Microsoft's New Social Network, So.cl: It's Like Google+ For Wonks. File this in the "we-try-it-out-so-you-don't-have-to" category.
So.cl is a derivative social network that may be useful to students, but it won't fly elsewhere. Over the weekend, Microsoft opened to the public an experimental social network called So.cl. Microsoft Launches So.Cl Network Amid Facebook Hubbub. Microsoft Research’s Socl Social Network Gets A Little More Real. Back in July, Microsoft “accidentally” published a teaser for a social network being worked on by Microsoft Research. Socl.com appeared to be focused on search and sharing, but what little they showed was quickly pulled down and we didn’t hear anything more — until today, when The Verge posted some new details after apparently being given early access by the Socl team. To duplicate their description in detail would be tedious and unnecessary(likewise reposting their screenshots), but the short version appears to be that it has a familiar layout (and color scheme) with a central feed, tags and feeds on the left, and invites and video chat on the right.
Interestingly, it’s not designed as a “full” social network, and communication between users is not emphasized; instead, collaborative consumption is the focus.