Archive for MySpace
Top 5 Social Networking Platforms
Posted by: | CommentsThe world has definitely changed within the last 10 years. Before, communication was challenging and time consuming. To connect with others, there was a simple phone call or perhaps a trip. Now, individuals can come “face-to-face” with their friends and relatives through web cam, Skype and Yahoo Messenger. The process of communicating is virtually easy as there seems to be an endless supply of instant messaging services as well as chatting options with popular social networking sites such as FaceBook or MySpace. Not only do these platforms connect relatives or friends, but also corporations. Virtual meetings can be held over the internet with GotoMeeting and reports are easily sent with emails. The internet has vastly improved the communication world. With the creation of various social networking sites, people can now be bonded in ways that was not possible before.
There are many platforms that allow individuals to communicate. Of course, the social networking sites such as Facebook or MySpace are the most popular; however, forums and web discussions are becoming increasingly popular as well. These platforms allow users to discuss various topics and it is very possible that, depending on the subject you are interested in, there is some type of forum that exists that specifically targets that subject. The process of creating a forum or web discussion is dependent on the skills the person has within web hosting and code. Forums and web discussions are still not quite as popular as other social networking sites, but they have the versatility to become anything the creator wants it to be, which is making it popular among individuals.
Who are social networking sites for?
Almost everyone has some type of social networking site and businesses are now creating their very own which would allow them to connect more deeply with their customers. By creating such sites, businesses are now able to see what their customers truly think in a relaxed, comfortable state. Individuals and businesses alike want a social networking platform that is easy to use and popular.
Here are the top five social networking platforms:
These five social networking websites are in the lead over all other social networking sites online. One may wonder how the rankings for the top five social networking platforms are decided. The decision is based on a number of factors. These factors include:
- Profiles
- Security
- Features for Networking
- Support
- Friend Focus
These few factors are what determine whether or not the social networking platform is a success. Profiles are the most essential factor because this is how a user expresses themselves and who they are to the public and to the people who they know. On a profile, users can talk about their likes and dislikes, hobbies and interests, and literally be themselves. Users value being able to have a profile that is easy to use and allows them to talk about themselves and what they are into. A user profile should be easy to set up and understand, but also decent enough to allow the user to show who they are and their personality through their profile.
The Importance of Security
Security is definitely another major factor on what makes a social networking platform successful. Users value their privacy and security. Who would want to be a user of a social networking website that didn’t value the security of its users? Surely, no one would. Each and every successful social networking platform should have security options for its users. These options include giving the users a block button so that they are able to block anyone they want, especially people who may be bothering them online. Users should also be able to block off certain parts of their profile from other people if they wish.
Available Features
The features for networking are definitely an additional bonus. If a social networking platform wants to have success, it will need to offer tons of features to its users. It is important that social networking platforms remember they are in constant competition with others. Features that should be offered to the users include picture updates, video update, groups, status updates, and tons of other features that the users want.
Support is a necessity especially for those who are new to using social networking platforms. The last thing that a platform should want to do is to leave a user feeling unsure and left out. The platform should offer support and advice to new users and there should always be a section available to users that answers some of the most frequently asked questions.
Connecting with Friends
Last but certainly not least, friend focus is essential and it is the main way that a social networking platform will grow. Users want to be able to connect with their friends and family members. If a social networking platform wants to be successful, they have to make the friend focus easy for users to keep in contact with one another.
In Conclusion
Overall, it seems as though Facebook has mastered most of these features because it is number one on the list of top five social networking platforms. Facebook has received a 4 star rating for security, support and friend focus. Facebook also received a 3 star rating for profiles and 3.5 stars for networking features. Facebook currently takes the lead as the number one social networking platform, but the website does have some fairly stiff competition.
MySpace comes in as a close second. The website received a 4 star rating for all features except for the friend focus feature. When it came to friend focus, MySpace received a 3 star rating, which is what put the social networking platform at number two in the list. MySpace is in constant competition with Facebook for the number one spot. If Facebook wants to keep its number one spot or if MySpace wants to reach that number one spot, changes will need to be made on both ends. The same goes for the other three social networking platforms and all of the other platforms that have not been able to make it within the top five.
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Video Streaming Beyond YouTube – They Really do Exist!
Posted by: | CommentsAccording to web ranking engine Alexa, YouTube is the third most popular web destination in existence. That’s not bad for a site that’s been around for all of 6 years. To date, there’s not been much in the way of significant criticism or controversy on YouTube, so this doesn’t look to change any time soon.
Nonetheless, alternate video sharing web sites exist, some of them rather popular. We looked just recently at some of the music streaming services on the web. Now we go over the list of streaming video sites if, for whatever reason, you want to expand outwards from the world of YouTube.
Dailymotion
With 70 million unique monthly visitors, Dailymotion is second only to YouTube among video streamers. For the most part, it seems because there isn’t all that much in the way of important differences between the two. Both offer videos that can be found through channels, tags, or through suggestions, both have an extensive library, and both attempt to thwart copyright infringement using various types of auto-detection.
One thing you can do with Dailymotion is log into it directly using your Facebook account, with all of the automatic sharing that goes with that. It also contains a group called “MotionMaker” which is specifically for the creators of original content.
Metacafe
Needing to differentiate itself from both of the above competitors, Metacafe shifted their focus in 2006 by attempting to procure high-quality, professional videos. The program paid users for creating videos that were viewed at least 20,000 times and satisfied a few other quality-control metrics. While this created for some interesting art, the program failed to prove any profitability, and it received the ax just two years later.
Going to the site now, one gets the feeling that they are trying to keep this specific momentum going by filling this gap with as much sponsored and Hollywood driven material as possible. Their home page now makes you wonder if you accidentally stumbled upon a MySpace sister site. Search for the content you want, though, and you find a good enough selection, with Facebook commenting architecture. We had to wait through more pre-video advertisements on this site than any other, though.
ScienceStage
It’s surprising that this site isn’t getting more attention. ScienceStage is a user-content site that is centered around communication between those in the sciences, including teachers, engineers, researchers and scholars. The site utilizes an attractively bare-bones design that keeps the focus on the work being done.
Anyone can upload video or audio content, and even live video streams and research papers. The content makes it to the user’s “Stage”. From there, groups are formed (either public or private) which allow users to share data around that group’s intellectual focus.
Gawkk
Gawkk takes a different approach to video streaming. It doesn’t actually host video content, but allows the user to created embedded lists of content found elsewhere on the web. The site is very simple, but does allow users to create lists and share content with each other.
MySpace
Though its star is not what it used to be, MySpace shouldn’t be counted out. They are still one of the most popular sites on the web, and now that they are partnered with Hulu there is a chance that they might have enough oomph still left in them to be a moderately important video hub. This is especially since that was the central theme behind their change in focus in the first place. Perhaps they can do it right this time.
Vimeo
Vimeo puts a strong emphasis on creating a true artistic community. While this makes it a popular hub for the amateur content producer, more established musicians have found it a good place to release new works: Beck, Moby, Britney Spears, Björk and Nine Inch Nails have all used it for this purpose. They are also a home for indie filmmakers. One interesting group is not included in this, though. Gaming videos are no longer allowed for bandwidth reasons.
Vimeo lets users register for free accounts or have paid subscriptions that allow greater limits in video uploading. The site is popular enough that their second “annual” Vimeo awards will be held in Spring 2012 (the first one was 18 months prior), with speakers such as indie film directory Morgan Spurlock and science fiction author Bruce Sterling.
SchoolTube
For those of you who want to introduce your child or your student to video sharing in a safe environment, there is SchoolTube. This is a heavily moderated site aimed at children from kindergarten to the 12th grade. It was created in response to the banning of most video sharing sites in school environments.
Only SchoolTube employees and registered school officials are eligible for moderation, and commenting is restricted to a few pre-set replies to prevent schoolyard antics. The content runs the gamut of just about all common educational topics, but also includes socially-focused areas such as “Community & Public Service” and “Green & Environment”.
OneWorldTV
Speaking of which, we come to OneWorldTV, a video sharing web site centered around social activism. Established in 2001, it is now one of the oldest video sharing web sites online. While it still has not achieved the critical mass of a YouTube, it has a dedicated following, with the slogan “Where the good guys gang up”. Significant focus is placed on developmental problems in third-world countries.
OpenFilm
OpenFilm’s focus is specifically around the generation and sharing of independent films. Strengthening this purpose is its Advisory Board, comprised of film industry veterans such as Robert Duvall, James Caan and Mark Rydell.
As proof of the energy invested into its site, OpenFilm recently held its first “Get It Made” film competition. The winner of the contest will receive $200,000 to take their short film and turn it into a feature.
MaYoMo
Rounding out our list is MaYoMo, short for “Map Your Moments.” The idea behind MaYoMo is to be a hub for citizen journalism. The user can upload video news which is then tagged by location and time, letting others create news timelines. Whether you consider this a good thing or not, they also allow the same format for virtual worlds such as World of Warcraft, Second Life, Half-Life and if it’s available in your area Four-and-Three-Sevenths-Life.
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Lunarpages Jan/Feb Newsletter
Posted by: | CommentsLunarpages, you perfect solution for your web hosting needs, is back to start the new year off right – with the first web hosting newsletter of 2010. Now, you might ask yourself – what took so long to get this out? Well, once you see all of the fantastic new deals, plans and offers – you will definitely see what has been keeping us all so busy.
Time to take a break, and read up about what is going on with Lunarpages.
Lunar News – Jan/Feb 2010 – We are here to start the new year off right with a plethora of news and details to keep you up to date with the most recent current events here at Lunarpages. Check out the newest promotions and specials you an get at Lunarpages.
New Online Marketing Advertising Plans – How can you make a bigger and better impact on the Web? Using the right online marketing techniques, any web site or business on the Internet can become a real success. Let me introduce you to the Lunarpages Online Marketing Services.
Reseller Hosting for Webmasters – The Lunarpages Webmaster Reseller Hosting Plan is the perfect reseller package for webmasters and developers. You get full account management and monitoring for a really low price.
Web Hosting Gift Cards are Back! – Some of you might remember seeing our special holiday gift card offer a few months back, just in time for Christmas. Well, we are happy to announce that due to the great popularity of giving Lunarpages as a present, this is now a gift you can give at any time.
Up to $110 of MySpace Ad Credit, Just for YOU! - We do not have to tell you that being a Lunarpages client definitely has its perks. Not only are you partnered with the world’s greatest web hosting company, but you are eligible to very exclusive deals. Lunarpages is teaming up with MySpace’s MyAds service to help you reach a global internet audience.
20 More Ways to Make a Buck – Never turn down a man willing to give you a dollar. Now sure, we could give you a dollar, however we thought rather than giving you the dollar, we would show you how to make one instead.
Free Miva Merchant Setup at Lunarpages – It is easy to setup an e-commerce web site at Lunarpages, and with Miva Merchant you can be sure your online store will be a success. Using Miva Merchant 5.5, you can build a powerful storefront very easily. To sweeten the deal, Lunarpages is also going to setup this script for you, for free.
Add Social Badges to Quicksite Pages – The Quicksite hosting plan provides you with a great web-based WYSIWYG editor to edit, change and modify your web site’s content. You can also quickly add banners to all of your social network pages too, so that your web site visitors can stay connected to you via other locations on the Web.
Replace Business E-mail with TremenDesk – Many people just look at TremenDesk as one of the best stand-alone and fully-featured help desk solutions out there. Don’t get me wrong, it does that job extremely well, but some of our users have been thinking outside the box and using it in unique and interesting ways.
WooRank Bring Better Web Site Analysis – We often get asked by Lunarpages clients, how can I make my web site better? Now that is an open ended question that could be answered a hundred or more different ways. Rather than going through them all one by one, now we just point people at WooRank.com.
7 Most Retweeted Blog Posts of 2009 – We always love seeing people sharing the tutorials and articles we write up on a daily basis over at the Lunarpages Lunartics web hosting blog. Over the past year, we have seen a surge of popularity, and also a surge in retweeted links via Twitter for each of our posts that have been made.
That is it for this month’s edition of the Lunarpages Newsletter. We hope you enjoy this collection of articles, tutorials, tips and more we have created especially for you, the Lunarpages clients and customers. We always enjoy hearing your reaction, so please feel free to leave a comment or send your opinions to news@lunarpages.com.
Up to $110 of MySpace Ad Credit, Just for YOU!
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I do not have to tell you that being a Lunarpages client definitely has its perks. Not only are you partnered with the world’s greatest web hosting company, but you are eligible to very exclusive deals. Lunarpages is teaming up with MySpace’s MyAds service to help you reach a global internet audience.
Both new and existing customers now have access to free MyAds credit to get started with their own advertising campaign on MySpace.com.
How does the partnership work? Just follow these simple steps.
- Purchase a package with Lunarpages and receive a special promotion code to redeem at www.myads.com
- Sign up as a new customer of MyAds and include your promotion code at checkout to redeem your FREE click credit amount
- Use our ad builder to create your ads that will run directly on the MySpace network
What are you eligible for? Depending on your hosting account, your free credit level will vary.
- Basic, Quicksite, Windows = $35
- Business = $45
- VPS = $60
- Dedicated = $110
If you are not a current or new customer for any of the hosting plans above, this offer is not eligible to you. Also, please note that the promotional credit must be applied to a new myAds Advertiser account within 30 days of creating such account and is valid only for purchase of advertising through myAds’s online advertising system in the United States only.
If you are already a current MyAds client, you are also not eligible.
How do you redeem the offer?
Current customers can login through the Customer Account Page to redeem their special offer.
Then, click the button that says “Request Your Credits”.
You will then be given a link to click through to sign up for the MyAds service. When on the MyAds web site, click the “Get Started Today!” link to setup your first advertisement.
About halfway through the process, you’ll be sent an e-mail from them to validate your e-mail address. Click the link in the e-mail to do so, then you will be on the web page where you give your billing information.
Be sure to click the link that reads, “I have a promotional code.” and then enter the coupon code you were given when you clicked the, “Request Your Credits” link in the Customer Account Page. After that, finish up with the ordering process – and you should be all set.
Reach More Than 70 Million Active MySpace Users
Are you ready to reach more than 70 million active MySpace users? Be sure to grab your free MySpace MyAds advertising credits today.