Is Blog Space Threatening MySpace?

Remembering back maybe 5 years ago or so, I was one of the first dedicated users of MySpace and watched as it took off. I remember when only certain demographics were considered fit for MySpace and when the user interface was almost completely different than what it is today.

If anyone reading was there with me, then you remember only being able to upload up to 9 pictures to your page at a time, you remember when changing your layout was way cool and different, you remember when people first started removing their top 8, you remember when there was no status or mood field yet, no home page layouts, etc..

I think it's interesting that I see so much of the same potential in blogging networks, but even more!!

In browsing through random blogs, you see everything from sales pages, people documenting hobbies or projects, personal journal type blogs, family blogs, teen blogs, professional blogs, etc. These same types of sites can be found on sites like MySpace, only perhaps in a bit of a different light. That last fact is what I think gives the blogging community a leg up on the foundation they are working with vs what sites like MySpace started with.

Blogging is by far not looked down on by the 25 and up age groups, as MySpace was or maybe even still is. Blogging can be used by the young, but is still appropriate for older folks too. In general, blogging is a respectable idea for anyone who can spell and read.

Like the beginnings of MySpace, most blog accounts have a home page, accept comments, allow for pictures or video, and allow you to "decorate" with layout templates.

I am gonna be bold and predict that blogging may very well in the future follow a similar pattern of development as sites like MySpace. I foresee it being only a matter of time before "everyone has a blog" (which to some seems to already be the case), you can email or message people via their blog site, coding sites may add blog templates if they haven't already, a status bar or mood field may be almost certain, and a bulletin board between you and your followers would be amazing. And while we're at it, maybe we should all add a place for our top eight followers too, lol. I'm kidding on that last one.

My point is, blogging communities may have a shadow to cast on sites like MySpace, if they haven't already cast it. While MySpace may currently have what I believe to be a more "connected community" via a more developed user face, I also believe that blogging networks have the potential to gain on that aspect and then prevail also in other things such as a bigger user population and a greater range of acceptable uses, making blogging networks a for sure threat to sites like MySpace.

Briefly, I'll refer to my comment that, "sites like MySpace may be a more connected community," and clarify what I meant. I've only been blogging for a couple months now, but what I feel blogger accounts lack are ways of communication between the site publisher and the reader. There are very little default ways to contact a given blogger. In fact, there is only one, comments. There is no blogger messaging system or bulletin board. Such links would have to be added by the maker of the site and routed to their personal email.

In the future (and I mean future as in it's beginning to happen now and is growing), I see bloggersville being very successful, as a new and revolutionary way of publishing news, ads, journals, projects, etc. And sites like MySpace may suffer, as people move from smaller radius sites like MySpace to bigger broader communities like blogging networks. That is, if blogging networks proceed with user interface developments, adding new abilities and functions and greater ease of connectedness.

Guess we'll see.... meanwhile, I'll continue to use both :-)

Reflecting: South Sound Technology Conference, 2008

A treat it was indeed, as I attended my first of many South Sound Technology Conferences (SST Conference) this past Friday. Like a little kid after Christmas day, I was excited and enthused all day and played with the new thoughts and information I'd gained in my head all evening, dreaming and planning...

To many, it might seem nerdy or naive to be so excited, but for others who share my passion for science and technology, you know my excitement is real, and my dreams, even realer.

The conference hit the ground running strong with Andrew Fry leading the pack.

The first panel featured information on "Fostering Innovation", and included presentations from Egils Milbers, John Dimmer and Lee Cheatham. I have to share, this presentation may have been my favorite of the day. Egils Milbers, Executive Director for the Economic Development Commission of Washington State was noted as being highly prestigious and even a bit of a celebrity and he certainly lived up to his expectations. With a wonderful power point presentation, he inspired and enlightened us as he spoke on what innovative means and how to go about being innovative, along with what is needed. A quote from one of his slides that I found profound in respect to our nations correct woes follows.

"Never allow a crisis to go to waste!"

-Rahm Emanuel

Also, John Dimmer of the Tacoma Angel Network was there to encourage entrepreneurs and let them know of the resources for capital available to them as start ups, the Tacoma Angel Network included. And Lee Cheatham of the Washington Technology Center was there to close and tie everything together. The three of them provided a fantastic start to the day and some valuable prospectives for which I felt very fortunate to get to hear.

The next presentation was one I had been waiting for and had even blogged about last month. Cloud Computing, the current buzz word whizzing around the technology industry, was presented by Aaron Kimbell, and then followed up by the "Dual Prospectives Panel". Together, they were able to make very clear to me exactly what cloud computing is and means and the pros and cons of its use, as well as who it's respectable audience is or should be. The panel included Mike Manzano of Topia Technologies who focused on Cloud Computing in Software and Dr. Ankur Teredesai of the Institute of Technology, UWT, who focused on Cloud Computing in the Education. I personally was thrilled and very satisfied with the discussion! In fact, rest assured that I will be doing a follow up blog of my October blog on this subject in the very near future.

The rest of the afternoon provided an introduction to a selection of the technology based businesses we have present in the South Sound, including Prepared Response represented by Mike Brown, Serra Media represented by Mark Briggs, Avue Technology represented by Dan Creamer, NewTech represented by Jennifer Leaf and Internet Identity represented by Rod Rasmussen. All of the companies had different dynamics, all spun upon the use of technology. And besides the pleasure of having some fresh clear insight into these co existing companies, as they met one another and discussed their point of views on different subjects, as a student, it was nice to get a preview of my possible future employers.

Overall, for me, the SST conference was amazing and truly beneficial. The ideas it spurred within me and the confidence it gave me in what this industry can do, only helped to secure that this is where I need to be and this industry is what I want to be a part of.

A special thank you goes to Andrew Fry and all of those who helped plan and put on this annual event. I look forward to celebrating the conferences 10 year anniversary at the conference next year! Should be an interesting one, especially given the current state of our nation.

Kevin Freitas, Inspiring a Community

I wanna first thank my professor, Andrew Fry, of the Institute of Technology, for being so indulged into the technology industry. Time and time again, he is able to pull from his vast network of relationships, industry related, and share them with us as guest speakers. This past Monday, our class was visited by the third guest speaker so far this quarter, Mr. Kevin Freitas, and while last, he was surely not least!

I have thoroughly enjoyed all of the speakers brought to our class and taken very valuable information away from each. But I have to share, I was most inspired by Kevin. Kevin is an established and successful computer scientist. He works for a company, Site Crafting, where his role is half programmer and half team manager. Kevin is also known to be one of the first, if not the first, blogger in this area. Kevin's personal web site, KevinFreitas.net, has a blog archive that goes back some 10 years! It is literally a documentary of his life, pictures and stories, the works. It's really quite fascinating. But, while that is cool, Kevin also has created a site, FeedTacoma.com, for the community of Tacoma, "for the people" he actually said :-), for which I have to make note he makes no profit off of. In all honesty, I found that last note remarkably insane, but also remarkably respectable and inspiring all at once.

The site, FeedTacoma.com, serves as a one stop shop to brows all blogs tagged Tacoma. Two unique properties of the site are one, it's ability to equalize all voices, and two, it's ability to self maintain. Because the links to the blogs tagged Tacoma are all displayed in the same manner, regardless of who they are from, my personal blog (should I choose to tag it Tacoma) would be linked up just as someone at the New Tribunes would. This enables everyone to network and get there voice out there. The site is also self maintaining. It runs on algorithms and requires no one person to continually maintain or upkeep it. Instead, Kevin chooses to revamp or add to the site whenever he pleases. Some recent and up in coming changes are a shopping area where local shops or people can post pictures and descriptions of items for sale on the site and transactions can actually be completed. Also, Kevin is recruiting volunteer artists to be a part of template making for blogs that users can start, should they choose to open an account on FeedTacoma.com.

Now, as I mentioned, Kevin is making no profit from this site and that is by his own personal choice. Certainly, this site has a tremendous potential to generate income as it gets many hits per day and requires very very little work to maintain. While the rest of us might not be able to see ourselves passing up money like that, it is truly refreshing and inspiring to see someone so down to earth and generous as Kevin. He chooses to not be greedy, but instead to be content, to give, share and grow in relationships because of it. Through this site, not only is the community of Tacoma more connected to each other, but Kevin himself has made many friendships through it.

With Tacoma being my hometown and a city that I adore, I am grateful that Kevin has made FeedTacoma.com for our community. Thanks Kevin!