Monkeying around with chi.mp

The scoop: chi.mp, free account.

What it is: Like many social networks, a chi.mp account gives you your own "Web space", letting you post status updates and photos, and link to other social networks or Web feeds. Chi.mp gives users a unique domain name (mine is http://keithshaw.mp, for example), an OpenID and Web site. The chi.mp service also has a contact aggregator, pulling in contacts or "friends" from all of your other networks and contact databases, creating an "ultimate black book" for users.

Finally, the service lets you create multiple "persona" profiles that are displayed to designated contacts. For example, users can create a public site, a professional site that you display to colleagues, and a friends/family site. For instance, family and friends can see photos of your kids, while professionals and the public see nothing. And truly special friends can see your spring break photos, while mom and dad (and the HR department) see nothing.

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The scoop: chi.mp, free account.

What it is: Like many social networks, a chi.mp account gives you your own "Web space", letting you post status updates and photos, and link to other social networks or Web feeds. Chi.mp gives users a unique domain name (mine is http://keithshaw.mp, for example), an OpenID and Web site. The chi.mp service also has a contact aggregator, pulling in contacts or "friends" from all of your other networks and contact databases, creating an "ultimate black book" for users.

Finally, the service lets you create multiple "persona" profiles that are displayed to designated contacts. For example, users can create a public site, a professional site that you display to colleagues, and a friends/family site. For instance, family and friends can see photos of your kids, while professionals and the public see nothing. And truly special friends can see your spring break photos, while mom and dad (and the HR department) see nothing.

Why it's cool: The growth of social networking in the business world has created the problem of "Who am I?" for many users. For example, do the posts on my Facebook or Twitter page represent my thoughts as a Network World employee or my thoughts as Keith Shaw, the brand? My friends from high school and college have no interest in my thoughts on the latest gadget (I know, shocker!), but I'm also sure that Network World "friends" don't want to see photos of me from my college days (trust me, they don't). Allowing for separate personalities makes chi.mp an intriguing option.

Other social networks are like the equivalent of a country club – when you see my Facebook page, it's like we're in the lobby of the Facebook Club. When you're visiting my chi.mp page, it's like you're in visiting my home or office – you see what I want you to see, based on your relationship with me. Furthermore, friends can hang with me in the living room, but only family members can use the upstairs bathroom.

Users can customize their sites with different themes, backgrounds and avatar choices, as well as link to a number of different social networks (it will import feeds from Twitter, Flickr, Facebook and any RSS feed). In this regard, the service is a lot like FriendFeed.

Social media gurus and individuals who are creating their own social brand should love this site, as it gives them a central location and an easy Web address to give out to all their contacts.

Some caveats: Managing the different persona pages, choosing which of your friends goes with which persona, and which feeds or photos you put on each page, can quickly get daunting. Do I designate that work friend as a "work" contact or as a "friend?" With hundreds of contacts or more, doing the work of choosing designations could end up being like trying to weed down a wedding invitation list.

Also, the early version of the service seems to be geared towards users of multiple social networks and the advanced types. I don't see my longtime college friend who loves Facebook migrating to chi.mp, even with their multiple redesign issues.