I am leading what seems like a never-ending quest to find useful business applications from social software. Well, to be honest, some helpful cyber-assistants have done a large amount of the grunt work.

Back in mid-January, I wrote a post about social networking with a point (see Further reading, below). The response seemed to be that successful social networks will become more focused.

Ian Hendry, for example, said he is convinced niche social networks will develop to meet specific needs.

While the road to success might be vertical, Alastair Mitchell warned many firms lack an understanding of how social collaboration tools can create business benefits.

Half of global chief information officers plan to invest in Web 2.0 technologies for the first time in 2008, according to analyst Gartner. But IT directors that dip into the finance director’s purse and fail to find useful social applications will look wasteful and stupid.

The problems are not surprising, especially as progress in social software appears to be moving at such a pace that it is difficult to keep up with the hype.

Just as the IT organisation gets its collective head round social networking, up pops Web 3.0, which fountain of knowledge Wikipedia describes as: “A term used to describe the future of the World Wide Web.”

This could mean pretty much anything and, as demonstrated by the Wiki entry, encompasses a broad range of hopeful punts from new data formats to artificial intelligence.

But why stop the hype at Web 3.0? In fact, check out www.webeightpointoh.com which has already mapped out the eight generations of web development.

If that seems alarming, take a step back to social networking and take heart from real business applications.

Regulatory specialist Complinet launched its MyComplinet forum last October to promote collaboration between compliance executives.

The forum allows members to discuss issues related to their profession, from best practice to gossip, and has grown to 19,000 members worldwide since its launch.

Chief marketing officer for Complinet Paul Johns says the success of MyComplinet shows specific social networking sites are the future: “People want to share specific and useful knowledge, not just poke people and share pictures of their cat.”

You know, he might just be on to something.

Further reading

• Trying to find a social network? Help is at hand...
• Web 2.0: Your business needs a strategy now
• Open standards and social networking with a point
• Social networking creates waste and exclusion
• Facebook? LinkedIn? Social networking is rubbish
• Web 2.0 technologies = five hours of depression

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Want to contact the writer? Email Mark Samuels