The Verge has posted some new details which confirm that Microsoft is indeed working on ‘Socl’, a social network focused on search and sharing. Socl’s interface and color scheme looks a lot like other social networking sites. It has a three column layout with basic
navigation in the left, a social feed in the middle, and invites and video chat on the right.
Socl is not designed as a “full” social network, rather the focus is on collaborative consumption. The Verge reports that there’s not much communication and interaction between users on Socl; no private messages, no @replies, and none of the curated, semi-private groups like Google’s circles. However, Microsoft is nearing the end of Socl private testing period and will roll this out to a bigger public audience through an invite system soon.