Health Social Networks

MDJunction doesn’t look like any other WEB2.0 site. It looks like something taken from the 20^th century…

‘Back in the days’ when we started looking at what’s out there I ran across MDJunction, noted that it was relevant but didn’t look like anything that would stick and moved on. About a year later their name came up again, it still didn’t look like something that would stick but… it was bigger. Looking at them now, I still don’t get it – but it’s BIGGER!

So what is MDJunction? It’s DailyStrength only smaller and not as trendy looking & feeling (anyone say 20^th century??)

BUT the funny thing about it is that now (and it did take me almost two years) I realize that there is a place for this kind of social network and at the rate they seem to grow* I think that they are proving it. Not everyone is looking for a WEB2.0 design before they join a site, most sick people don’t go to TechCrunch to find a recommendation for a support group and THAT MIGHT COME AS A SURPRISE but people get sicker as they get older and well… older people are 20^th century ;-)

While DS is the big multi-chain world-wide Supermarket, MDJ is the local grocery store. I’m not sure what the statistics are on this but I have a feeling that at least 50% of the people still like shopping at the tiny store 300ft from their doorstep that feels like home. THAT IS what the people in MDJunction do so elegantly – it feels like home more than any of the other sites on my list of Health Social Networks .

I decided to put it to the same test I did with DailyStrength. Searched for bipolar (in their search box) and got a… google result for their Bipolar Support Group. A little more than 2,000 group members (DailyStrength - 12,700), 17 of them were online. The discussion bulletin seemed very active, people were also publishing diary posts (some kind of blog?!?). Nice. Again – not as big as DailyStrength, but still full of people And they all seem to be hugging each other…. Is that legal?

Second test, same as DS: Complete Blood Count. NOTHING RELEVANT ;-(. Well… I’m not going to delete my WebMD bookmark yet….

Three paragraphs up I wrote “at the rate they seem to grow*” the reason for the remark is that my estimates regarding their growth are purely based on what I see when I look at their site from time to time. There is really not much info about these guys and as far as I can tell no real funding round up until now. Again – I’m guessing. It seems that the founders (I do know that their names are Roy & Alon) are really shy… no PR, no interviews, no effort for blogger presence and I haven’t seen any of them in conferences and so. Do they really think they can keep growing and become a dominate force while staying so far away from the scene? I don’t… and I don’t like offering people to do an interview and not get any response!

One last thing before I get to my final words. It is not very welcoming to be assigned a default image that looks like a no face, depressed cartoon. It’s horrifying and totally contradicts what you’re trying to build here.

The Good:

1. Feels like home.
2. Keeps surprising me.
3. Most of ‘The Bad’ bellow can be improved with modest funding. Funding (for those who forgot) relates to money, something we used to have.

The Bad:

1. DailyStrength.
2. NO marketing strategy what so ever.
3. Their graphic designer needs to GO HOME or at least surf the web a bit….

OK guys I’m not sure if this is what I think it is but….

I was doing a little research on some of the companies we listed on our List Of Social Networks when I came across a blog named rdmey by a senior web developer who’s been working for DailyStrength for the past 6 months. And this is what I found in her latest post - http://blog.rebeccamurphey.com/2008/08/02/web-developer-hiring-tips/ :
“A couple of weeks ago, I got the call: my employer was laying everyone off while they continued their search for funding. It wasn't entirely unexpected -- in this case, no news started to seem like bad news as the weeks ticked by”

If that means what I think it does, we are seeing the first major site in the Health Social Networks niche to be effected by the recession. DS spent a lot of $$ over the last couple of years (anyone say bubble?) on building a strong team to win the race. I’ve got to say that if this news is true – I am amazed. According to their early 2007 press release DS raised $5-7 Million from RedPoint, all gone ???

I would hate to see DS disappear. It’s a great site with a great future and what does it say about the other companies on our Health Social Networks list? Will MDJunction and MedHelp be the next to feel it? (they are the next biggest Health Communities on our list).

I’ll try and get more info to you soon.