Virb.com - A better Myspace?

How many posts have you read saying that a new social network might be the next Myspace? Probably at least 100. Which is why I’m not going to say that I think Virb.com is a myspace killer. I will say though that I am more excited about seeing the full launch of Virb then any other social network in a very very long time.

Virb.com comes from Unborn Media, the founders of another incredible site, PureVolume.com. Unborn has done a fantastic job with design, usability, and quality of Purevolume which is why I think it blows any other music site away. The only downside I have seen from Unborn is that they tend to take a long time to release new features and upgrades. This is quite evident with Virb as it has been in development for a very long time (over a year?).

I recently ran across some screenshots of Virb on Flickr. Here are some links:

Sample Profiles:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ucantblamem/300484487/ÂÂ

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=305887010&size=lÂÂ

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cmccalli/295756806/ÂÂ

Other Screenshots:

 http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=virb

Look a little better then Myspace profiles? Yeah, thats what I thought too. A key feature of Virb is that they will give you full access to the CSS file to edit you profile page instead of trying to hack something together like Myspace. Virb has also taken a modular approach allowing you to easily move various modules around the screen as well as create your own i.e. Flickr, Upcoming, etc.

Every comment I have heard from beta testers has been unbelievably enthusiastic and positive. Almost every one mentions how much better Virb is then Myspace.

The only concern I have is one that I have stated numerous times. In order to seriously compete with exisisting social network goliaths, I believe that there needs to be a jump in innovation. Better design and usability will not be enough for millions to migrate from one social network to another. Many users of Myspace, Facebook, etc. are so entrenched due to the amount of time they have invested in the sites.
Nevertheless, among all the crap that has been flooding the market lately, I am excited to see what Virb can do.

[tags]Social Networking, Social Networks, Social Media, Virb, Virb.com, Purevolume, Unborn Media, Music, Myspace, Facebook, Brian Balfour[/tags]