There is no doubt that Turkish people like to socialise. The most important reason for Facebook to be so popular – almost obsessed – irrepressibly in our country was the requirement for socialization. Well, did we able to use this socialization in an effective way? What did this social network provide us in fact? We noticed in a short time that finding our old school mates was not beneficial for us. Everybody had changed… Even we went into the effort of getting new friends; we neither could get rid of foolish tests nor got any benefit by subscribing to unnecessary groups which did not have any use for anyone. While Facebook was claiming that it was socializing us, we turned in upon ourselves, became quiet and frankly, we were bored.

FriendFeed became a remedy for our discomfort for a while. Because we got a chance to have a talk with new people instead of those that we got bored to talk with so far and that already consumed many common grounds we might share. This became a sea for us as we were in aquarium when we got out of the close circuit system of Facebook. Interesting shares of FriendFeed bewitched us in a short time and we got cool friends. Facebook, naturally, saw the big picture and bought FriendFeed. Probably, it did not want to have a strong rival. However, FriendFeed got out of hand soon. Fights and argues seized everywhere and it became a platform with low quality of chat even you wanted to avoid from such argues.

Actually, the most significant problem of social networks is their uncontrolled environments. As a result, users hiding behind anonymous identities created disturbance and social unrest. These people ruined social networks nothing less than provokers who ruin streets by hiding their faces with masks. Since they are not intervened unless ‘user generated content’ is not complained as a requirement for Web 2.0, the easement of anonymous identity made things out of control.

At this point, we meet with the question, “What do we expect from a social network?” Even though it is introduced to us that meeting with new people, making shares with them and adding value into our lives are the primary purposes of a social network, unfortunately current services being used popularly are far from these purposes. Many people use these networks either as a dating website or as a self-satisfaction tool by attacking other users in order to get their revenge on issues they could not express in real life. Well, are social networks really not useful?

We came across with studentSN as one of the most important approaches for developing a social network of high quality which notices all these disadvantages early. As it can be understood by its name, studentSN aims to change the lives of its users by bringing “high quality network” concept into prominence. This concept is so important insomuch that studentSN received an investment about 500.000 $ initially and there is no need to be an oracle to predict that it will receive more investments. studentSN already has had many users now and it is candidate to be a phenomenon in a short time.

studentSN has achieved to create a system of high quality with an easy interface and a substructure working really fast. The system supports English, German and Turkish languages and it is obvious that it is planning to grow locally even it is a global project. It is also seen that its directors have a vision since they integrated Facebook Connect into their website rather than taking Facebook as an opponent.

There is no need to emphasize its features such as status updating, private messaging, gift sending, creating photograph gallery, establishing groups and other activities related with groups since they are same with other social networks. When you log in, it is easy to figure out the website’s features.

It should not be thought that the scope will be very limited as studentSN is for students; because students are very crowded also in other social networks. What can other social networks offer to this huge mass as long as they consider these users as Internet users regardless of their status of “being students”?

We all know that parents buy computers for “making their children to study in a better way.” But are these parents wrong when they get angry with their children when they change their relationship status in Facebook many times in a day, when they are exposed to abusive language or when they laugh slobberingly as watching useless videos? All parents notice that they can not discipline their children by limiting computer usage. So, what is the solution?

On the other hand, university students become anti-social people gradually. Facebook is incapable of making students to meet and drink a coffee together even in the same department not in the same campus… It is very sad to see that students who study in the same department spend their time by having unnecessary tests and hitting “like” button for videos shared by other people even though all of them have Facebook without being unaware of each other.

I remember that there was warm café environment in 90s in small towns. People were meeting with and having new friends in these cafés. After the millennium, such environments disappeared gradually and people were stucked in small rooms in front of pc monitors. However, it is simply “insanity” to expect people to have a successful business life who could not manage to have proper social relationships at younger ages! Nowadays, your personal network is also essential as well as your success in your business.

It is impossible to appreciate studentSN due to its solutions against all disadvantages we mentioned above. First and foremost, the system does not allow user to register with an anonymous identity. Thus, the quality appears in this first step. Each activity within the website is under the control of administrators and thus, contents generated by users seem professional for that reason.

Meeting with new people is not the only feature offered by studentSN; its Document Store provides access to various homework sources for students. While there are free sources in this document library, some other life-saving documents are offered for a small fee.

I want to mention the income model created by studentSN at this point, however selling content to user is not a new application. The significant point here is the “collection method” created by studentSN. The collection method which is a problematic issue of all websites offering paid services over Internet for Turkish market is solved by the agreement made between studentSN and PTT (Turkish Mail Delivery) which has the widest sale network in Turkey. It is possible to purchase paid services offered in the website by using top up cards sold in PTT offices.

As a civil society initiative, studentSN announced that they will donate the income of first 1000 cards to be sold to the Society for the Protection of Children after cards are placed on the market. This initiative motivates users that will purchase cards for the first time to visit the closest PTT office and such a donation to a society which needs the most help wins general approval.

studentSN is aware of SMS usage frequency of students and it has a good SMS system – which will though draw away some users since it is a paid service. By means of this system, you can send SMS to any mobile number you desire and also studentSN allows user to download mobile games over the website as accepting that the most important clients of mobile game market are students.

These top up cards are not the sole payment method. Paypal and Turkcell Mobile Payment solutions can deposit credit to your account and also you can transfer credit to other users in your net. Even though the last option seems open for abusing, it may be really necessary from time to time.

What can be done in the future?

Even though studentSN that built its income model over selling paid services to its own users has a well-working system, it is at the bottom of the ladder yet and has a long way to go.

Although document center currently enables students to do their homeworks, it is impossible for such a system to be out of examination market. Especially in Turkey, education system is based on examinations. While high school students deal with ÖSS (Student Selection Examination), college students deal with DGS (Vertical Transfer Examination) and university graduates deal with KPSS (Public Personnel Selection Examination). studentSN becomes a virtual training center soon after. High-class and original online examinations can be sold over the website by agreements to be made with content producers. I don’t even want to guess the income to be created by this way.

Another feature which is not available on the website but that expect it to be added soon is guidance and career consultance pages. The most significant problem of students is being undecided about your future; thus, individual ability tests to be had by students and/or questions to be asked by career specialists will increase the devotion of students to the website.

It surprised me to see that there is no serious introduction page for universities in such a website even though they all have official groups in the website. If they have their own portals within the website, both ÖSS candidates can get detailed information about these universities and also they can meet with current students of universities. I am sure that the administrators are aware of this situation but I think they should put their skates on. It is not hard to imagine how much Foundation Universities will show interest in the website (which addresses to much students even though the website does not expect commercials as an income model) during ÖSS choice period.

Even classical Internet commercials are not in question, new incomes can be obtained by advertorials and/or by means of particular sponsorships. studentSN is a sharp old bird for Foundation Universities.

Certifications have become one of the most essential components of business life today. Thus, introducing certificates in detail that “may change” lives of students in the website will help students to plan their career journeys.

One of the most important features that may be added to studentSN will be online training programs. By selling shortdated courses over the website which especially enables to have distance education may both increase user devotion and create “great difference” in their lives.