I am running ahead of time since I have not seen the interview yet as my time is limited at the moment but judging from the comments and from what I know alread about the project, I would like to add my thoughts.

So, it is absolutely necessary to built our own platform that can do the following:

a) the exchange of information in a easy manner that FB and other social networking platforms deliver

b) support the political structure that shall emerge with featuees such as voting, posting of alternate ideas, replying to specific parts of a political analysis or proposal, conduct polls amongst members, etc...

c) be a model that other can easily follow. create the prototype that is easily propagated to our local communities so that they can gain momentum by using this very focused digital tool for organizing.

So, looking forward to the release of ZSocial.

Michael - So glad to hear your update on ZSocial. I have been curious about whether ZSocial (or FaceLeft - these are interchangeable terms?) is being designed coordinately with or separately from Global Square, a huge decentralized social network many of us are looking forward to. Perhaps they are very different. I will admit I do not know exactly what's going on with GS beyond what I have read over at roarmag. And I imagine that  one difference is that ZSocial is closely following Parecon guidelines whereas GS is growing out of the Occupy movement with different or perhaps less fully developed/articulated tenets. I'd love to hear your thoughts and I really hope there's lots of cross-pollination happening at some level. Thank you bundles!

For what its worth, I think Mike Albert is correct on the rapacious, ever-growing authoritarian-totalitarian beast that is Facebook. FB is a power-serving/power-seeking  disaster: a vast and insidiously intrusive corporate commercial spy service, a political spy service, and a critical thought-destroying (yes) "nuggetizer.".Seen in its full horror, it is worse than what Michael says (or has time to comment on) here.   In addition to what he notes (the main political points I think) it is for many a crippling psychological addiction; a breeding ground (and unprecedented platform) for out-of -control narcissism and for chilling personal inauthenticity; and a deadly venue for shame, bullying, and gossip that ahs already chalked a good number of suicides..As an author and commentator,  I am told that I have no choice but to mention and link my books, talks, and essays on FB and so I do so...I even occasionally comment on comments (though now only quite briefly and carefully) but I often feel like i need to take a long bath after doing so.  I'd love to see FB collapse someday soon and of course Z Social would be a most welcome replacement - not without its own hazards, to be sure, but much much much better.

I thought this interview was in the tradition of the BBC Program 'Hardtalk.'  Personally, I prefer a less aggressive approach.  I found that the interviewers chief interest was, "Why not something else [besides ZSocial]?" Fair question, but the answer, once given, was good enough.  The additional probing Michael received dissolved into technical challenges regarding Znet's appearance.  At the interviewers insistance, there was a (to me, protracted) discussion of why there are few links to other sites on the front page of Znet.  I felt that the interviewer would have done better to probe Michael's goals regarding community and how Micheal intends to use Zsocial to build it.

I think that Michael did as good a job as could be done whilst under fire, and was successful in his responses.  I do wish that the interviewer had been less prone to interrupting. (Let the man talk, for crying out loud.)   I'm excited about Zsocial, and look forward to its arrival.