Developers love networking… social networking, that is

Here’s the latest research from Evans. I’d say “Duh!” but of course it’s valuable to have primary research to back up the conventional wisdom.

SANTA CRUZ, CA – April 8, 2009 – Three-quarters of all software developers belong to at least one social network and two-thirds belong to multiple networks, according to the results of Evans Data’s Developer Relations Program Annual survey.

The survey of over 400 software developers was released to subscribers April 3 and examined the dynamics of evolving program sites for software developers.

“This latest research shows that developers are like most active Internet users in terms of having a very healthy interest in social networks,” said John Andrews, President and CEO of Evans Data. “Consistent with this the primary motivations for joining a social network is the desire to locate old friends and the need for general communications.”

Additionally, the top three things developers look for in a social network are profiles, an active community and high quality content. Tagging and access from mobile phones were the least important attributes of a social networking site.

Other highlights from this in-depth survey include:

· Over 90 percent of developers look at blogs at least some time, and seventy percent feel that blogs are credible sources of information,

· Microsoft has the best developers website according to 27.4% of developers, followed by Sun with 12%. IBM and Google tie for third place with less than ten percent of developers mentioning their site as the best developer website.

· Developers prefer community moderated forums to vendor moderated ones, and 88% think that community moderated forums are important in a community website.

The report can be accessed here: http://evansdata.com/reports/viewRelease.php?reportID=11