Entries from April 2007 ↓

MySpace has launched a news aggregator called MySpace News.  Although it has similar features to other social news sites, and was predicted to be a major competitor to Digg.com, it is a little different from Digg, in that there is currently no “friends” feature, there are a lot more news categories, there is no membership (users do not have an ID), and users do not submit stories – they simply vote on what stories are available through the feed.

Even though MySpace News is owned by MySpace, users of the news beta are not required at this time to have a MySpace account to vote on stories, and there is no way to know who has voted on a story to make connections with other users with similar interests. (On the plus side, there is also no way to accumulate cyber-stalkers, since no one knows who has voted for which stories.)

The aggregator is very good, and I have been pleased with the stories I’m finding in my favorite sections.  Using MySpace News is very easy; just go to http://news.myspace.com, select your categories, and start reading and voting.

It might actually replace some web users’ current social bookmarkers or news aggregators, except for one problem:  Many places of business, schools, and libraries have blocked MySpace…and this includes the MySpace News Beta.  For MySpace News to ultimately be successful, they will have to find a way around this.  My suggestion?  Change the name.

JennSierra

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Digg
Jenn Sierra (author)
MySpace News
social news

Take this test to find out.

But then, if you even have to ask, you probably know the answer already!

Technorati tags:
Internet addicts
the human condition

Okay, I’ll admit it: 1389, a/k/a the editor of this blog, is the worst Internet junkie on the planet. Among other things, I have upwards of thirty feeds coming into my Google Reader account alone, and when I’m out somewhere, I pick them up on my cellphone with Google Reader Mobile, which is currently in beta test.

Normally, Google Reader Mobile works surprisingly well, even on a cellphone screen not much bigger than a postage stamp.

This past Friday, I clicked on a feed link and got the mysterious message shown in the header of this blog entry.

Obviously, this is not the most helpful error message – neither for the tech support staffer nor for the end user. If any of you happen to know anything about this message, please post a comment here!

More to the point: my attention was especially drawn to the fact that Google included a copyright notice in a message that is such a painfully ironic summation of the human condition.

After all, who among us has not said, or at least thought, the same thing?

Technorati tags:
1389
cellular
feeds
Google
Internet addicts
mobile web
tech support
the human condition

Apparently, as in Saudi Arabia, too many frustrated Iranians have been using cellphone instant messaging to circumvent the restrictions on communications regarding sexuality, and on contact between the sexes.

See this story from Reuters.com.

Technorati tags:
cellular
censorship
culture wars
current events
instant messaging
privacy
the human condition

By JennSierra

I’m currently in the final stages of my Ph.D. program (Instructional Design for Online Learning), and the topic I’ve chosen for my dissertation is “The Learner Profile for an Online Social Networker.” My particular area of interest for research is the role of Web 2.0 in online education and training.

When I explain this to friends and acquaintances, the question inevitably arises, “So, what, exactly, is Web 2.0, anyway?” Good question. The best person to answer this question is Tim O’Reilly, the person who coined the term. For his explanation, see What Is Web 2.0: Design Patterns and Business Models for the Next Generation of Software.

Web 2.0 affects our lives online in the form of blogs, online citizen journalism sites (social news), wiki’s, folksonomies, social networking sites, collaborative bookmarking sites, podcasts, aggregators (e.g., RSS), semantic web, collaborative software, and other online scenarios in which users create and share content such as graphics, news, information, technology, creative writing, software, photos, and videos. The original World Wide Web gave us the opportunity to share information by posting what we had to say, and by reading what others had to say. Web 2.0 takes that concept to the next level, by giving us the opportunity to collectively influence what information is available and how the information is distributed to ourselves and others.

Because of Web 2.0 technology, there is a growing body of knowledge online that is taking on a life of its own, and it is very influential. If we are interested in the accuracy of the information that is being distributed online, we need to have a voice in this increasingly important global discussion. We need to understand and utilize Web 2.0 if we want this body of knowledge to at least partially reflect our values, attitudes, respect for history, and vision for the future.

JennSierra

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Jenn Sierra (author)
social news
tech industry
Web 2.0

This article in Time Magazine looks at the folks who actually provide, comment on, or edit the content that drives the social web.

One important observation is the small proportion of users who upload or edit content on social news websites, as opposed to those who merely visit and view the sites. Pareto’s famous 80-20 law doesn’t apply to the social web; the proportion of users who contribute content is far smaller.

Technorati tags:
social news
Web 2.0

Television and radio commercials – and not only those low-budget late-night ads – are looking more and more like those offers for fake Viagra, boiler-room get-rich-quick schemes, and worthless diet products that seem to clutter everyone’s email.

Billionaire blogger Mark Cuban warns that showing these ads, which are nothing but ripoffs of the consumer, will hurt the reputation and the brand value of the radio or TV station.

In the article Ripoff Commercials = Stupid TV Stations and Networks, Cuban argues that, if a station hasn’t sold an ad slot to a quality advertiser, it would be better off not running any ad at all instead of running this garbage. Can’t argue with that!

Commenter Trey Tomeny says:

A great observation, Mark. It is especially appalling that so many of the commercials that air on talk radio are for highly questionable get rich quick schemes. Those shows are the product of individual hosts who seem to value their integrity, and then apparently sell it to the highest bidder during the breaks.

By the way, Mark Cuban’s blog offers a mobile website – try it and see!

Technorati tags:
advertising
fraud
mobile web
MSM corruption
spam

This article from NewScientistTech.com explains how various characteristics of television and cellular phone signals can be used to pinpoint one’s location.

It’s more complex and more situation-dependent than using standardized GPS location signals, but on the other hand, it could be a lifesaver for the military if the GPS system is down or is being jammed by an enemy.

Technorati tags:
cellular
GPS
military