Cloob has replaced former several social networks in Iran

Cloob

Cloob is the top social network in Iran.

Cloob - 1 million usersThough its user base is comparatively minute, Cloob is the top social network in Iran, where its primary users are men over 65. Cloob is one of several social networks that emerged after the Iranian government blocked the former top network in that country, Orkut (yes, Orkut), along with Facebook, Twitter and other social networks. Cloob states on its site that it operates within the laws of the Iranian government. It is invitation-only and offers many social media features found elsewhere, including email, communities, photo sharing, news sharing, classifieds and resumes.

Qzone,  V Kontakte, Odnoklassniki and Cloob aren't the only social networks that challenge Facebook's hegemony. We talked about Twitter earlier, and there's also a little thing called Pinterest, which has about 25 million users. Earlier this week, we learned from Google Trends that "Tumblr" — the short-form blogging platform — recently surpassed "blog" in Google searches. Speaking of Google, the search giant is adding to its social ranks by forcing people into signing up for Google+, even if they just want to use Gmail, YouTube and other services, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.

Even though it often feels like it's all about Facebook, there's lots more going on out there in the social media eco-system. Think of it this way: You know everybody in the U.S. is all "Oh, that PSY with his 'Gangam Style' is just a one-hit wonder blah blah blah!"? In South Korea, he's been selling hit records since 2001. Just because it doesn't happen in the U.S. doesn't mean it's not happening.

Helen A.S. Popkin goes blah blah blah about the Internet. Tell her to get a real job on Twitter and/or Facebook. Also, Google+.