Social Bookmarking Made Easy with Browser Links

Those of us who enjoy social networking through bookmarking sites such as Digg, del.icio.us, and Newsvine are familiar with those little shortcut buttons, chicklets, and quicklinks that allow us to submit, vote for, and comment on our favorite web articles quickly and relatively easily.

But what if we’re reading an article with no shortcuts? Yes, we could still bookmark these the “old-fashioned” way (sign on to the various social bookmarking sites, and post the information using the url…sigh…yawn…)

OR we could take advantage of our browsers’ “links” button. Newsvine has posted a 10-second demo on how to do this with its Seed-the-vine service. It works exactly the same way with Socializer 2.0, which allows you to bookmark to multiple sites from a single page with its “Socialize this” link (Don’t forget to check out the “Create a Short Socializer Link” feature, which saves time when posting to multiple sites by providing a short url and pre-formatted post title!).

It takes a couple of minutes to set up the links initially, but for active social networkers, these little buttons will save a lot of time over the long run. All you need to do when you are on a page you want to bookmark or submit for promotion is click on the link!

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Jenn Sierra (author)
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Socializer 2.0

You know that long list of little icons at the bottom of some blog posts? They usually represent Digg, del.icio.us, reddit, Technorati, slashdot, and other social bookmarking sites. Socializer 2.0 simplifies that process. Socializer is free, by eKstreme.com webmaster tools and tutorials.

Socializer 2.0 provides several different convenient ways for surfers and webmasters to use the service.

One thing that's missing is a usable button. Maybe they'll have one soon.

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Why Conservatives Need to Geek-Up (Part 3)

(Go to Part 1 of 3)
(Go to Part 2 of 3)

(This Third Installment is by Jenn Sierra and TXPoet, with research assistance from 1389.)

This is the third and final installment of this series explaining why Conservatives need to become more active in the Web 2.0 environment. Part One discussed the generational gap, generally between liberals and conservatives online, while Part Two discussed the how this gap is creating an imbalance of information readily available online through a typical search engine query. We will finish this series by highlighting a few of the major figures supporting Web 2.0 financially, showing how their political leaning is further compounding the imbalance in the information war.

Online social networkers are familiar with Digg.com, the current top social bookmarking site, which has enjoyed unprecedented success in social networking, through its use of bookmarking and syndication, with over 15 million visitors per month.

Where does a site like Digg get funding? Who are its investors? Primary Greylock Partners and the Omidyar Network. The Greylock Partner team is an international investor in primarily technology and medicine, with a special interest in Israel. The Omidyar Network “has invested in a variety of areas, including microfinance, participatory media, open innovation, open source and transparency in government.”
In addition to investing financially, the Omidyar Network is on mission: “Ultimately, we hope that people everywhere will constructively engage with each other to pursue what they care about most, resulting in a global society that is continually advancing social progress.”

If the name Omidyar rings a bell, it’s because Pierre Omidyar is the founder of e-Bay, a philanthropist who is #43 on Forbes’ list of billionaires, and a benefactor of a microfinance fund at Tufts University.Omidyar’s COO is Iqbal Paroo, a Shia Imami Nizari Ismaili, whose interests involve complex healthcare and higher education. He has a long history of involvement with the Aga Khan Foundation (1977-2000), and “From 1977-1980, he served the Aga Khan Foundation as both director of commissioning for the initial phase of the Aga Khan University in Karachi, Pakistan,” which has “teaching and research programmes in Pakistan, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Afghanistan and the United Kingdom,” the university is billed as “an agent of change” and “an important force for pluralism.”

Omidyar and Paroo are champions for the left’s most sacred causes, and now their organization is one of the primary investors in the largest, most influential social-networking site on the web.

Where is the conservative counterpart?

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Web 2.0

Technorati has changed...and some of us have misgivings

DigiDave discusses the changes in Technorati's user interface in Technorati's New Design. Also, please read the comments posted there.

Seems as though Technorati is de-emphasizing the blog search and blog networking features that made it so worthwhile, and instead trying to be a news aggregator for the general public. It's possible that they are afraid of competition from Google's blog search, which is much less powerful and does not have the infrastructure to promote blogger networking. 1389 thinks that they're making a mistake in trying to reach the mass market by downplaying their strong suit and becoming a me-too player in the already crowded news aggregator arena.

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How Daily Kos members try to hide the neo-Nazism on their site

For those who have the courage to face a few uncomfortable facts, this article on littlegreenfootballs (LGF) highlights some very disturbing passages in comments posted on Daily Kos.

It is unfortunate that so many people are afraid to look at anything on LGF. The fact is that LGF is making a valid point by highlighting those passages. LGF is doing us a service by keeping this material in public view for the rest of us to evaluate.

These highlighted, and disturbing, comments reveal that the members of Kos are unconcerned about the intrinsic evil of neo-Nazism on their site. Instead, the Kos members are concerned only about hiding this evil from outside observers. By the way, if you think that these comments represent an isolated instance of anti-Semitism at Daily Kos, you would be mistaken. Anti-Semitism pervades the site. But some people at Kos want to rein in the open expression of anti-Semitism just short of the point of overt neo-Nazism, solely because of the risk of drawing unwanted attention.

It is sad that some people still dare to mislabel LGF as a "hate site" simply because LGF has the courage to confront the hatred that festers elsewhere. The bearers of this hatred obviously want to keep the rest of us unaware of their intentions...at least for the time being.

We should be grateful to LGF for revealing these people at Kos for who they are, and for showing us that Kos is a site that condones covert neo-Nazism.

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What Israel's PR problem really is - and how Web 2.0 can counter corruption in the MSM

Our Children Are The Guarantors: What Our PR Problem Really Is offers a convincing explanation of how the present-day vilification of Israel and the Jews has been engineered in much the same way as was the vilification of the Serbs in the 1990s.

1389 predicted that Israel would be the next target - but the Internet was not developed to the extent that it is today, and at that time it was very difficult indeed to reach an audience. Now we have a much larger audience on the Internet, with social news sites, Web 2.0, and much else.

The mainstream media has become corrupt largely because it faces too little competition. It's our job to give them some! Everyone who has good factual information can start using all of the available tools to get it to as many people as possible. In addition, we all need need to watch out for, and confront, any attempts to censor our message because it is not "politically correct" or, more to the point, because it gets in the way of our enemies' agendas.

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Update: First Take on Assignment Zero

In an earlier post, this blog invited readers to take a look at a new project called Assignment Zero.

This project is billed as a "pro-am" collaboration between Wired.com and NewAssignment.net. Its first effort, which explores "crowdsourcing," seems to be rather self-referential!

While it is still a month away from completion, here's a preview: Wiki Innovators Rethink Openness.

Check it out, then let us know what you think!

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The Conservative Ghetto

By Analyze

Being a Conservative on Digg is analogous to living in the Warsaw ghettos of Nazi Germany. We have been relegated to one section of Digg (the upcoming stories) and any resistance is met with extreme counteraction.

As a regular contributor of Conservative articles to Digg, I have been repeatedly buried. I've been keeping records for weeks and average 25 "bury hits" per day. Obviously, there is a systematic and organized group who bury Conservative article. If my submissions are not being buried, Conservative comments outside the ghetto are dugg down at the speed of light. Any attempt to move articles or comment outside the ghetto is met with provocation.

If one disagrees to vehemently they are sent off to the gas chamber—banned forever. Not even their remains (i.e., comments, submits) are visible. I can't even begin to count the number of Conservative friends who have met this fate.

In studying the bury brigade, the bury rate is approximately 5-to-1. One bury is worth 5 diggs. So, for every bury one gets, subtract 5. Consider LittleGreenFootballs.com (LGF). They are the ghetto resistance. As a result, they are also hit the hardest. They will get upwards of 50 buries for ONE article. I've seen as many as 276 buries for LGF over the course of 3 hours. Truly amazing! I did a comparative study of LGF to TheDailyKOS.com (KOS) one day. It was a 70-to-1 ratio. For every 70 buries of LGF, there was 1 bury of KOS.

Maybe it doesn't matter. Maybe I should accept my ghetto status. That means we then have to accept that Conservative news will rarely, if ever, make the front pages of Digg and will, therefore, never be seen or discussed openly. Should Conservatives be the muted minority on Digg relegated to the "upcoming news" ghetto? Is that what we truly want to accept?

It is interesting that liberals are quick to espouse free speech and minority rights but when given the power, they become like Nazi Germany. Grant it, most Diggers do not bury but they also don't do anything about it. They are the vast majority of willing accomplices who accept the "rules" without thought. Power in the hands of liberals (at least at this micro level) is dangerous and oppressive. Imagine if they had power at the national level?

Maybe it is time for a ghetto uprising.

Please see the Comments section for this post.

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ABC News on the cyber-riot and other troubles at Digg

ABC News reports not only on the cyber-riot at Digg, but also on other serious troubles at the site, including the infamous "bury brigade."

This ABC News article correctly points out that the conservative site littlegreenfootballs has been especially victimized by the self-appointed censors on Digg's "bury brigade."

Unfortunately, the ABC News article omitted to mention that LGF is primarily an antijihadist site. Nor did the article note the revealing fact that antijihadist articles are being targeted for burial with especially relentless vigor.

Apparently, Digg is perfectly satisfied with this coverup of everything that might alert the public about the jihadist threat. Isn't it time to ask why Digg has never made even the slightest attempt to put a stop to this pro-jihadist censorship?

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News roundup: Digg users run amok in massive online riot

The Register (UK) reports: Digg buried by users in piracy face-down.

Forbes.com explores Digg's dilemma in all its ramifications, and discusses the online uprising at Digg and what it means for Web 2.0.

Australian news website news.com.au covers the huge revolt at Digg.

Charles Johnson, of the famed antijihadist website littlegreenfootballs, laments the rise of mob rule at Digg.

Gadget and tech news site Gizmodo covers the enormous digital riot at Digg.

Tech industry blog Techcrunch tells why Digg capitulated to the demands of its angry members in what appears to have been a spontaneous online rebellion.

Ryan Block tracks the online revolt that erupted when Digg's admins tried to stop its users from porting the HD-DVD cracking codes.

Wired warned that Digg was melting down.

The story even appeared in the New York Times.

And here are two stories on where it all started, at doom9.

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Omgili: Discussion Forum, Search Engine, or Social Networking Site?

I've been using the Omgili search engine to locate online discussions on my favorite topics for some time now, but today I discovered two new beta projects by the Omgili folks: Omgili Thumbs, and Omgili PowWow.

 

First, what is Omgili?  Omgili is to the discussion forum what Technorati is to the blog.  It is a search engine designed specifically to find online discussions using queries.  More info is at the FAQ page and the Recent Queries page.  The process is very simple; users simply enter the topic they are researching, and Omgili provides a list of online discussions on that topic.

 

Omgili PowWow added the feature of allowing users to register, and develop profiles, so that they can find and be found by users with similar interests.   Users are able to exchange messages online, either publicly or privately.  Users can post new discussions, and there is a polling feature in the works which looks interesting but is not yet functional.

 

Omgili Thumbs takes this search engine to the next level, by allowing users to submit existing online discussions (from any forum), comment on, and vote for and promote online discussions they like or give a "thumbs-down," to those they don't like.

 

I still have one question, and have not yet been able to find the answer.  I have posted the question as a discussion on Omgili PowWow, and will post and update on this blog when I receive an answer. The question is this: " Where in the world did the name 'Omgili' come from?!"

 

Jenn Sierra

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Jenn Sierra (author)
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Web 2.0

MySpace News Beta - Great, but Just One Problem...

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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What is Web 2.0?

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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Time Magazine asks: "Who's Really Participating in 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.

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Covering social news and Web 2.0

Hi!  Nice Moblog.  I noticed the article on writing about social news...are you going to have a social news section?  I'm always looking for good info on that.

Jenn Sierra
www.jennsierra.com

I'm glad you like it.

Instead of sections, Blogger offers labels, which are more flexible. I already have defined a tag for 'social news'. Just click on the label to view them all!

I'd like to welcome you to this blog as a co-author, and I'm looking forward to receiving more posts from you!

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Do YOU want to write about social news sites?

Here's your chance to have your say!

Hi,

I'm David Cohn, aka Digidave on Digg and Netscape -- and I often write about social news sites for Wired, NewAssignment or my blog.

I'm writing to you because I know you are interested in social news sites like Stumbled Upon, Reddit, and others.

And that's exactly what we are trying to cover at Assignment Zero, a collaboration with Wired -- and you can help. With just 10 minutes of your time, you might just end up in Wired.

We are trying to do networked journalism -- anything you contribute will be like notes on a reporters notebook. Everything is licenced under the creative commons -- and a Wired magazine writer, Jeff Howe, will produce a large feature using this reporting. If he uses anything you produced, he will link back and give you credit. He may even quote you -- who knows.

In addition to research, we also have writing assignments -- and Wired has agreed that any writing assignments that meet their editorial standards could get published on Wired news, so it might be a neat way to become a writer for Wired. You can contribute in 10 minutes -- or if you have more time, you can pick up a writing assignment.

And one of the topics that we are covering is " Social News Sites: The Crowd is the Editor, Duking it Out Over the Day's Top Stories." It's an interesting story, no? Editors used to decide what the most important news of the day was. Now, collectively we decide - and we can decide by whatever measures we want.

It's real easy to contribute -- Just visit this page and click to join the team.

The editor of this page is Christine Riedel, a senior news producer at AOL. And there are already people who have signed up to be members of the team.

If social news sites aren't your thing, we have other topics (from music, to cars, science and film). You can see the entire story shaping up from the homepage just under the latest blog post, or you can search by your interest here.

So what are we looking for? We have specific assignments. Questions about weaving together a timeline of Digg, or looking for other examples of social news sites, explaining what Netscape's meta-journalism is -- Anything is helpful. You can even just re-submit old blog posts that you have written as filed reporting.

Why? Not only to get your name in Wired (or any other blog or news organization that also dives into our reporting) -- the real reason why to do it -- because we are trying to figure something out. Social news sites proved that people want to engage with the news -- directly. Well, here is a way to engage in it too -- by helping to produce it.

And if you have a blog -- why not invite your readers to help you out too? It's an interesting way to engage your readers in a new way. Instead of telling them what's important, you will be inviting them to join you in an ongoing investigation. It will be a challenge in some sense, can you and your readers come together to tackle a specific subject together? You will meet them on a new playing field -- and I bet they'll appreciate that.

Anyways. If you have questions or concerns or anything of that nature -- don't hesitate to email me: david.newassignment@gmail.com

This is a project I really believe in (and I know it can work) -- and as someone that has been swept into social bookmarking for the same reason -- I think you might find some value in it too.

Best,
David Cohn
dcohn1@gmail.com
AssignmentZero.com
Digidave.org

Update: First Take on Assignment Zero

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