I, Sam Knowlton, graciously donate to tens of eHub readers ten ideas that will, in all likelihood, be appropriated for another's gain under the ruse of an educational experiment. May god have mercy on my soul.
1) "Affinity nets." Analyze Facebook/MySpace profiles to determine the probability that terms are cross-referenced. (I.e., 20% of profiles listing "Beatles" as a music preference also list "Rolling Stones.") Repeat the process for every term in every profile. Map the data using each term or phrase as an individual point distanced from each other point based on the probability of its cross-reference. Eventually, the data would resemble a star map, where any point could be surrounded by a circle that would enclose terms that are likely to be an "affinity" for those listing the center term. The radius of the circle would be inversely proportional to the likely strength of the affinity. This could serve to generate all kinds of marketing data, or used to create recommendations.
Or, if you're crazy, make a three-dimensional map and paint your face blue.
2) Facebook rental/apartment guide including reviews, recommendations, and roommate searches/match ups. Maybe, like 8) below, prospective tenants could bid for rental price/location.
3) Or, as the Facebook crowd ages, a Facebook real estate listing service overlaid on map communities.
4) "Face to Face," a Facebook dating program. Online dating is a multimillion dollar business now. Maybe by using profile/friend information, the chances of getting hooked up with a 45 year old overweight programmer with a Hitler 'stache can be reduced. Use the data harvested in step one to match affinities and use degrees of separation to identify possible enclave overlapping.
5) Facebook tutoring program. This could be a match-up program or an interactive virtual classroom.
6) FaceBid. An auction program within Facebook or an app that integrates eBay functionality into Facebook. Honestly, the whole marketplace concept would probably be more effective if it was auction-based. Auctions create imminence, which encourages bidding and the perception that things are, in fact, being bought and sold.
6a) Also, if it's not already being done, integrate this functionality specifically for textbooks. Facebook seems like the natural place.
7) "Facet." Maybe I can fix your computer...Maybe you can fix my car? Maybe people can advertise non-formal skills they are adept at to leverage personal proficiency.
8) A site/database of jobs that allows prospective workers to bid down the hourly wage they would be willing to receive to perform the job. Obviously some other parameters would be needed to ensure employers end up hiring someone competent. This could likely reduce wages, which sucks, but maybe not...
9) Print-on-demand newspaper boxes. These would reduce the amount of unused newsprint that is discarded/recycled, largely (if not completely) cut out distribution costs and automatically customize to any level of usage. These could update by the day, hour, minute or second. Cost may be expensive upfront, but when factored against the complete removal of classical distribution costs, may be more feasible.
10) Integrating the site which allows anyone to submit content based on zip code to be rated, edited, reviewed by other users, with 9) above. Thus, local content can be placed on the front page and new higher-ranking stories can be placed as additional content. Thus the same pool of content can produce an infinite number of editions instantly, with no additional costs of customization/distribution.
There it is. My cerebral sacrifice to the Knight Foundation, its sublicensees and "any person with some interest." Hope you fockers know what you're doing.
-SCK out.