UnLtdWorld, the niche social network aimed at social entrepreneurs, is adding a few new features. Among them, the Research Lab feature (which maps social entrepreneurship) now enables members to visualise a breakdown of all statistical data around a specific location and relevant to their personal network. The site will also be releasing a series of APIs to generate mashups with the data.
UnLtdWorld is fresh from being one of three startups singled out as winners at Startup2.eu. It’s supported by UnLtd — the Foundation for Social Entrepreneurs – and was designed and developed by Curverider on their Elgg platform.
But there is one thing I think UnLtdWorld keeps missing in its pitch, and it’s something completely in contrast to their – very worthy – aims. It’s this: if you are going to enable people in socially deprived parts of world to improve the lot of their fellow man, there is one sector that ought to be very interested in either acquiring or taking a stake in this site: property developers.
Think about it. Say you managed to enable some selfless youth worker in London’s East End to get local kids to leave knife-weilding gangs and get back to school? What happens next? The area’s reputation improves and, at some point, property values rise.
Clearly I am going to Hell for thinking a platform for worthy causes could be owned by rapacious property developers. Oh well.