Tagged

Friend Seeking Social Network

Published 03/29/2012 and rated 2 out of 5 stars by Shel Gatto

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Tagged is a social network that intends to help users meet new people. Unlike popular sites like Facebook, the application encourages its users to mingle with people they do not know online. The interface includes all the tools most users expect from social networks. Users can send private messages and build a profile that is seen by the Tagged community. Chat is available as well as social games that give users more things to do together.

Users can sign in with an existing Facebook, MySpace or Twitter account. Users can give virtual gifts and customize the color and style of their profile layout. Photo albums are included as well as social groups.

Tagged was founded in October of 2004 by Johann Schleier-Smith and Greg Tseng. The application’s homepage claims that millions of individuals are part of the Tagged community, but some users disagree.

The site has received mediocre to poor ratings and reviews from users. Many claim that the quality of its community is very low, with a high number of fake user profiles as well as individuals who are mostly interested in hooking up rather than building meaningful friendships.

It is difficult to call tagged unique in any way. The application includes a variety of social networking features, but these are almost all features users can find elsewhere. In fact many user profile designs are strikingly similar to MySpace’s layouts which does not bode well for Tagged. The application feels like a low quality alternative to Facebook. The user interface is easy to navigate however it offers nothing new and enticing to users.

Tagged’s resemblance to MySpace is uncanny, at least in the area of profiles. The application doesn’t offer anything innovative in terms of layout and structure. The user interface is simple to understand, and works much like many other widely used social networks’ interfaces. Tagged doesn’t incorporate any sleek design elements or other eye-catching extras.

Users can add as much or as little information to profiles as they like. While there are many ways to customize an individual profile, many still look extremely similar to those found on MySpace.

A new user can join the Tagged community by clicking the blue “Login with Facebook” button to the left or by completing the form to the right on the homepage. The form asks for a first and last name, gender, date of birth, zip code, email address and password. After submitting the form, the user is asked to enter a Captcha code. The user is automatically logged in and can begin editing their profile and adding friends.

Tagged is available for free, which is a good thing. Charging for the services Tagged offers would be the certain demise of the application. Users are not provided with any features or services they can’t get on any of the other popular social networks. The site has received negative comments for its design, community and functionality. Charging a fee would only deter more users from giving the site a try.

Tagged is a general social network that is more attractive to users who are interested in breaking away from their social circle. The site encourages users to meet new people online. This may be why much of the community uses the site more like a dating service than a friend network. The application doesn’t offer anything unique and innovative.

The interface is bland and includes noticeable advertisements.

• Profiles can be customized with unique colors and images
• Photo albums give users a place to organize and share images
• Social games give users a way to interact online
• Videos can be placed on user profiles and shared
• Encourages users to meet new people online

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