Is the Internet Becoming Too Specialized?
Published February 1st, 2009 | 
Remember when the Internet was new and anyone with a half-baked idea could create a start-up web business and get financing. Unfortunately, after the Internet bubble burst and the advent of web 2.0 (is that moniker getting old yet?), it’s much more difficult to come-up with an idea that sells. As a result, websites have become more and more specialized within their particular niche. Take dating sites. In addition to the well-known dating sites, there are literally scores of lesser-known, but more exclusive dating sites that cater to particular groups. Midget dating sites, homosexual dating sites, Asian dating sites, etc. Now there’s even a dating site for horse lovers. That’s right, if you ride horses and want to meet fellow equestrians for romance, there is now a dating site for you too. It’s called equestrian cupid. They offer free sign-up — that’s FREE sign-up! Which, given that the big dating sites cost money, is a good idea. And, there’s no denying that dating sites seem to be one of those recession-proof Internet business models. I see how, on paper, this website would appeal to investors. It’s different, to the extent that it’s a more specialized dating site. And it functions like it promises to function: if you are a horse lover looking for another horse lover, that’s what you find on this site. But here’s the thing: does this site really fill a need? Are there really that many equestrians out there going, “Gee, I’m really having trouble meeting other horse lovers?” Are there really no other forums, chat rooms, social networking sites that do what this site does? Do conventional dating sites exclude horse lovers? Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure if you are a horse lover, you will find this site useful and to your liking, but I am wondering if maybe the Internet is becoming too specialized. The idea of exclusivity can be comforting to some but, as niches become smaller and more exclusive, isn’t the Internet working at cross purposes. The Internet was supposed to bring societies together, allowing for a free exchange of ideas not make them more segmented, like virtual pvc fence installation wrapped around the Web. I mean, what’s next, a dating site exclusively for homosexual Asian midget equestrians?
4 Responses to Is the Internet Becoming Too Specialized?
Supply and demand. If there is a large enough demand for equestrian dating sites then I am sure they will proliferate and prosper. If there is no demand, they will wither and die. That’s how it works. More power to those horse lovers without mates!
Is a store just for horse tack and other equine accessories too specialized? Specialization is a way to find what you want without having to battle your way through enormous amounts of what you don’t want. Commercial life is a balance of general and specialized; I don’t see why the internet shouldn’t be the same. Are the specialized dating sites going to push the general ones to the curb? I don’t think so. Are small social communities on sites like Ning going to destroy Myspace and Facebook? I don’t think so.
Who’s going to play devil’s advocate now?
I see I’m probably not going to score any points here as you seem to see this only as issue of commerce. I’m talking about the broader philosophical/sociological implications of increased selectivity and exclusivity on the Web.
A tack store and a dating site for horse lovers is not the same thing, is it? It’s an apples and oranges comparison because stores like Walmart don’t stock equestrian supplies. My niece is an equestrian and I know from her that there is only one store within 20 miles of her home that specializes in horse supplies. In that case specialization serves a purpose because it meets a commercial need that isn’t being met elsewhere. The dating site, on the other hand doesn’t really fill a need as far as I can tell. That’s not to say that horselovers won’t use the site. They do, in fact, use the site. It’s just that the site is unnecessary. But that’s not my main gripe — I’m less interested in the specialization aspect in terms of whether or not a site makes money or is competitive than I am in the exclusivity that such specialization breeds. I think it just goes too far sometimes.
Maybe a horse dating site isn’t the very best example of what I’m talking about, but it’s the example I have to work with. It’s not that sites like this will hurt Facebook, it’s a bigger issue than that. It’s the exclusivity that hurts all of us. If the Internet becomes more segregated then, over time, the Internet is no longer a tool for learning, communication and the free-flowing of ideas, but only a collection of empty boxes for empty-headed dittoheads. And that damages us intellectually and spiritually — not to mention what it does for the overall quality of content on the Internet.
Where does the selectivity end and at what point does it start to damage society? Has the damage already started? I think it has.
Yup. It is growing like anything. It is the new marketting tool.