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Behold, Widgify.com is Live!

2006-08-28T14:43:00.000-07:00

If you had not noticed already, I am a big fan of Widgets. Big ones, small ones - I love them all. Because I love them so much, I figured it was about time to write a blog focused on the topic entitled...

WIDGIFY

For those of you that are interested in discussing the emerging Widgetsphere, you should definitely check it out. I will still obviously keep posting on broader topics on the Web 2.0 on this blog.

Enjoy...

technorati tags: widget, widgetblog, hoomanradfar, web2.0

Leaked KickApps Demo

2006-08-07T12:45:00.000-07:00

For those of you interested in the emerging social networking platform "White Label Wars," check out this leaked demo of the Kick-Apps platform. This demo is interesting because it features not only their "canned" social functionality, but also the use of Widgets. Kickapps is just one of the contenders in this emerging space. Other players include:

technorati tags: socialnetworks, kickapps, peopleaggregator, widgets, web2.0

Part II - WTF is a Widget?

2006-08-03T12:26:00.000-07:00

In our last episode, I promised to start brain storming on the definition of Widget. Good to my sequel promise, in this post I will try to dive into the depths of Widget philosophy. Ironically, this question came up several times this week, so it is a good time to start thinking about a decent answer! With further adieu on with our show...

According to the kind folks contributing to Wikipedia:

A widget (or control) is an interface component that a computer user interacts with, such as a window or a text box. Widgets are sometimes qualified as virtual to distinguish them from their physical counterparts, e.g. virtual buttons that can be clicked with a mouse cursor, vs. physical buttons that can be pressed with a finger. Widgets are often packaged together in widget toolkits. Programmers use widgets to build graphical user interfaces (GUIs).

That is a pretty decent start, but is still a bit too high level for me. Given the fact that it is a bit tough to define generically, I am going to take a slightly different cut at this. Specifically, let's start by taking a stab at a more specific term - Web Widget. According to the all knowing Hoo-pedia the definition is as follows:

A Web Widget is a portable software application, or module, that can be installed and executed within one, or more separate browser-based application platforms by an End User without requiring additional compilation.

Whew. Does that make sense? That basically covers all the bling you can place on MySpace, as well as the more utilitarian services that you can use across MySpace and blogging platforms like Typepad, etc. That is my two-cents. I wonder what Pete Cashmore, Richard MacManus, Dion Hinchcliffe and other Web 2.0 thought leaders think. Maybe I will ask...

More on this to come. Tune in next time for more fantastic fun with your friendly neighborhood Hoo-man. Yee-haw!

Technorati Tags: web widget, widget, web2.0, myspace

Part I - WTF is a Widget ?

2006-07-31T23:57:00.000-07:00

Fellow Web-Slingers,

It is 2:51AM EST and the question that plagues me is, "WTF is a Widget?"

Many folks have been throwing the term around, but few and far between have cared to go the distance and create a definition. Is a Widget the same as a web page? Is it more like a rich media advertisement? When does code trancend into Widget-status? I feel like we are back in the same place we were last summer with the whole Web 2.0 definition slug-fest on Timmy O's Blog. Ok, so it is not that bad, but it is still annoying.

Anyway, I would love to know what YOU think. If you are so inclined, please post your definition. If you have nothing to say, or are generally useless, no problem - don't share. Either way, I promise to hit you kind folks back and take a stab at something that might make sense.

Stay tuned for our next episide: "Part II - WTF is a Widget?" Have a wonderful evening.

Yee-haw,
Hooman 2.0

technorati tags: widget, web2.0

Rise of VBlogs: The Show with Zefrank

2006-07-24T14:29:00.000-07:00

Zefrank makes Hooman happy. He is the host of the popular vblog "the show with zefrank." This video blog offers video summaries of the news wrapped up with a comic bow. Think of him as Jonathan Stewart for Long Tail geeks. His most recent discussion of YouTube was pretty much the best thing ever. Here is a snippet from the transcript:

YouTube, the popular video-sharing site recently updated its terms and conditions. It now reads "...you hereby grant YouTube a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, sublicensable and transferable license to use, reproduce, distribute, prepare derivative works of, display, and perform the User Submissions in connection with the YouTube website and YouTube's (and its successor's) business... in any media formats and through any media channels."
That means they get to make money off of your ass however the fuck they want!
YouTube presents the ultimate DVD collection: World's Stupidest People, starring you!
But, who reads terms and conditions anyways?

I don't know what the folks at YouTube think of that little piece. Probably not to thrilled I imagine. Anyway, it is awesome that folks like zefrank are getting some buzz Vblogging. It will be interesting to see what feature changes, if any, blogging platforms make as this format takes off.

technorati tags: zefrank, youtube, vblog

MyBlogLog Communities Unites Bloggers!

2006-07-23T14:19:00.000-07:00

For those of you bloggers that have been living under a rock, check out MyBlogLog Communities - the social network for bloggers. Now before you get all huffy that there is yet another social network out there, hold your horses - this one is different. Why? MyBlogLog Communities has the potential to transform the blogosphere into a distributed social network.

Ever want to drop a comment to a fellow blogger about some random topic? Ever want to know the blogs your favorite bloggers get their dish from? Ever want your readers to know who else reads your blog? The answer is here - MyBlogLog.

MySpace requires you to host your profile, social network, and blog on their site. If you want to publish anything, you have to do it their way. Moreover, with all the hub-bub about security at MySpace, your ability to customize pages there has become exceedingly limited. On the flip-side, blogs enable tons of customization. Unfortunately, blogging platforms tend to lack good community features. Bloggers have been left to fend for themselves in the cold reaches of cyberspace...until now.

After signing up for a MyBlogLog account, you have access to JavaScript code snippets that enable you to track you blog's usage. Not only does the service enable you to track your blog, but it also enables you to connect with fellow blog-geeks. This is where it gets interesting. MyBlogLog gives each blogger a "space" that shows blogs he/she authors, other communities they are following, and a place for folks to leave general comments. They also offer cool widgets to enhance your blog with social functionality. In short, MyBlogLog communities gives blog-geeks the cool community features offered by MySpace, without forcing them to give up their right to publish the way they want.

Fred, Ed, Pete and many others have already started to actively use the service. I hope it continues to pick up - it is one of the few interesting social network plays out there. Best of luck Eric!

Technorati Tags: myspace, blog, mybloglog, socialnetwork

p.s. Todd Sampson stole my avatar! JK :)

MySpace Squelches Spead of Widgets

2006-07-21T06:27:00.000-07:00

MySpace, the self-appointed "Place for Friends" has officially decided not to be friends with a whole bunch of folks - Widget Consumers & Vendors. According to Marshall on TechCrunch:

MySpace has taken a step to increase security that disables a key method for third party vendors to spread their services inside the online social network. The company is using new code in a new version of flash that disables outgoing links from flash widgets and it is pushing users to install the blockable version of flash by requiring that they do so in order to view MySpace hosted video. Widgets will operate, but users who have upgraded to Flash 9 will be unable to click to the widget vendor’s site and get a copy of the widget for themselves.

This measure was taken in response to the whole Flash virus fiasco on their site. I understand that MySpace has a legitimate obligation to protect their site and users from the spread of viruses. On the other hand, the very same mechanism that they are using to protect their users is also hurting them (and potential 3rd party developers) as it blocks the user experience (spreading widgets) that they clearly demand.

As the interest in Widgets continues to explode, aggregators like MySpace will have to make some tough choices. These choices will not only shape the emerging "WidgetScape," but also determine who is in the winner's circle at the end of the race to own the next generation of aggregation platforms.

technorati tags: widget, myspace, flash, virus

Our Senate on Net Neutrality...

2006-07-17T19:48:00.000-07:00

Check out this video.
Jon Stewart is awesome.
I pray for us all.
Yee-haw!

technorati tags: Net Neutrality, internet, jonstewart

BLaugh Every Day

2006-07-17T19:34:00.000-07:00

http://blaugh.com/syndicate/

technorati tags: laugh, with, blaugh

Fold - What's Next?

2006-07-17T12:57:00.000-07:00

Does anyone know what is up with Fold? They surfaced as a competitor in the StartPage category and then vanished before you could say “Web 2.0.”

A number of notable bloggers mentioned the rise and fall of Fold, asserting that it was one of the first Web 2.0 companies to go kaput. I did a little digging recently, however, and found that there might be more to the “fold of Fold" than we all thought.

Google "fold.com" and you will find a rather cryptic result listing stating, "Everything you read about Fold is wrong." Also, their web site has some weird barcode stuff on display. There is probably nothing behind the whole thing, but I have to admit that I am absolutely intrigued. If anyone has any dish, let me know.

technorati tags: fold, startpage, web2.0

Interested in Avatars and Virtual Worlds?

2006-07-11T10:43:00.000-07:00

Then I highly recommend that you read some of the works of Edward Castronova.

He is currently a professor at Indiana University Bloomington. I used to read his economics papers when he was at Cal State Fullerton. It is amazing to read these papers again in light of the exploding interest in avatars (Meez, Oddcast) and virtual worlds (SecondLife, Habbo) - Ed definitely was on the ball.

Just to give you an idea of how ahead of the curve this guy has been, back then he had difficulty getting his ideas accepted by the academic community. Now he has a person that handles media inquiries.

If you are still hungry for more check out his book Synthetic Worlds: The Business and Culture of Online Games, or his blog Terra Nova.

technorati tags: castronova, avatar, virtualworlds

6 Reasons Why You Care About Flash

2006-07-10T06:16:00.000-07:00

There are more than 6 reasons, but this is all you get for now because I have work to do. Here comes the core dump...

Ready,
Set,
FLASH!

1. Only way to really feed MySpace Beast
2. Becoming dominant video format (YouTube)
3. Macromedia steering standards for JavaScript.
4. Actionscript & Javascript converging (see 3)
5. Laszlo & Dojo outputting to Flash format.
6. Replace Flash programming model w/Flex Model.

Flash is coming into it's own in a big way. Although I am not a fan of creating media using the traditional Flash methodology (animating frames), the Flash FORMAT should undoubtedly be on your mind as you think about the future of your web-based service.

P.S. Thanks to the rest of the Clearspring team for guidance on this topic.

technorati tags: flash, your, audience

Cell Phone Privacy Invaded

2006-07-09T07:53:00.000-07:00

School administrators in Framingham, MA have recently instated a policy that enables them to seize student cell phones and search their contents. According to this article the policy was designed to:

...improve security and stop the sale of drugs and stolen goods, but students said that the edict is an invasion of privacy.

I agree with the students - this policy is a clear violation of their rights. What if a student has sensitive personal information on their cell phone, such as information pertaining to a health condition or their sexual history? Are you telling me that a school administrator should have on-demand access to potentially damaging data on the CHANCE that they may find information pertaining to the sale of drugs, or stolen goods?

I am no expert, but doesn't the 5th Amendment of the constitution state that as American citizens we will not be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law? Local law enforcement officials observe this constitutional edict when they await judicial approval prior to the attainment of a search warrant. Are we to believe that the school administrators at Framingham are so wise that they should not be subject to the same principles as the rest of America?

As digital communications technologies continue to proliferate, the debate surrounding the bounds of digital privacy will continue to escalate. At every turn, it is our duty as American citizens to defend our inalienable rights, or risk fundamentally destroying the foundations upon which this nation was built.

technorati tags: freedom, cellphone, privacy

Pete Cashmore Wins Thumbs-Up Award

2006-06-29T13:05:00.000-07:00

As I was enjoying my daily dose of blogs this afternoon, I had a stunning realization. Pete Cashmore is by far one of the best sources for new information on Web 2.0 - period.

For his hard work and contributions to the blogosphere, the folks at Convergence (me) have unanimously voted to give Pete the prestigious "Convergence Thumbs-Up Award." Pete is the first recipient of this award. This award is intended to thank those few exceptional folks in the blogosphere with a virtual "thumbs-up" for their contributions to our daily blog read.

Seriously though, all you noobs that are jumping on to the Web 2.0 craze, check out Mashable. Read it, love it, and memorize it. Mashable is definitely up there with Techcrunch, Om , and Read/Write Web as one of the best sources for product dish on the Web 2.0 today. Keep up the good work, Pete.

technorati tags: petecashmore, mashable, web2.0

Cyclical Transformation of the Web

2006-06-26T17:57:00.000-07:00

Unbeknownst to most folks living "out there," the web is undergoing a massive transformation as it shifts from a publication mechanism into a platform for distributed web services.

The transformation of the web is inherently cyclical in nature. Functionality that was once traditionally trapped within the walled gardens of online destinations is being rapidly disaggregated. Enterprising developers are creating a new breed of software to aggregate this open functionality and deliver new user experiences. As aggregation software increases in popularity, web service providers are rushing to make a "land grab" for core services before they get locked out of the race. This land grab is leading to even more functionality being exposed. As we march onward towards the vision of the Web as a Platform, this cycle will perpetuate.

The end game of this metamorphosis has stunning implications for the world at large. The dream promised by the progenitors of service-oriented architectures will be realized. End users will be able to mix and match best-of-breed functionality using "Smart Aggregators" to create and share their own "long tail experiences." To end users, this functionality will come in the form of Widgets that leverage one, or more web services. Competition will abound for content services, content distribution, content aggregation, and monetization mechanisms (see Fred's excellent post for more thoughts). And all the while your set of services, or Personal Information Cloud, will follow you in different contexts. Sounds pretty nifty, eh?

In short, ladies and gentlemen, we are moving towards the Structured Web - fast. Villains will be fought. Heroes will be made. But, boy oh boy is it going to be a grand adventure.

technorati tags: web1.0, web2.0, structuredweb, webcycle

3 Steps to Increase Traffic Using MySpace

2006-06-19T13:33:00.000-07:00

MySpace commands the attention of 74M+ users and is one of the most popular destinations on the planet. By definition, this achievement is out of reach for most players on the web today.

Realizing that the chances of growing their respective destinations to the cult-like status of MySpace are slim, many online service providers have opted to instead "Feed the MySpace Beast." This strategy enables the great unwashed masses that are NOT MySpace to capitalize on the massive success that the popular social networking site has achieved, without competing directly with them for eyeballs.

For those of you who live under a rock and do not follow the wise teachings of Pete Cashmore, I have summarized the "Feeding" strategy below.

How to Feed MySpace:

Step 1: Create Widget that uses your online service.

Step 2: Enable Widget to be placed on MySpace, Blogger, etc. by end users.

Step 3: Track Widget use and watch your traffic grow.

Photobucket has executed this strategy rather brilliantly. Their photo widgets have become pretty standard fare on many MySpace pages, despite the fact that Photobucket is an independently owned and operated concern. If I were a betting man, I would guess that their strong presence on MySpace has played no small part in the tremendous growth they have experienced in the last 12 months.

The growing number of folks that are interested in capitalizing upon the success of MySpace has interesting implications in the long run. For now, online service providers that "Feed the Beast" have simply solidified MySpace's status as one of the premier destinations on the web. But as we all know, if you eat too much you are bound to get sick. How long will it be until this feeding frenzy turns sour?

Check out this post by media blogstar Steve Rubel for more thoughts on the mounting gold rush.

technorati tags: myspacebeast, web2.0, webservices

For the Love of the Web...

2006-06-14T06:44:00.000-07:00

At Clearspring we love the web more than anything.

Apparently, we love it even more than sleeping at night.

Cyrus you are the man...

technorati tags: shhh, cyrus, is, sleeping

Om & Scoble Departures Part of New Trend?

2006-06-12T21:12:00.000-07:00

As many of you have probably already heard, Microsoft's former blogstar Robert Scoble has left the building. According to this article from CNET:

Scoble, 41, said in a phone interview that he will join PodTech.net, a Menlo Park, Calif., start-up that earlier this year began podcasting video interviews recorded with technology industry luminaries.

Apparently Scoble is not the only one joining the exodus from Corporate America. Om Malik, one of the most popular bloggers on the net, is calling it quits with Business 2.0 and has taken seed funding for a new venture.

He will still be involved with the publication as a contributing editor, but will now be focusing his time on building a business leveraging his massively popular GigaOm property. According to Technorati, Om's blog is the 85th most popular blog on the planet. Not bad, eh?

As independent publishers gain further notoriety it will be interesting to see how the webscape continues to shift as a result. Are Om and Scoble part of a new trend in media? God only knows that certain folks have already started capitalizing upon the success of their blog. Welcome to Web 2.0.

technorati tags: om, scoble, blogger, web 2.0

Slashdot Goes 2.0 - Is that enough?

2006-06-09T15:31:00.000-07:00

Slashdot, the website that has made its mark offering "news for nerds," has officially gone "2.0." The new version of the web site is chalked full of "Ajaxy" components that can be expanded and collapsed at will.

I love Slashdot and still use it regularly, but that upgrade was a bit weak and - frankly - did not add much to the user experience. It most definitely did not help differentiate them from their rapidly growing competitor - Digg.

As the market for news aggregators becomes more cluttered, I wonder what our heroes will do to stay alive. Hopefully, they have a plan because if they don't they may share the same fate as the boom from whence they came.

technorati tags: slashdot, digg, web 2.0

Where is the Web Going Next?

2006-06-09T11:44:00.000-07:00

Tagworld Down - WTF!

2006-06-07T05:56:00.000-07:00

Has anyone else noticed that Tagworld has been down a ton recently? I received a "Service Unavailable" message not once, not twice, but THREE times yesterday when I was trying to go to the site. Perhaps they have angered the Web 2.0 Gods. Or, maybe they just need more servers. Whatever the case may be, it needs to be fix-ed ASAP.

technorati tags: wtf

Stalkerati - Formalizing a Phenomenon

2006-06-01T11:09:00.000-07:00

Somebody is finally admitting what everyone else is doing on social networks - STALKING! Stalking is by far one of the single most popular activities on social network systems today. MySpace, for instance, has managed to achieve a massive network effect not only because their platform enables actionable communication via social networks, but also because the very same tools that enable communication with friends also enable "MySpace Stalking." In other words, since there are a ton of folks on MySpace, there is a much richer base of people to stalk. And because there is such a rich population of potential targets to stalk on MySpace, folks stick around - classic Network Effect, right?

You all know what I am talking about. Chances are that you have searched for someone (friend, foe, goat...) on MySpace, or some other social network like LinkedIn. And, chances are that you have kept up with the multitude of changes in their profile over time. Now you may try to tell yourself that you are simply keeping up with the crowd. And, if that let's you sleep at night, so be it. But let's be serious, you are stalking people.

Anyway, the folks at Stalkerati are apparently more than willing to admit that folks actively stalk one another on social networks. Accordingly, they have made a search engine that enables you to search for your potential "targets" across multiple sites. For example, imagine that for some insane reason you want to stalk me. Wouldn't it be nice to go to one site to find all my information, instead of visiting multiple several social networks?

This is a neat little idea. The bad news is that the folks at many social networks have closed the gates. You need a login to see others. As such, Stalkerati requires you to login to multiple sites in order to really get down and dirty.

Stalkerati has some fantastic and scary implications for where the world is heading. Apprently, it even made the front page of Digg. In short fan-boys, watch yourself - because someone else is most definitely already watching you.

technorati tags: stalkerati, stalkers, myspace, socialnetworks

StumbleUpon Pioneering Discovery

2006-05-22T20:22:00.000-07:00

Canadian start-up StumbleUpon recently landed funding from luminary technology angels including Mitch Kapor and Ram Shriram. Geoff Smith, cofounder of StumbleUpon, and author of the Firefox Plug-in, describes the service as follows:

StumbleUpon lets you "channelsurf" the best-reviewed sites on the web. It is a collaborative surfing tool for browsing, reviewing and sharing great sites with like-minded people. This helps you find interesting web pages you wouldn't think to search for.

The service has been in the making for nearly four years, but has recently experienced a surge of interest. Last I heard, they have nearly 875,000 people using the tool. More importantly perhaps, is that their users seem to demonstrate a cult-like, passion for the service akin to drug-addiction. Fellow web-slinger, Pete Cashmore effectively captures the "StumbleUpon effect" as follows:

...it’s just so darned addictive - once you Stumble, you just can’t stop. What’s more, it’s incredibly accessible to the mainstream demographic - while mining the social bookmarking sites for gems takes a lot of work, Stumbling takes no effort whatsoever.

Pete is not the only one that has "stumbled" upon StumbleUpon. According to a reviewer from PCPro:

I'm hooked on the thing, and rate it as the second most useful web browsing tool after Google itself.

This type of comment should not be taken lightly and is consistent with the idea that discovery could be the new search. Recall that there was a time when search was considered secondary to the portal experience.

I strongly believe that this service is just the tip of the discovery iceberg. As people demand better mechanisms to effectively sate their penchant for the "kind of know what I am looking for" class of queries online, more effective discovery tools - like StumbleUpon - will undoubtedly continue to emerge. I suppose only time will tell, fan-boys. For more information pertaining to StumbleUpon, check-out this post by the ever-vigilant Om Malik.

technorati tags: discovery, stumbleupon, web2.0

Traditional Media Moving Online

2006-05-19T10:09:00.000-07:00

Unless you have been living in a hole for the past year, you have probably noticed that high-quality media content has been slowly, but surely, moving to a new home - the Web. Not only is more high-quality content being published online, but it is being received successfully. An example of a major media provider that has been championing online publication of content is Disney. According to a recent article from Reuters:

"Viewers have watched ABC television shows available online about 3 million times since the Walt Disney Co. network launched the free service just over two weeks ago, Disney's chief executive said on Thursday.

The figure provides an early sign of demand for television programs available on the Internet as broadcasters experiment with new ways of reaching viewers."

The moves being made by ABC and other large media companies are a big deal. Their resurgence of interest in the web not only indicates that will there be more high quality content available for consumption via networked devices (pc, cell phone, etc), but also that incumbent media companies are not about to let next generation media companies like Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft take over without a fight. In the midst of this battle, there will be ample opportunities for new players to capitalize on the changing perspective surrounding content creation, distribution, and consumption. Investors open up your checkbooks - it is time to search (no pun intended) for the next Google.

technorati tags: google, microsoft, yahoo, abc, media