuote.com– home of CenturyLink.
Leave a reply