“Radiohead Presents: A Social Network,” or “I Can Do Anything Better Than You”

And with the last post, the floodgates have opened.

Using Ning, a service I experimented with at my last job, it seems as if Yorke & The Gang have created their own social networking site called “W.A.S.T.E. Central” (thanks to Mashable then Wired again for the tip, apparently originating from Stereogum).

Already counting 3774 members (at 6:14:10 PM, Eastern Time, April 5), the site is apparently a work-in-progress. With only the standard social-network-necessities of forums, photos, videos, and “personal pages,” the site seems to have little that sets it apart from other social networking platforms. (Note: W.A.S.T.E. Central apparently features “micro-networks” for each live show listed so users can share photos, videos, and conversations pre- and post- show; I don’t count this as a “new” feature since standard fan-based message boards and/or existing social networks already allow for this)

Hopefully, this will change. Perhaps W.A.S.T.E. Central can be the counterpoint to Bandfind, which I posted about yesterday, where fans can connect with their favourite artists and develop meaningful (read: not Myspace) “conversations” with them.

Regardless, W.A.S.T.E. Central isn’t really anything special now and probably shouldn’t have been launched just yet.

Don’t get me wrong: an artist-run social network is a fantastic idea, taking the “official forums” standard one step further. I just don’t think that Radiohead’s site is ready yet. I’ll update you on its progress in a week or so.