I think it is fair to say that social networks have become a lot less friendlier in recent times. It was inevitable that social media giants would abolish the open API’s (application program interfaces) that allowed their users to share content across network. This move is seen as necessary for these companies to increasingly monetize their ads and promoted tweets and posts. But while the walled garden approach by Facebook, Twitter and other networks makes perfect business sense, it largely removes the social aspect of their platforms.
The outcome is a splintered ecosystem; one where the ability to communicate with the entire social media landscape at once has been nullified. One where the bridging of gaps between users and companies, and the creation of dynamic and diverse interactions, no longer exists.
However, as the tensions between social media networks have flared up, a parallel industry has emerged. Disgruntled users and organizations are turning to social media management systems, software tools that provide unfettered access to all the large social networks from a single interface (one such company is HootSuite). At the linked URL, HootSuite illustrates the social media wars by transforming Facebook, Twitter, Google, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest and Tumblr in Game of Thrones houses. Quite entertaining!
Niel Harper 