It's about time we geeks had a world of our own, and this week I was honored to be invited to review the Beta launch of the first "geek-space"; Shuzak.com.
Dedicated to all things intellectual, Shuzak made no attempt to emulate MySpace and its teenage audience. Absent is the glitz and cheap adolescent aura that defines most social networks.
Instead, Shuzak is defined by communities centered around a theme; communities such as Ruby-on-Rails, AV Geeks, Law, and even Green Geeks are being created and maintained by new Beta site members as I type.
Most social networks are based on peer-to-peer interactions, such as "Friends" on MySpace. Shuzak defines itself as a peer-to-group site, and is focused on serving the needs of communities rather than individuals. What a great idea! No wonder the "Green Geek" crowd has already staked out Shuzak as its future haven.
Shuzak does have a "Friends" function, and you can invite your friends to become Shuzak members. Your messages to each other are primarily public in your "Zakbook" - unless you choose to mark them as private.
Another great feature is the ability to post a topic or article. There are two links at the top of the page for such postings; New Topics and Interesting Topics. These have a Digg-link rating system called Karma points. Each Topic post has attracted some very interesting discussions, appearing in the comments section.
If you are a geek or an aspiring geek, I definitely recommend that you sign up for Shuzak. You won't have to put up with vapid,empty-headed discussions about Paris Hilton or the latest in Rocawear here.
