3dvia Site Review
Site: 3dvia
Members: 59,509
Features:3dvia is for 3d model developers with a community that includes tutorials, forums, profiles, and content sharing around the 3dvia software line. The site creates challenges for designers to work on various projects with the latest being a virtual jack o lantern for Halloween.
The site is still in beta right now and is continuing to grow and add new features.
Review: The site is pretty straightforward navigation and layout wise. It is a true niche site but has active members sharing content and discussing their profession/hobby along with having tutorials about how to use various software programs. (When I mean various I should say the ones that 3dvia produces… This is a corporate backed social network around a product.)
I have to say that their need for further personal information from me is a bit troubling and it is obvious they are using it as a lead generation tool. The site asks for your home address and your phone number or company information with a giant warning that says:
For legal reasons we need more information about you, to protect your privacy and the privacy of your children. This information will never be shared with anyone. Thanks for your understanding.
Uh… yeah. Scare tactics for lead generation are probably not a good thing.
For a community that is set up around a product this is a pretty decent example of how to do it except for the warning that is listed above. You can probably leave that out if you are starting a site. Or perhaps you could change it to “you will die at midnight if you do not fill out this information”.
Click here for a semi complete list of niche social networks
