The Next Web

Typepad enters the arena of blog connecting services

Written on November 27, 2008 – 7:48 am
Ernst-Jan Pfauth, editor in chief

Bloggingpro reports that Six Apart has launched a beta version of Typepad Connect: a service that blends in services which are separately provided by MyBLogLog, CoComment, Disqus, Gravatar and a couple of others. Its main goal: connecting bloggers and firming the position of the blog as a platform for your online social activity.

The latter seems to be the trend the last couple of months. First signaled in December 2007 by Chris Messina, who thinks of Wordpress as the next social network, and recently reaffirmed by Chris Brogan - who mentions the blog as the starting point for anyone who wants to build an online presence.

This whole blog-as-a-platform approach creates some challenges. For example, how do you connect with your friends? By using a spiced up blogroll?

No wonder that many services try to become THE standard for interactivity between blogs. All the big players are working on initiatives that might look very different, but have the same goal in the end.

AutoMattic works on BuddyPress. Yahoo! tries to boost MyBlogLog. CoComment partners up with Retaggr. Zemanta recently added a social layer. Google attacked MyBlogLog with a similar service in September.

And now there’s Typepad. Of course. I’d do the same if I were a big blogger player. Its mother company Six Apart describes Typepad Connect as follows: makes community management easier for bloggers with the ability to track, moderate and respond to comments across multiple sites and blogs from one dashboard or via email.” Oh and here’s the interesting bit: the well-designed service is available for all of the major blog platforms.

Welcome in the arena, Typepad.

I hope you like that post!

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blog, Chris Messina, openid, Six Apart, typepad, TypePad AntiSpam, TypePad Connect

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Twitter Fan Wiki, if you’re also not addicted

Written on November 24, 2008 – 1:03 pm
Ernst-Jan Pfauth, editor in chief

Hugh MacLeod has recently published a few cartoons in color and I’m liking it. Especially when they’re as catchy and sharp as this one. If you’re also NOT an addict, check out the Apps section of the enormous Twitter Fan Wiki.

Chris Messina started the page in April 2007. Since then, hundreds of Twitter junkies have added their favorite apps to this list. Browse through it for and find the perfect shot in the form of an application.

To help you select the best apps, let’s all mention our favorite apps here. Mine are Tweetdeck, Twitteriffic, Mobypicture (photos), Tweetburner (track url’s), and the Wordpress plugin Twitter Tools.

Chris Messina, Hugh MacLeod, twitter

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Buzzword Bingo at Supernova’s Open Flow Track session

Written on June 18, 2008 – 1:14 am
Ernst-Jan Pfauth, editor in chief

The Open Flow Track sessions at Supernova 2008 just beg for a flood of buzzwords. You can’t avoid them when you’re discussing topics like Social Graph’s, Network business models and Bottom-up distribution Openness. Words like “collaborative”, “engage”, “social networks”, and “OpenID” keep flying around in Room 4 of the Wharton West.

That didn’t go unnoticed by the moderator of the Bottom-up distribution Openness panel Jeremy Keith (Adactio), so he decided to give a funny twist with a customized Buzzword Bingo page.

Leah Culver (Pownce), Chris Messina (Citizen Agency), David Recordon (Six Apart), and Tantek Celik thought of it as very funny and happily played along - although Leah didn’t immediately realized that every attendee had a different card. After Keith reminded her in a witty way that having different cards is quite vital for playing the game, he explained that you can refresh the page as many times as you want. He has even built a buzzword generator.

Fun way to spice up a panel! (a phenomenon I still hate though)

Buzzword Bingo, Chris Messina, Leah Culver, openid, Pownce, social network, supernova2008

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