Off on holidays
August 21, 2006 at 5:08 pm
I’m off on hols now for a couple of weeks. You will notice an increase in the number of posts here when I return because I will be full of good intentions of how to be a better blogger.
Until then, a burned out, tired and dyslexic Brightspark bids you adieu!
Off on holidays
August 21, 2006 at 5:08 pm
I’m off on hols now for a couple of weeks. You will notice an increase in the number of posts here when I return because I will be full of good intentions of how to be a better blogger.
Until then, a burned out, tired and dyslexic Brightspark bids you adieu!
More on Social Networking
August 15, 2006 at 4:57 pm
“Contemporary youth culture is connecting with each other and the world
in ways never before possible and will continue to do so into their professional
lives. They are early adopters of technologies that are changing the way we
connect and collaborate”
My previous post on Bebo and MySpace introduces the concept of social networking
and concludes that anyone who ignores these changes in the way millions of people
are interacting does so at their peril.
Today I’d like to take a look at some other social networking
sites.
Many commentators believe that for us time-poor adults, we need to
have a shared goal in order to be compelled to participate online.
I would agree with that.
· Friendster was one
of the original social networking sites; a site for seeking out old friends
and school mates and making contact. It’s on its way out now - here’s
an interesting post
by Danah Boyd as to why - but in a nutshell, Friendster didn’t give
its visitors anything to do except search. They can’t customise pages,
or add content and create an identity the way you can on MySpace or Bebo. And
Friendster offered no compelling reason to come back again and again - I know
I have lost contact with some school mates for a reason – I have nothing
in common with them anymore!
· Another site that’s on its way out is
Linkedin. Good post here
by Russell Beattie on why he opted out. “It started out like a game, whoever
had the most contacts was the winner.” So there was a reason to get on
there. But then they removed that and I’ve received so many invitations
to join Linkedin, I did join in 2003, filled out a little profile, but never
really hung out there. Why not? Because there was nothing for me to do there.
Social networking sites that will succeed . . .
Flickr – because it lets you store your digital photos
safely and securely and because it engages your mind . . . You can share them
with your friends, keep them private or have them public so everyone can see.
What’s so great about Flickr is that you are really encouraged to take
part in the site and there’s lots of things to do. Explore ‘interestingness”,
submit your pics to the ‘hey hot shot’ competition that celebrates
spectacular and amazing photographs. Take part in groups on anything from shiny
silver balls to “calling
all pool cleaners”
There’s a whole army of amateur photographers out there, armed with digital
cameras, with at least half an interest in seeing what others have done, so
Flickr is bound to succeed.
Personally I use Flickr when I’m planning my holidays,
it’s a great way to get a flavour of your intended destination. . . In
fact, I’m eagerly awaiting the launch of Vizta.com,
another social networking site, but this time based around your Top 10 places
in the world. If you log on now and register your interest, you’ll get
an email when the site launches. It’s going to be one of the really cool
ones, so it is worth a visit.
43things – social networking based around goal setting.
The idea is that you are more likely to achieve a goal if you write it down.
So you make a list on 43 Things and see what changes happen in your life. It’s
also a way of connecting with other enthusiasts interested in everything from
growing their own vegetables
to going on a road trip with
no destination.
There’s a new site based around life mapping called Dandelife
which sounds great in theory – you get to create a timeline of your life
story via text, photos, and video. It’s a nice idea to do for someone
else as a gift or to celebrate a birth or a marriage. BUT part of the business
model will be to license users’ stories to companies seeking case studies
and brandable narratives. I suppose they’ve got to make money somehow,
but I think that’s scary!
Thanks to JF for steering me towards a few good blogs while researching
this.
More on Social Networking
August 15, 2006 at 4:57 pm
“Contemporary youth culture is connecting with each other and the world
in ways never before possible and will continue to do so into their professional
lives. They are early adopters of technologies that are changing the way we
connect and collaborate”
My previous post on Bebo and MySpace introduces the concept of social networking
and concludes that anyone who ignores these changes in the way millions of people
are interacting does so at their peril.
Today I’d like to take a look at some other social networking
sites.
Many commentators believe that for us time-poor adults, we need to
have a shared goal in order to be compelled to participate online.
I would agree with that.
· Friendster was one
of the original social networking sites; a site for seeking out old friends
and school mates and making contact. It’s on its way out now - here’s
an interesting post
by Danah Boyd as to why - but in a nutshell, Friendster didn’t give
its visitors anything to do except search. They can’t customise pages,
or add content and create an identity the way you can on MySpace or Bebo. And
Friendster offered no compelling reason to come back again and again - I know
I have lost contact with some school mates for a reason – I have nothing
in common with them anymore!
· Another site that’s on its way out is
Linkedin. Good post here
by Russell Beattie on why he opted out. “It started out like a game, whoever
had the most contacts was the winner.” So there was a reason to get on
there. But then they removed that and I’ve received so many invitations
to join Linkedin, I did join in 2003, filled out a little profile, but never
really hung out there. Why not? Because there was nothing for me to do there.
Social networking sites that will succeed . . .
Flickr – because it lets you store your digital photos
safely and securely and because it engages your mind . . . You can share them
with your friends, keep them private or have them public so everyone can see.
What’s so great about Flickr is that you are really encouraged to take
part in the site and there’s lots of things to do. Explore ‘interestingness”,
submit your pics to the ‘hey hot shot’ competition that celebrates
spectacular and amazing photographs. Take part in groups on anything from shiny
silver balls to “calling
all pool cleaners”
There’s a whole army of amateur photographers out there, armed with digital
cameras, with at least half an interest in seeing what others have done, so
Flickr is bound to succeed.
Personally I use Flickr when I’m planning my holidays,
it’s a great way to get a flavour of your intended destination. . . In
fact, I’m eagerly awaiting the launch of Vizta.com,
another social networking site, but this time based around your Top 10 places
in the world. If you log on now and register your interest, you’ll get
an email when the site launches. It’s going to be one of the really cool
ones, so it is worth a visit.
43things – social networking based around goal setting.
The idea is that you are more likely to achieve a goal if you write it down.
So you make a list on 43 Things and see what changes happen in your life. It’s
also a way of connecting with other enthusiasts interested in everything from
growing their own vegetables
to going on a road trip with
no destination.
There’s a new site based around life mapping called Dandelife
which sounds great in theory – you get to create a timeline of your life
story via text, photos, and video. It’s a nice idea to do for someone
else as a gift or to celebrate a birth or a marriage. BUT part of the business
model will be to license users’ stories to companies seeking case studies
and brandable narratives. I suppose they’ve got to make money somehow,
but I think that’s scary!
Thanks to JF for steering me towards a few good blogs while researching
this.
Getting to Grips with Bebo
August 14, 2006 at 12:35 pm
Avid readers of the business press will be familiar with the rumours that are doing the rounds that Bebo has a $1 billion price tag on it. Most of you have probably heard of MySpace and Bebo and the term “social networking” but chances are that unless you’re under 21; a parent, or an internet early adopter you’re probably not sure what it’s all about! This post sets out to explain what social networking is about and to introduce you to a typical Beboer.
According to Wikipedia (which has replaced the Encyclopedia Brittanica as the source of all knowledge), “a social network is a map of the relationships between individuals.” MySpace and Bebo are two of the most popular social networking sites with upwards of 125 million signed up members between them. [125 million yes! Can you imagine getting at that number of people for your product or service! Now hold that thought...]
But what is MySpace? And what’s so great about Bebo that teenagers are spending an average of 2.5 hours per day on it?
MySpace and Bebo are free services that allow users to submit photos, blogs, videos, music, and to communicate with other members.
A typical Bebo page looks like this: http://www.bebo.com/Profile.jsp?MemberId=8545142
This is Laura Barret from Blackrock. She’s 16 and loves to type in sms speak - “blackrock-best place ta live no matta wat ne1 not 4rm dre sez”.
Laura lists her musical influences, films she likes, what she’s scared of, and what makes her happy (”bein wit mi m8s” = being with her mates).
Scrolling down her page, you get to see pics of her friends. It’s cool to have loads of friends and for them to be cool too, so hey - some things haven’t changed! There’s a space for comments where you can leave comments for Laura. Now don’t go freaking the poor girl out and posting loads of comments on from old fogey corporate types!! She’s also got a blog she kept about putting on HMS Pinafore with the local boys school. She’s got her fave videos on there too probably lifted straight off utube another cool site that lets you create movies, upload them and people rate them.
The point is - Laura can put whatever she likes on her page. There are no rules. And that’s why sites like Bebo and MySpace are so popular. A teenager’s world is fraught with rules - school and parents inflict so many that it must be pretty refreshing exist in a space where they can’t get at you. . .
Imagine how different your life would have been if you had a Bebo or MySpace when you were 16!
Bebo is the most popular social networking site in Ireland. MySpace has really taken off in the US. Both are vying for lead position in the UK. One of the reasons why News Corp paid $649 million for MySpace in July 2005 is because this is where the kids are - online. Magazines for teens are finding it difficult to make sales. Advertisers are looking for ways of reaching Beboers and MySpacers because they’re no longer sitting passively watching ads on television.
Apart from the numbers (MySpace signed it’s 100 millionth member last week), it’s also a great way of distributing media content. Shortly we’ll be able to pay for download and keep DVD’s of fox movies on MySpace. And Google have just paid $900 million to be the exclusive provider of text based ads on MySpace.
I mentioned before in a previous post that it’s all eyes on the teens because they are the first generation to only know the wired world. The way they behave and interact is a good indicator of how it will be for future generations. Your 13 year old’s memories of growing up will be very far removed from your own. But his kids will likely share common experiences to what he’s having now.
MySpace, Bebo, Xanga - to many these reside firmly within “youth culture”. But if you’re in the business of selling a product or a service that’s going to be around for some time, then you’d be wise not to just leave them to the kids. Get to know them. Become familiar with them, because Social Networking is here to stay.
Getting to Grips with Bebo
August 14, 2006 at 12:35 pm
Avid readers of the business press will be familiar with the rumours that are doing the rounds that Bebo has a $1 billion price tag on it. Most of you have probably heard of MySpace and Bebo and the term “social networking” but chances are that unless you’re under 21; a parent, or an internet early adopter you’re probably not sure what it’s all about! This post sets out to explain what social networking is about and to introduce you to a typical Beboer.
According to Wikipedia (which has replaced the Encyclopedia Brittanica as the source of all knowledge), “a social network is a map of the relationships between individuals.” MySpace and Bebo are two of the most popular social networking sites with upwards of 125 million signed up members between them. [125 million yes! Can you imagine getting at that number of people for your product or service! Now hold that thought...]
But what is MySpace? And what’s so great about Bebo that teenagers are spending an average of 2.5 hours per day on it?
MySpace and Bebo are free services that allow users to submit photos, blogs, videos, music, and to communicate with other members.
A typical Bebo page looks like this: http://www.bebo.com/Profile.jsp?MemberId=8545142
This is Laura Barret from Blackrock. She’s 16 and loves to type in sms speak - “blackrock-best place ta live no matta wat ne1 not 4rm dre sez”.
Laura lists her musical influences, films she likes, what she’s scared of, and what makes her happy (”bein wit mi m8s” = being with her mates).
Scrolling down her page, you get to see pics of her friends. It’s cool to have loads of friends and for them to be cool too, so hey - some things haven’t changed! There’s a space for comments where you can leave comments for Laura. Now don’t go freaking the poor girl out and posting loads of comments on from old fogey corporate types!! She’s also got a blog she kept about putting on HMS Pinafore with the local boys school. She’s got her fave videos on there too probably lifted straight off utube another cool site that lets you create movies, upload them and people rate them.
The point is - Laura can put whatever she likes on her page. There are no rules. And that’s why sites like Bebo and MySpace are so popular. A teenager’s world is fraught with rules - school and parents inflict so many that it must be pretty refreshing exist in a space where they can’t get at you. . .
Imagine how different your life would have been if you had a Bebo or MySpace when you were 16!
Bebo is the most popular social networking site in Ireland. MySpace has really taken off in the US. Both are vying for lead position in the UK. One of the reasons why News Corp paid $649 million for MySpace in July 2005 is because this is where the kids are - online. Magazines for teens are finding it difficult to make sales. Advertisers are looking for ways of reaching Beboers and MySpacers because they’re no longer sitting passively watching ads on television.
Apart from the numbers (MySpace signed it’s 100 millionth member last week), it’s also a great way of distributing media content. Shortly we’ll be able to pay for download and keep DVD’s of fox movies on MySpace. And Google have just paid $900 million to be the exclusive provider of text based ads on MySpace.
I mentioned before in a previous post that it’s all eyes on the teens because they are the first generation to only know the wired world. The way they behave and interact is a good indicator of how it will be for future generations. Your 13 year old’s memories of growing up will be very far removed from your own. But his kids will likely share common experiences to what he’s having now.
MySpace, Bebo, Xanga - to many these reside firmly within “youth culture”. But if you’re in the business of selling a product or a service that’s going to be around for some time, then you’d be wise not to just leave them to the kids. Get to know them. Become familiar with them, because Social Networking is here to stay.
Getting to Grips with Bebo
August 14, 2006 at 12:35 pm
Avid readers of the business press will be familiar with the rumours that are doing the rounds that Bebo has a $1 billion price tag on it. Most of you have probably heard of MySpace and Bebo and the term “social networking” but chances are that unless you’re under 21; a parent, or an internet early adopter you’re probably not sure what it’s all about! This post sets out to explain what social networking is about and to introduce you to a typical Beboer.
According to Wikipedia (which has replaced the Encyclopedia Brittanica as the source of all knowledge), “a social network is a map of the relationships between individuals.” MySpace and Bebo are two of the most popular social networking sites with upwards of 125 million signed up members between them. [125 million yes! Can you imagine getting at that number of people for your product or service! Now hold that thought...]
But what is MySpace? And what’s so great about Bebo that teenagers are spending an average of 2.5 hours per day on it?
MySpace and Bebo are free services that allow users to submit photos, blogs, videos, music, and to communicate with other members.
A typical Bebo page looks like this: http://www.bebo.com/Profile.jsp?MemberId=8545142
This is Laura Barret from Blackrock. She’s 16 and loves to type in sms speak - “blackrock-best place ta live no matta wat ne1 not 4rm dre sez”.
Laura lists her musical influences, films she likes, what she’s scared of, and what makes her happy (”bein wit mi m8s” = being with her mates).
Scrolling down her page, you get to see pics of her friends. It’s cool to have loads of friends and for them to be cool too, so hey - some things haven’t changed! There’s a space for comments where you can leave comments for Laura. Now don’t go freaking the poor girl out and posting loads of comments on from old fogey corporate types!! She’s also got a blog she kept about putting on HMS Pinafore with the local boys school. She’s got her fave videos on there too probably lifted straight off utube another cool site that lets you create movies, upload them and people rate them.
The point is - Laura can put whatever she likes on her page. There are no rules. And that’s why sites like Bebo and MySpace are so popular. A teenager’s world is fraught with rules - school and parents inflict so many that it must be pretty refreshing exist in a space where they can’t get at you. . .
Imagine how different your life would have been if you had a Bebo or MySpace when you were 16!
Bebo is the most popular social networking site in Ireland. MySpace has really taken off in the US. Both are vying for lead position in the UK. One of the reasons why News Corp paid $649 million for MySpace in July 2005 is because this is where the kids are - online. Magazines for teens are finding it difficult to make sales. Advertisers are looking for ways of reaching Beboers and MySpacers because they’re no longer sitting passively watching ads on television.
Apart from the numbers (MySpace signed it’s 100 millionth member last week), it’s also a great way of distributing media content. Shortly we’ll be able to pay for download and keep DVD’s of fox movies on MySpace. And Google have just paid $900 million to be the exclusive provider of text based ads on MySpace.
I mentioned before in a previous post that it’s all eyes on the teens because they are the first generation to only know the wired world. The way they behave and interact is a good indicator of how it will be for future generations. Your 13 year old’s memories of growing up will be very far removed from your own. But his kids will likely share common experiences to what he’s having now.
MySpace, Bebo, Xanga - to many these reside firmly within “youth culture”. But if you’re in the business of selling a product or a service that’s going to be around for some time, then you’d be wise not to just leave them to the kids. Get to know them. Become familiar with them, because Social Networking is here to stay.
If you haven’t yet drunk the Kool Aid…
August 4, 2006 at 2:18 pm
…then this might help you - great manifesto from people at ChangeThis
Summary of the main themes of Web 2.0 which I have lifted directly from the manifesto:
- Collaboration: the first theme is about people working together, collaborating, to
create software, content, communities, art, music, literature, and a multitude of other
things. Web 2.0 tools and applications support this type of interaction at their core. - Conversation: There is a conversation happening and it’s not just happening in your
corporate website forum. It is happening on blogs. It is a public conversation about
politics, business, social issues, and anything else you can imagine, including your
company. Tools are developing rapidly in this area and we have a long way to go, but
these are exciting times. There is a conversation going on right now that you could
contribute to or learn from. What are you waiting for? Join in! - Community: We have had online communities now for at least fifteen years or more.
But the tools for building online communities are now becoming more widespread
and communities are forming around every imaginable (and unimaginable) subject,
product, and industry. If you are looking for your “tribeâ€, they are probably out there
somewhere. - Connection: we are building messaging systems that now connect people to people,
people to machines, and machines to machines. The names of these systems are not
important but their function is. - Content Creation: It turns out that if you give people the tools to create “stuffâ€, they
do just that. In fact, they create so much stuff that it quite frankly upsets our
assumptions about who in our society are the creators and who are the consumers. - Cumulative Learning: think of cumulative learning as peer reviewed journals for every
person on the planet with internet access. People can now build on the knowledge of
others (through the miracles of search and wikis) faster than at any time in history. - Collective Intelligence: In certain conditions, it turns out that groups of people are
smarter than individuals. This is counter-intuitive and odd but apparently true. - Change of scale: Web 2.0 companies can scale up fast. Because of the spread of
broadband internet and the sheer number of people on the internet, we are seeing
key measures (number of users, time to market, time to exit) that are quite
extraordinary. - Core values: Openness, transparency, and a respect for users are three core values
that seem to permeate Web 2.0 definitions and discussions. - Cheap and Fast: A key quality of Web 2.0 is that developers and entrepreneurs
can build, deploy and profit from applications for less money and in less time than
ever before.
We take a Web 2.0 approach to all of our work, working with clients to build communities, adding blogs to client sites where they are relevant, and one such site that we have recently created is for Simpson FT PR. (Go on - have a quick look, then come back to me…)
What better candidate to blog than Ronnie Simpson, one of the most experienced PR consultants in the country? Ronnie’s company, Simpson FT PR, is a specialist PR financial and technology PR firm whose client list is a veritable ‘who’s who’ of the major players in the country. We’re pretty chuffed that when it came to getting their own site re-done and making the move to email communication, that Simpson chose Brightspark. And we’re really glad that they were open to having their site “Web 2.0 ified” a bit.
If you haven’t yet drunk the Kool Aid…
August 4, 2006 at 2:18 pm
…then this might help you - great manifesto from people at ChangeThis
Summary of the main themes of Web 2.0 which I have lifted directly from the manifesto:
- Collaboration: the first theme is about people working together, collaborating, to
create software, content, communities, art, music, literature, and a multitude of other
things. Web 2.0 tools and applications support this type of interaction at their core. - Conversation: There is a conversation happening and it’s not just happening in your
corporate website forum. It is happening on blogs. It is a public conversation about
politics, business, social issues, and anything else you can imagine, including your
company. Tools are developing rapidly in this area and we have a long way to go, but
these are exciting times. There is a conversation going on right now that you could
contribute to or learn from. What are you waiting for? Join in! - Community: We have had online communities now for at least fifteen years or more.
But the tools for building online communities are now becoming more widespread
and communities are forming around every imaginable (and unimaginable) subject,
product, and industry. If you are looking for your “tribeâ€, they are probably out there
somewhere. - Connection: we are building messaging systems that now connect people to people,
people to machines, and machines to machines. The names of these systems are not
important but their function is. - Content Creation: It turns out that if you give people the tools to create “stuffâ€, they
do just that. In fact, they create so much stuff that it quite frankly upsets our
assumptions about who in our society are the creators and who are the consumers. - Cumulative Learning: think of cumulative learning as peer reviewed journals for every
person on the planet with internet access. People can now build on the knowledge of
others (through the miracles of search and wikis) faster than at any time in history. - Collective Intelligence: In certain conditions, it turns out that groups of people are
smarter than individuals. This is counter-intuitive and odd but apparently true. - Change of scale: Web 2.0 companies can scale up fast. Because of the spread of
broadband internet and the sheer number of people on the internet, we are seeing
key measures (number of users, time to market, time to exit) that are quite
extraordinary. - Core values: Openness, transparency, and a respect for users are three core values
that seem to permeate Web 2.0 definitions and discussions. - Cheap and Fast: A key quality of Web 2.0 is that developers and entrepreneurs
can build, deploy and profit from applications for less money and in less time than
ever before.
We take a Web 2.0 approach to all of our work, working with clients to build communities, adding blogs to client sites where they are relevant, and one such site that we have recently created is for Simpson FT PR. (Go on - have a quick look, then come back to me…)
What better candidate to blog than Ronnie Simpson, one of the most experienced PR consultants in the country? Ronnie’s company, Simpson FT PR, is a specialist PR financial and technology PR firm whose client list is a veritable ‘who’s who’ of the major players in the country. We’re pretty chuffed that when it came to getting their own site re-done and making the move to email communication, that Simpson chose Brightspark. And we’re really glad that they were open to having their site “Web 2.0 ified” a bit.
If you haven’t yet drunk the Kool Aid…
August 4, 2006 at 2:18 pm
…then this might help you - great manifesto from people at ChangeThis
Summary of the main themes of Web 2.0 which I have lifted directly from the manifesto:
- Collaboration: the first theme is about people working together, collaborating, to
create software, content, communities, art, music, literature, and a multitude of other
things. Web 2.0 tools and applications support this type of interaction at their core. - Conversation: There is a conversation happening and it’s not just happening in your
corporate website forum. It is happening on blogs. It is a public conversation about
politics, business, social issues, and anything else you can imagine, including your
company. Tools are developing rapidly in this area and we have a long way to go, but
these are exciting times. There is a conversation going on right now that you could
contribute to or learn from. What are you waiting for? Join in! - Community: We have had online communities now for at least fifteen years or more.
But the tools for building online communities are now becoming more widespread
and communities are forming around every imaginable (and unimaginable) subject,
product, and industry. If you are looking for your “tribeâ€, they are probably out there
somewhere. - Connection: we are building messaging systems that now connect people to people,
people to machines, and machines to machines. The names of these systems are not
important but their function is. - Content Creation: It turns out that if you give people the tools to create “stuffâ€, they
do just that. In fact, they create so much stuff that it quite frankly upsets our
assumptions about who in our society are the creators and who are the consumers. - Cumulative Learning: think of cumulative learning as peer reviewed journals for every
person on the planet with internet access. People can now build on the knowledge of
others (through the miracles of search and wikis) faster than at any time in history. - Collective Intelligence: In certain conditions, it turns out that groups of people are
smarter than individuals. This is counter-intuitive and odd but apparently true. - Change of scale: Web 2.0 companies can scale up fast. Because of the spread of
broadband internet and the sheer number of people on the internet, we are seeing
key measures (number of users, time to market, time to exit) that are quite
extraordinary. - Core values: Openness, transparency, and a respect for users are three core values
that seem to permeate Web 2.0 definitions and discussions. - Cheap and Fast: A key quality of Web 2.0 is that developers and entrepreneurs
can build, deploy and profit from applications for less money and in less time than
ever before.
We take a Web 2.0 approach to all of our work, working with clients to build communities, adding blogs to client sites where they are relevant, and one such site that we have recently created is for Simpson FT PR. (Go on - have a quick look, then come back to me…)
What better candidate to blog than Ronnie Simpson, one of the most experienced PR consultants in the country? Ronnie’s company, Simpson FT PR, is a specialist PR financial and technology PR firm whose client list is a veritable ‘who’s who’ of the major players in the country. We’re pretty chuffed that when it came to getting their own site re-done and making the move to email communication, that Simpson chose Brightspark. And we’re really glad that they were open to having their site “Web 2.0 ified” a bit.
