Product: Flock

What it is: A social browser that combines various social networking and communication tools with browsing -- a sort of hybrid tool that combines the social Web with surfing.

Failings: Though built on the open-source code utilized by Firefox, Flock focuses too much on a narrow demographic -- those who live, eat and breathe social networking. For the average user, it's overwhelming. Flock has had difficulty gaining traction in the face of the rising popularity of Firefox and Firefox extensions that offer some of the same functionality as Flock.

Turnaround potential: There is clearly a trend toward constant access to social media and communication tools. This could make Flock more attractive to active and casual users alike.

'Net views:

Brendan Cooper: "Is the social media element enough to make people -- ahem -- flock from IE (which most non-Web-savvy use because it's there) or Firefox (because it does a perfectly good job of Web browsing anyway)? Probably not."

Learning Aloud: "For some reason, I decided I should update my Flock Browser. Bad mistake. I like(d) Flock because it allows easy access to my Flickr account and to this blog. I have had some difficulty with Flock and Firefox on my home Mac..."

doug s: "Flock is intended for use more with people who just do social networking as that's where it's strength is. For the rest of us, however, Firefox is a much better all-around browser. It also has plugins that allow it to mimic the functionality of Flock ."

Management: Shawn Hardin, CEO; David Westendorm, VP of Business Development & Partnerships; Clayton Stark, VP of Engineering; Geoffrey Rayner, CFO; Dan Burkhart, VP of Marketing.

Other related content:

• Slideshow home: Opinion: 10 'Net services that will succeed (and 10 that will probably fail)
• Ian Lamont: 10 'Net services that will succeed (and 10 that will probably fail)
• Prediction: eCirkit will shut down its social networking service by Jan. 1, 2009
• Prediction: Chumby Industries announces it will discontinue alarm clock line by February 1, 2009
• Prediction: Cognitive Code's Pocket SILVIA technology will appear in mass-market consumer electronics by end of 2008
• Prediction: Hulu will announce 200 full-length feature movies by May 15, 2008
• Prediction: Overlay.TV comes out of beta on or before June 30
• Prediction: CafeScribe acquired by October 2009
• Prediction: SceneCaster will come out of beta by June 1, 2008
• Prediction: Second Life usage will not break 40 million user hours per month by the end of 2008
• Prediction: Joost will announce a Web-based viewer by November 1, 2008

Note: Anonymous comments on The Industry Standard are disabled. To leave a comment and participate in the Standard's prediction market, please register first.