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I am coming to the realization that one of the problems with social networks (the online kind that is) is that the focus seems to be in the individual instead of the relationship.

Look at any of the SNs out there today, there is a huge amount of effort spent on the development of your profile: creating it, protecting it, generating new content to make it fatter, etc. While there is very little attention paid to the development of relationships. Oh yeah…there are lots of tools for creating new connections, but once connected, there is little ability to create a rich relationship.

I am wondering if a better model might be to center the network around the relationship instead of the individual. Think of it this way, between any two entities, there is, in reality, a large amount of shared content in many formats: email, IM, tweets, phone calls, collaborative documents. Imagine if that content was aggregated in such a way that it was equally owned and shared by both ends of the relationship. Now that would be valuable.

I can see where each entity of the relationship could manage their own use of the relationship aggregate through filters and feeds, but they would still retain equal ownership of the shared content.

This approach would have great applicability for personal/individual relationships, but the real value comes into play with B2B and B2C relationships. Imagine, for example, if you and your mobile carrier shared all of the content about the relationship, in a common accessible location…billing records, support records, email transactions, support chats, etc.

Yes, I realize there MAY be some SLIGHT ownership and control issues from the perspective of those that currently “own” the data, but I think that in time, as the inherent value in this approach comes to be appreciated, that will change.

These are just some initial thoughts. If you think there is something to this, please jump in and join the conversation. I would especially be interested in hearing what Doc Searles and the VRM gang think.