In a discussion on community manager group e-mint about unlocking the value of profiles this week, I received this reply from member Ed Mitchell:

Been having some very interesting conversations around value
assessment for network support tools (for http://www.transitionnetwork.org
) – is the it based on p2p interactions and exchange via profiles
(social network-y) or projects’ work that the network members get up
to (communal knowledge)? probably both – but both require different
strategies!

Which prompted me to think of a tool like Trampoline Systems’ SONAR, an Social Network Analysis (SNA) tool which might accomplish both objectives for the price of one.

I then had another response on e-mint from member Matt Moore to say “there are many other SNA tools available and I think we will see more & more available for communities over the next 18 mths.”

Rather than wait 18 months (!) I wonder if there are companies which have any plans to produce a lightweight version of such software which acts as a social network analysis tool? So that you could in effect plug it into an existing online community, allow it to scan the profiles and conversations, and produce results which allow users to decide who to work with?

I have come across enterprise versions of such a product, just investigating the availability of lightweight tools.