Socialable social software

Over at the O’Reilly Radar, Marc Hedlund compares the default faces that various social applications present as a default for new users and discusses how the face might make a larger percentage of people upload a picture.

Flickr has an expressionless robotic face; 43 things goes with a smiling face.  You can replace these faces with your own of course, and that is the point.   How much do the various faces encourage you to participate.

I’d go as far as to say all social web applications should present a human face on every screen. Preferably smiling. You have to smile back, yes?
Link.