14 DAY TRIAL // There’s a good chance that you didn’t know this, but yes, Microsoft does have a social network whose focus is on sharing photo collages with friends across the web.
Unfortunately for those who are only now finding out about So.cl, Microsoft has decided to retire its social network for a reason that the company didn’t want to share but which is not really hard to figure out: the service hasn’t been very successful, so the small number of users was living proof that it made no sense to continue working on updates and new features.
In an announcement today, Microsoft reveals that So.cl is going dark on March 15, without any other specifics or details regarding this decision.
“Socl has been a wonderful outlet for creative expression, as well as a place to enjoy a supportive community of like-minded people, sharing and learning together. In supporting you, Socl’s unique community of creators, we have learned invaluable lessons in what it takes to establish and maintain community as well as introduce novel new ways to make, share and collect digital stuff we love,” the firm said.
Launched in 2012
Without a doubt, So.cl won’t be missed, pretty much because only a few people were actually using it. The social network, which is very similar to Google+, but which puts the focus on photo sharing and collages, was launched in December 2011 in experimental phase before eventually becoming available to everyone in May 2012. A public beta launched in December the same year.
So.cl was a project maintained by Microsoft’s FUSE Labs and was created with help from students at the University of Washington, Syracuse University, and New York University.
Microsoft has never provided any details on the number of users posting on So.cl, but it’s believed that adoption has always been below expectations and this is one of the main reasons the company now decided to discontinue it.