(With due apologies to the 360 team)

I was attracted by the beta version of the Yahoo 360 communication portal by its sheer elegance. Of course, what I define as elegance, need not necessarily be endorsed by others. However, the (apparent) simplicity of the site is impressive.

The last few years have seen an inflation in the social communications sector on the internet. With the rise of community portals such as Hi5, Orkut in India and Riise and Friendster in other parts of the world, it was a matter of time before Yahoo and others (read: Rediff) jumped into the fray. With Google's Orkut making inroads into the Indian teens and Rediff connexions being moderately successful with business networking. Yahoo had to respond pretty quickly and the result is seen here.

About the website:

The great thing about Yahoo 360 is that it has an almost fresh interface. The Blast is an addition, although I must mention here that I am not a part of many social communication portals. Inspite of simply being another way of attaching a header to your description, the Blast manages to convey the same information with an added attractive packaging. Now you know why old wines in new bottles sell...

About the Team:

The photograph attached alongside is the Yahoo 360 team based in Sunnyvale, CA. Kudos to the Yahoo! 360 Team definitely for the hard work they have put in.

The Pros:

1. A fresh look (Different from the other Community portals I am a part of)
2. Good color scheme (Although, I would definitely like it if I were given the choice of being able to change it, like its counterpart - the Mailbox.)
3. 'Spaced' Design! (A small blank space ensures a clean view. Nothing looks cluttered.)
4. Tips all over the place for the new user.

The Cons:

More to come. Watch this space...