Yahoo Opens Up 360 Beta

Social networks are peculiar animals. When they first launch, people can’t seem to get enough of them, however, it doesn’t take long for backlash to these networks as a whole to rear its head.

However, that does not stop companies from developing new social network services, much like Yahoo did with their 360 program. Normally, social networks launch with an invite-only designation. This means that unless someone sends you an invitation, you are not allowed to join.

When 360 was initially launched, it operated under the same premise… until now. Today (6-26-05), Yahoo made 360 an open registration network, allowing anyone who is interested an opportunity to join. Although the service is still labeled as being in its beta stage, Yahoo went ahead an allowed anyone to register for the service. Perhaps the decision to open 360 up had something to do with reports of a broken invitation system. Perhaps not.

According to the Yahoo 360 blog entry:

The wait is over. You don’t need an invitation anymore to sign up for Yahoo! 360˚. Our beta is now open to one and all. So, if anyone’s been bugging you for an invite, tell them they can visit 360.yahoo.com to sign up and get started. Spread the word.

Opening 360 up to the public was not the only alteration offered by Yahoo. Their blog post also reveals 360 now possess a new blog comment feature that consolidates reader comments into one location. Comments are viewable in two different formats by clicking either the “View All Comments” option or by selecting the “By Entry” mode.

New 360 users can sign up for the service here.

Chris Richardson is a search engine writer and editor for Murdok. Visit Murdok for the latest search news.