That being said, I’m sure Facebook never imagined it would be in the position it is today. Currently Facebook stands at a whopping 44% of social sharing activity. That’s almost two times more than Twitter and simply dominant over Yahoo and other sharing methods. With almost half the market, data is being shared at unimaginable rates online as people “Like” “Share” or “Comment” on content that their friends are posting.

Search engines don’t even really fall onto the radar with as much that is going on in Facebook. Some pundits are event commenting how Facebook may be where future users source their information as opposed to Google, Yahoo, or other methods. Twitter with it’s millions of users and faster response rate has nothing on Facebook.

So do you find yourself sharing more dominantly on Facebook than any of your other networks? Is this a shift in  how people are consuming content and a tell tale sign of how people are engaging online? Should be interesting to see how long this can keep up and where Facebook will go with this.

• Web App Buffers Timely Online Communication – November 6, 2009
• What’s Interesting with Pinterest? – December 20, 2011
• PDF to Microsoft Word Converter Facebook Edition – December 4, 2011
• Washington Post Facebook Social Reader News Application – November 26, 2011
• Dont Just Jump Ship to Apple So Easily – September 27, 2011

Facebook, Social Sharing Central originally appeared on: Crenk
Join our Community: Twitter, Facebook

Self publish your work.

spent years collecting works on my personal sites that would work well in book format. The idea is to take out the middleman, publishers, and put your work in your hands by giving you the options you need to get your work out to the world. But it’s not just for writers, opportunities are abound for photographers as well who want to feature their work in magazine or calendar format.

Lulu has offered self publishing opportunities for all of us for many years now, and since its launch, has expanded it’s offerings. Take your work in one of many formats, books, ebooks, calendars, photo books, cookbooks, cd’s and dvd’s. Lulu also offers distribution services to get your book out in as many markets as possible, and the fees are minimal compared to what you’d get having to work with an agent and a publisher. I don’t want to take anything away from the traditional models that exist for publishing, they definitely have a place in the world of content publishing, but self publishing offers us so many new opportunities.

At the pro level there are many great options you have, should you choose to go this route, that mimics what working with a real publisher is like. Services include publishing packages, retail listings, children’s book packages, and all inclusive packages. Each of them come with their own distinct professional connections that as a self publisher allows you to truly get a hands on the process of getting your book out to the masses.

• Tweetdeck Evolves For Power Users – December 4, 2009
• Take Your Civic Engagement Online – November 23, 2009
• Waving Hard? You Need WaveNut! – November 23, 2009
• Real Estate Professionals Join Online Community – November 22, 2009
• Streaming Music Online Via Browser – November 15, 2009

Personally Publish Self Works with Lulu originally appeared on: Crenk
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ScreenToaster brings to live the one button press, much like Screen Jelly does, but what is unique about ScreenToaster is that you can also upload directly to YouTube, which other screen casting tools have not allowed you to do. While saving your video is important being offered ways that users will interact with them is key.

Screentoaster allows you to rerecord audio only if you feel like the audio you hae just didn’t cut it. Being able to choose your microphone source and other intricate choices in the tools will eventually make their way into other web apps for screen casting, but for now Screentoaster is definitely ahead of the game.

• Linkedin iPhone Update Offers More Functionality – December 29, 2009
• Real Estate Professionals Join Online Community – November 22, 2009
• Web App Buffers Timely Online Communication – November 6, 2009
• Hachi Shows You How To Meet New People – April 27, 2011
• Personally Publish Self Works with Lulu – January 1, 2010

ScreenToaster Joins Screencasting Competition originally appeared on: Crenk
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More recently Zemanta has made efforts to level the playing field, finally succeeding in opening up it’s engine to include not just articles of recommendation from relevant sites, but to also include recommendations from other bloggers who, perhaps have not hit their stardom online. This gives an great opportunity for a smaller blog site to be listed as related content and drive traffic to the site while at the same time providing a level of authority they would have otherwise not been able to have.

Naturally the fear of diluting the related content option has been expressed, but by not allowing the larger community of bloggers to be listed also kept users from seeing some of the quality content produced on smaller sites, so in my eyes the door swung both ways.  TechCrunch did make a good point in stating that the service will at least ensure that users will keep returning, and in that perhaps lies the real gem of keeping the community together.

• Audio Blog with Audio Boo on iPhone – December 15, 2009
• Tweetdeck Evolves For Power Users – December 4, 2009
• Publish Your Content On Your Mobile – December 1, 2009
• Regator Tracks Blogosphere Social Mentions – November 30, 2009
• Personally Publish Self Works with Lulu – January 1, 2010

Zemanta Levels Blogger Playing Field originally appeared on: Crenk
Join our Community: Twitter, Facebook

There’s a lot of apps out there, both mobile and desktop, that use the Twitter API to make it more “functional” for power users. What’s a power user? Well if you’ve got more than one account on Twitter, have over 1000 friends, and like to have your posts link to other social networks where you have a community, then you are probably a power user.

In the race to be the most dominant desktop application for Twitter, TweetDeck is definitely one of the leading contenders. Having been around for about a year, TweetDeck has taken the Twitter experience to a whole new level. It’s integrating the use of multiple columns, and attaching itself to URL shorteners, photo posting apps like Twitpic, and the ability link to other network like Facebook, all under one app. But just recently TweetDeck has evolved again, and this time, making it even more useful for power users to extend their reach further into the social web.

Last week TweetDeck released an update that now allows you to link your messages to LinkedIn and MySpace, the option to Retweet the way you want, locating your friends, and the ability to integrate Twitter lists into your columns. If there ever was a center to the social universe, TweetDeck could very easily take that spot.

TweetDeck is an Adobe AIR desktop application compatible with several operating systems including Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux. An Phone version was released on the 19th June 2009.

• Web Strategist Jeremiah Owyang’s Mobile App – December 1, 2009
• Web App Buffers Timely Online Communication – November 6, 2009
• Publish Your Content On Your Mobile – December 1, 2009
• Regator Tracks Blogosphere Social Mentions – November 30, 2009
• Raptr Is the Ultimate Gaming Service: Connects PSN, Xbox and More – May 16, 2011

Tweetdeck Evolves For Power Users originally appeared on: Crenk
Join our Community: Twitter, Facebook

It’s not uncommon to find communities where apathy has set in and people just don’t seem to care. Alternatively there are communities where the inhabitants take their voice to the streets, airwaves, online, anywhere that can give them a platform to be heard. CitySourced.com is now a way for you to take your civic engagement online, but more than that, you can be mobile and capture your concerns the moment they become a factor.

CitySourced.com offers users an iPhone app and a web app that allows users to report civil issues of serious concern (potholes, graffiti, trash, snow removal, etc.). Their mobile app is simple and easy to use and allows you to capture media and send your concerns straight to City Hall.

It’s meant as a positive collaboration tool between the community and the powers that be to enact change, and develop stronger ties with their constituency. It’s also an innovative approach to engage a new generation in taking part and sharing their concern in a way that is easy for them by using devices they already likely own.

What are your thoughts? Does a mobile app such as what CitySourced.com is offering compel you to take your community duties more seriously? Chime in and let us know what you think.

• Real Estate Professionals Join Online Community – November 22, 2009
• Personally Publish Self Works with Lulu – January 1, 2010
• Tweetdeck Evolves For Power Users – December 4, 2009
• Waving Hard? You Need WaveNut! – November 23, 2009
• Streaming Music Online Via Browser – November 15, 2009

Take Your Civic Engagement Online originally appeared on: Crenk
Join our Community: Twitter, Facebook

Users fell on one of two sides with very little middle ground. You either had the sparkle and glow in your eye of having seen the next best thing for your online work and collaboration efforts or you had the “WTF” moment after realizing that Google Wave just didn’t apply to your needs. In either case, Google Wave has slowly started to gain ground in some circles with book “How To” book releases no doubt on the horizon.

WaveNut has now stepped in to do one thing and one thing only, and that’s make your Google Wave experience as customizable and fun as possible. Seeking out the right the most popular Google apps to attach to your account, read reviews on apps from other users, and help you find the best embeds, themes, and gadgets. Simply stated, this is the modifying search engine for Google Wave.

What’s your take on the Wave? Do you like, dislike, or just have no use for it? I’d like to hear your thoughts and whether you think all the time developing was really worth it.

• Web App Buffers Timely Online Communication – November 6, 2009
• Personally Publish Self Works with Lulu – January 1, 2010
• Tweetdeck Evolves For Power Users – December 4, 2009
• Take Your Civic Engagement Online – November 23, 2009
• Real Estate Professionals Join Online Community – November 22, 2009

Waving Hard? You Need WaveNut! originally appeared on: Crenk
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It was earlier this year that I reviewed an online community for pet lovers, and in that time span since, we’ve seen online communities pop up around the internet for just about any specific niche thinkable. Ning is a popular niche community building site, and in that popularity we’ve seen interests mix, people network, and relationships build. The arena of real estate is one such niche that is getting it’s online community presence established thanks to BiggerPockets.com, where investors, professionals, and afficionados come together to talk shop.

Locally, where I live, real estate agents have taken the social engagement philosophy seriously and have taken their properties to the web in words, video, and photos. Some have seen higher levels of success, but overall the experience has been a boom to business. BiggerPockets capitalizes on such individuals by allowing them to gather to chat, exchange, and explore ideas they have.

Four categories covered on BiggerPockets are:

1. Knowledge
2. Networking
3. Dealmaking
4. Marketing

With almost 43,000 people connecting on BiggerPockets, something is working right.  The market for real estate professionals has grown and many turn to it as their secondary or primary source of income. Communities like this allow for these individuals to grow and develop new ideas that they can use to increase their success.

If you’ve seen your own professional status increase due to a certain niche social community, let us know!

• Take Your Civic Engagement Online – November 23, 2009
• Web App Buffers Timely Online Communication – November 6, 2009
• Personally Publish Self Works with Lulu – January 1, 2010
• Linkedin iPhone Update Offers More Functionality – December 29, 2009
• ScreenToaster Joins Screencasting Competition – December 15, 2009

Real Estate Professionals Join Online Community originally appeared on: Crenk
Join our Community: Twitter, Facebook

Stereo8 is a new stream audio web app that streams straight from your browser. No downloading, no installing, no problems. Just about any browser should work (I tested on Safari, Firefox, IE6 and IE7, Opera, and Chrome). Simply select a genre of music you want to listen to, and let the music play. You can interact with the music by voting on what you like, and those votes determine what’s played. Stereo8 calls it self a true internet radio with a twist. That twist is that listeners can vote and share music with one another making it a social community of sorts.

As I write this article I’ve picked the video game category and have listened to some of the biggest games from my present and past. In some of the other categories I was listening to songs that perhaps I was not a fan of myself, and some more obscure songs that I never even knew existed, which is not always a good thing. But if you’re looking to be introduced to something new and unique, far from the beaten path you’re used to traveling, then perhaps Stereo8 is for you. A few stations I found really solid, and just now they started playing the Terran theme from Starcraft, so that’s just an idea of the kind of music you’ll be listening to (at least on the game channel).

• Web App Buffers Timely Online Communication – November 6, 2009
• Internet Music Innovation with Songbeat360 – November 5, 2009
• Personally Publish Self Works with Lulu – January 1, 2010
• Tweetdeck Evolves For Power Users – December 4, 2009
• Take Your Civic Engagement Online – November 23, 2009

Streaming Music Online Via Browser originally appeared on: Crenk
Join our Community: Twitter, Facebook

But do you ever feel like you’re being left behind? Perhaps not enough time to get the right message in a timely fashion? Now there’s a solution to that.

Twuffer presents itself as the buffer between you and your timed messages. By using the web application, you are able to preset messages on a timed schedule to be released on your network at the times you think most important. The possibilities of this type of functionality are as endless as your creativity.

The web app is easy to use and can serve you to better time your announcements, set reminders for yourself or others, engage in timed online activities, or, as the site suggests, make it appear as if you never sleep. The practicality of this app seems pretty straightforward.

The application is currently in beta, but your able to explore what it has to offer pretty seamlessly. I suggest you give it a try to announce regular days when your podcast or blog post will go live, or perhaps some other similar campaign to see if Twuffer is right for you!

• Tweetdeck Evolves For Power Users – December 4, 2009
• Streaming Music Online Via Browser – November 15, 2009
• Raptr Is the Ultimate Gaming Service: Connects PSN, Xbox and More – May 16, 2011
• Linkedin iPhone Update Offers More Functionality – December 29, 2009
• Waving Hard? You Need WaveNut! – November 23, 2009

Web App Buffers Timely Online Communication originally appeared on: Crenk
Join our Community: Twitter, Facebook

Songbeat360.com is an amazingly innovative way of integrating a music player with a music search. Now you can listen to your favorite songs while searching for more. You are essentially still building your own station, much like Pandora or Last.fm, but on this music player you have the ability to download your music immediately.

Bypassing the need to go to the likes of Amazon or iTunes may please some, but does the pricing compare? Based on the site, the application is an Adobe Air app, and comes with 25 free credits. Credits are used when a search is done, and searches are supposedly capable of returning up to 500 results, ensuring you will fond what you need. For further credits, those can be purchased via a stored credit card. For $15 you receive 1000 credits for more music, which breaks down to a whole lot less than $.99 per song on the iTunes store. This is of course assuming you find what you want in one search.

Is the next revolution to your music search? I’d say know, but it’s definitely interesting. The pricing alone is attractive, and if the quality is the same, I can see this web app becoming extremely successful.

• Streaming Music Online Via Browser – November 15, 2009
• Apple & Beatles Finally Come Together… – November 10, 2009
• Web App Buffers Timely Online Communication – November 6, 2009
• Album Art to Complete Your Collection – February 10, 2010
• Personally Publish Self Works with Lulu – January 1, 2010

Internet Music Innovation with Songbeat360 originally appeared on: Crenk
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Myspace – Myspace is the king of all social networks and is leading the way in the music space. Everyone knows how myspace works, you sign up for a profile and then your able to upload 4 songs to your profile. Simple yet effective, because of how many artists are on the system. Additionally, myspace will be launching a new music feature in the coming months.

Bebo – Bebo who just got acquired by AOL for $850 million, is a big player in the social networking space. Currently, they are 3rd in the USA but leading the way in UK. The has the ability for bands to customise their profiles, and can even add songs to their profiles. However, doesnt have a music player at all and is very limited in so many ways.

Last.fm – Last.fm is a service that is growing every day. It is a service that keeps track of what music you listen to, and then helps you discover new music based on your preferences. Last.fm can be used to find new music, listen to music you already like, and get in touch with people who have the same taste in music as you do, discover new gigs in your local area. Last.fm also allows artists and labels to upload their own music and videos and promote them for free. As far as im aware only selected artists can now actually receive royalties from Last.fm when their music is played via their site.

Purevolume – Purevolume is probably the oldest music social network of the lot in this article. It has a sleak design and it is tailored just for artists. Unlike most other social network there arent poor quality ads all over the place and Purevolume is actually still strong when it comes to traffic stats and user participation. The site itself is still missing several features that are need by artists, but the overall feel is still top notch.

Imeem – Imeem is a new social network which allows artists to upload their music and actually make royalties via plays on the Imeem site. Currently artists need to have an agreement with Snocap, so that Snocap can track the amount of plays done on Imeem and then Imeem pays artists a percentage of the advertising revenue they receive.

MOG – is a social network that helps you “discover people through music and discover music through people”. Basically MOG makes it easy for you to find new music to listen to by using custom filters and personalized suggestions. The site is very similar to Last.fm, but has a few twists in their algorhythm. MOG also provides users with reviews, news and streaming audio. MOG also features a music TV that continuously broadcasts videos taken from YouTube.

iLike – iLike is another service that is similar to Last.fm, but has a nice twist that allows you to also organise your music. It lets you share music libraries with your friends, browse and sample their most played songs, and compare your compatibility scores. iLike will also send you music recommendations directly in iTunes.

JamNow – is a social network aimed at musicians that allows them to create audio content online in real-time. JamNow isn’t a site that simply makes you “post and listen” to audio content: its platform enables real-time music collaboration and lets you schedule live jam sessions and listen to musicians that are playing right in that moment.

Haystack – is all about finding new music through your friends and the people you think are taste makers or cool. You can browse music, pictures, videos and reviews of artists as well as build your own profile and personalize it with images and videos. They encourage artists to sign up directly or even through their labels.

Sonific – is a social network that offers a great way to promote your music, if you are an artist. It lets users put a free music widgets with your music on their sites and promote it to their own audiences, for free. In exchange, Sonific users get free music to use and listen to (download is not permitted) and make their site look cooler – while you get free advertising for your music.

Sellaband – is a music social network that turns the fans and listeners of bands into their producers, asking them to invest in a band or artist they support so that they will be able to get a recording opportunity. Every single investor that supports a successful band will take home a small cut of the profits made by them. Artists not only get financial support but also share 50% of the ad revenue coming from the free downloads of their music.

iJigg – is a online community that lets you comment on music and share songs. You can rate music and influence what becomes popular, as well as upload your own music to share it with the community and make new fans. You will need to decide whether to open a “listener” or “artist” account, which will give you access to different features (e.g. listeners can download free mp3 of their favorite music, while artists can upload their own music).

Flotones – is a monetized social network for artists and their fans. The best features is the ability to promote and distribute content via mobile phones. For example a band can do ringtones and mobile wallpapers. After registration you will be able to promote your content at your gigs and even on your social network profiles. You’ll be asked to sign a contract before getting paid.

Overall:

Out of the list above i think the key sites to sign up to are Myspace (overall largest reach), Purevolume (music specific), Last.fm (but only if you have royalty agreement with them), Imeem (royalty collection on streams and growing in traffic) and Sellaband (potential to receive investment money).

• Build Better Relationships with Zentact – January 7, 2009
• Music Startups Musicians Should Use on a Daily Basis – March 19, 2011
• Soundcloud Growing Past One Million Users Globally – May 18, 2010
• Digital Music Distributor RouteNote Signs Three New Online Music Stores – Deezer, Napster, Thumbplay – January 29, 2010
• Personally Publish Self Works with Lulu – January 1, 2010

Attack Of The Music Communities originally appeared on: Crenk
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