San Francisco-based Exaroom began as a service for sharing files from your PC - today they've added profile pages and widgets, turning Exaroom into a file-sharing site crossed with a social network. At the core of the idea is Ground Control, a download for Windows users (no Mac support yet) that lets you select files and folders to be shared with your friends - this allows them to view your photos, play your music and download files to their own machines. The social networking element adds a new twist: you can create a profile page with a choice of themes, upload photos to a gallery (via a web interface or the Ground Control software), insert YouTube videos, add some info about yourself and write a blog.
Obviously there are a few concerns here - not only could Exaroom be used for sharing of copyrighted files, but I'd be a little hesitant to give anyone this type of access to my PC. Clearly, you'd have to be a lot more hesitant about adding friends than you might be on MySpace. Exaroom is also let down by a poor interface: despite being an interesting and unique idea, it's takes time to get to grips with the service. So while I think the idea may have some merit, they'll need to tidy up the site substantially when it comes to design and usability.
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