Posts filed under 'Entertainment'
Posted July 18th, 2008 by Scott
Does anyone else feel like there just isn’t enough time in a day to do, read, watch everything you want? Sure things like Tivo make it easy to catch up on the shows that we might have missed, but what about the things we are really passionate about? Things that we shouldn’t wait till the weekend to catch up on. Alisa Miller posted this great resource which highlights 100 things you can do with RSS.
I feel like RSS is an extremely important and necessary tool not only in the Social Media world, but in our personal lives as well. Everyone should take advantage of RSS and keep up-to-date on what matters to you most. Take a look at Alisa’s list below and I want to know if you had to pick 10 RSS feeds to subscribe to from this list what would they be?
Entertainment
From your favorite NPR shows to movies to video games, the list below offers some form of entertainment you can have sent to your reader every day.
1. Books. Read books with DailyLit. They will send sections to you each day via RSS feed.
2. Recipes. Get a recipe of the day, recipe raves, recipes from chefs and friends, and more from bigoven.
3. Vegan Recipes. If you are a vegan, get recipes, articles and more from VegWeb.
4. NPR. Find your favorite NPR show updates, local NPR stations, and more each with their own feeds.
5. Blogs. Find your favorite blog and read it in your reader every time it’s updated rather than visiting the site waiting for updates.
6. TV listings. Have local TV listings from TV Guide sent to you every day.
7. TV reminders. Use mytvrss to customize RSS feed reminders on the day when your favorite shows will air.
8. Watch TV shows. Find out as soon as free downloads are available of your favorite shows on Hulu.
9. Movies. Read movie reviews from major critics and the editors themselves at Rotten Tomatoes with their updates.
10. DVD. Find the latest about DVD new release and bestsellers with Movies.com.
11. Viral videos. Get those crazy videos everyone loves from YouTube sent directly to your reader with their RSS feed.
12. Music releases. Get the top 10 songs or albums among other music feeds from iTunes Store from RSS at Apple.
13. Video games. Go to your specific console’s website, like Xbox.com and see if they have RSS feed updates for video game releases.
Sports
Sports fans have no reason to be left in the dark with all these great feeds available.
14. Baseball. Baseball fans can get feeds with news about favorite teams from both the American and National League at MLB.com.
15. College Football. Find feeds with all the latest news on your favorite college teams from Fanblogs.com.
16. Professional Football. For the latest news and more on professional football teams, visit NFL.com.
17. Hockey. You’ll get news, features, stories, and videos of your hockey favorites at NHL.com.
18. Basketball. Basketball lovers will get news, scores, and videos from your favorite teams delivered from NBA.com.
19. U.S. Soccer. If you want audio podcasts, US soccer news, and news on both men’s and women’s teams, sign up at ussoccer.com.
20. World Soccer. With World Soccer, you will get all the latest news on soccer games around the world.
21. Olympics. Get an RSS feed to update you on any number of aspects of the 2008 Olympics from the official website.
22. Cycling. If cycling is your thing, get updates on mountain biking, road riding, BMX, and more at USA Cycling.
23. Nascar. Racing fans can follow their favorite driver, specific series, or specific races with feeds from NASCAR.com.
24. Skateboarding. SkateboarderMag.com offers videos, photos, feature articles, and more with their RSS feeds.
Fun Stuff
Become smarter, more centered, or get a laugh with all the following feeds that you can read.
25. Word of the Day. Get a new vocabulary word sent to you every day with Dictionary.com.
26. Quote of the Day. Need some inspiration each day? Get a quote every day with Quotes of the Day.
27. Joke of the Day. Find a joke every day on your reader with Comedy Central.
28. Fortune Cookie. Get an unusual bit of advice from Random Online Fortune Cookie sent to you.
29. Horoscope. Get a range of specialized horoscopes each day with Astrology.com.
30. Urban Word of the Day. Have Urban Dictionary send you the word of the day and you’ll know what dress flops or carbon guilt means.
31. Comics. Find your favorite comics that are published on the web and subscribe to an RSS feed with Comic Alert!
32. Weird Stuff. Find the oddest blog posts with this feed dedicated to the best of weird blogs.
33. Astronomy. See beautiful and amazing photos taken by two professional astronomers with Astronomy Picture of the Day sent to your reader.
34. Puns. If you appreciate the unusual humor of puns, then Pun of the Day is a must for your subscription list.
35. Random fun. Subscribe to get some fun daily updates like famous birthdays, articles, and this day in history with Cool Site of the Day.
Computer and Internet
If you want software information or just want to change the wallpaper on your computer, these feeds will help you out.
36. Free software deals. Each day you can receive free downloads of software that would normally cost money. Get the feed to let you know what is available each day with Giveaway of the Day.
37. Software releases. Find out when software is released for your specific operating system with Track Version.
38. Virus alerts. Get alerts from Viruslist.com any time a new virus is detected.
39. Wallpaper. Change your wallpaper with this fun tool that also serves as a news aggregator.
40. PageTiki. This tool will let you know when your favorite webpages have been updated via RSS so you don’t have to keep going back to check for new information.
41. Follow trends. Learn what other web surfers are bookmarking with del.icio.us hotlist feeds.
42. Wikipedia. Hardcore Wikipedia fans can learn when there are any changes to the information with their recent changes feed.
43. Tutorials. Get video tutorials teaching complex tasks in a simple, easy-to-understand format with commoncraft feeds.
Dating and Social Networking
Whether you are staying in the loop with friends or looking for a date, these feeds will guide the way.
44. Singles events. Learn when a singles event in a city near you will occur with updates from Singles On The Go.
45. Matches. Some online dating sites will alert you when new matches pop up so you can find out immediately.
46. Speed dating. Find speed dating events all over the world with this RSS feed.
47. Relationship advice. Need relationship help? Perfectmatch.com will provide you some dating tips and advice straight to your reader.
48. Twitter. Follow your friends’ updates with Twitter RSS feeds.
49. MySpace. Add an RSS feed to your MySpace page with this application.
50. Facebook. Subscribe to RSS updates from Facebook with multiple options such as friends’ statuses, posted items, and notes.
51. Friendfeed. Get all your friend’s updates in Friendfeed, then have them sent directly to your reader with an RSS feed.
Travel
If you are taking a trip, make use of these helpful feeds to plan and implement your journey. If you can’t make the time for a trip, then there are a few options for those stuck at home, too.
52. Airfare. Travelocity provides low fare alerts and alerts when fares to your favorite cities drops below 20%.
53. Flight delays. Get delays that are happening at any airport in America with FlightStats.
54. Hotels. Find top deals, exclusive offers, and hotels under $99 with Orbitz RSS feeds.
55. Currency rates. Select from one of these feeds to receive the most up-to-date currency exchange rate from CurrencySource.
56. Travel itinerary. Use TripIt to organize your travel itinerary, then sign up for alerts which will send you RSS feeds any time something on your itinerary is updated or changed.
57. Virtual sightseeing. Subscribe to weekly updates with Google Sightseeing to visit places around the world using Google Maps or Google Earth.
58. Map fun. Google Maps Mania will send you updates with all the fun mashups and tools making use of Google Maps.
Weather
Keep up with the weather in your city or find out if it’s raining at Aunt Emma’s house with these feeds.
59. Local weather. Get daily updates to know what your local weather will be from The Weather Channel. Plug in your zip code and start now.
60. Alerts. Receive alerts when the weather threatens your area from National Weather Service.
61. Tides. Find tidal information from tides.info for most coasts around the world and have it sent to you.
Family and Friends
Keeping up with family and friends or updating them with your information just got a lot easier with these feeds.
62. Share photos. Use RSS feeds to share your Flickr photos with loved ones and buddies alike.
63. Share calendars. Share updates from your Google calendar with others whether they have a Google account or not.
64. Plan a party. Use online invitations with mypunchbowl and get RSS feed for the Punchbowl Buzz.
65. Name your baby. Use the baby name wizard at iVillage and get updates on your reader.
66. Find an activity. Search for fun events in your city with Eventful and have them sent to you with their RSS feed.
Productivity and Career
Jumpstart your career with these handy feeds that will keep you on track or help you find a job.
67. To do lists. Create to do lists with FLEXlists that you can send to yourself or share with co-workers.
68. Traffic updates. Make the most of your commute time with Traffic.com’s traffic reports from major cities around the nation.
69. Job openings. Find a job with Monster and get an RSS feed specialized by location, category, or keyword.
70. Specific emails. Set a filter, then use MailBucket to have those emails sent via RSS feed. Be aware that these messages are public.
71. Reminders. Reminderfeed lets you receive reminders straight to your reader with this easy tool.
Shopping
Internet shopping is hugely popular, so take advantage of these feeds to help you find what you want, save money, or track your package.
72. Best Buy. Get the latest sales going on for movies, game consoles, electronics, and more at Best Buy with their RSS feed.
73. Target. Sign up for Target’s weekly ads to be delivered to your reader by clicking on “Sign up for reminders” here.
74. Gift registry. Whether it’s a wedding or a new baby, you can create a gift registry and make it available to your guests with an RSS feed on TheThingsIWant.
75. Coupons. Get the latest online coupon codes with this RSS feed from Retailmenot.com.
76. Deals. Find out when the latest internet shopping deals come through with a feed from Ben’s Bargains.
77. Ebay. Get specific searches from Ebay auctions sent to you via rssauction.com.
78. Package tracking. Follow your package from most of the major package carriers with this tool from simpletracking.com.
79. Price changes. If you are watching an item and waiting for the price to fall, use RSStalker to do the work for you.
80. Under $10. If you are really on a budget and want to find only the least expensive deals on the Internet, sign up for the SpendFish update that will alert you with any product under $10.
News
Getting news with RSS feeds is nothing new, but some of these options are truly cool. Check out the offbeat news or National Geographic updates for something a little different.
81. Medical news. If medical news is your thing, you’ll love HubMed, which sends daily update feeds of results from your searches on PubMed medical database.
82. Legal news. Choose your favorite legal news to be delivered through RSS feed via LexisNexis.
83. Business news. Not only can you get business news at Yahoo!, you can also get a variety of other news touching on such topics as science, politics, and technology.
84. National news. Get all the latest national news from such well-known agencies as ABC News and Fox News.
85. Local news. Visit your local news station’s website to find out what RSS feeds they offer.
86. World News. One of the top news agencies offering world news brings it to you via RSS feed at Reuters. They offer their highly entertaining Oddly Enough by RSS as well.
87. U.S. Government. Find a huge amount of information that the government will send you through RSS feeds on USA.gov.
88. Offbeat. Find offbeat news that others might not be reporting with Topix.
89. Gadgets. Learn the latest news on technology gadgets with Engadget’s feeds.
90. National Geographic. Get updates that include beautiful photos from some of the most talented photographers around with National Geographic News updates.
Tools to Do Stuff with Your Feeds
Now that you have so many new feeds coming into your reader, learn what else you can do with them. From changing them to voice, sending them to your IM, or just filtering through all you’re getting, these tools will help you manage your feeds.
91. Page2RSS. Monitor websites that do not offer RSS feeds with an RSS that you create with this tool.
92. RSS Mix. Use this aggregator to blend several RSS feeds into one feed you can post on your website.
93. Ping-o-Matic. Ping other sites when you update your blog with this easy RSS feed.
94. Feed Crier. Get real time alerts from all your favorite feeds sent to your IM with this free tool.
95. NewsAloud. Transfer your RSS feeds to voice with this tool if you don’t have time to read your feeds.
96. flurry. This tool will allow you to send and read RSS feeds on your mobile phone.
97. RSS2PDF. Change your RSS feeds into PDF format documents with this tool.
98. RSSMicro. Find RSS feeds with this feed search engine.
99. TapTXT. Monitor all RSS feeds for specific keywords and get alerts you via IM, email, or on your mobile as soon as something is posted with those keywords.
100. AideRSS. If your RSS feeds are out of control, this tool will help you manage them by customizing to your interest and then filtering out less popular stories
Posted February 8th, 2008 by Neha
Fashion Week in 2007 was the year for the celebration of staple institutions in the fashion world. Lacoste was applauded for 75 years of defining timeless and Ralph Lauren took a much deserved bow at the end of the runway for 40 years that have reshaped the industry.
As last year applauded the traditional, Fashion Week 2008 has embraced the new. New media that is. In 2006, bloggers were handed the much vied for press passes among the Anna Wintours of the industry. 2008 sees another first on this front. IQONS.com, a social networking platform that has connected some of fashion’s premier young talent with the industry’s superstars, was enlisted as a media partnership, alongside longtime traditional media partner The New York Times.
I find the most compelling aspect of social media to be the ability for a community to contribute their own thoughts and build upon one another’s ideas. It gives everyone a voice, even those who don’t get those prized seats at the runway. So I find it fitting that with the induction of this new media partnership, IQONS will circulate the first issue of its user-generated magazine among the jewel tone clad fashionistas perched under the white peaks of the Bryant Park tents. Meanwhile I will shiver in Boston, and try to live vicariously through some of my favorite fashion bloggers (Fashion Tribes) who were given the ultimate nod from the industry by getting press passes to arguably, the most glamorous week of the year.
Posted January 11th, 2008 by admin
I caught an episode of “Access Hollywood” the other night. One of their feature stories was the re-launch of their companion website www.accesshollywood.com – Who cares, right? Well, Access Hollywood does…and BIG time (and they should). While I was intrigued by the length and depth of airtime given to this story, it was host Billy Bush’s voiceover commentary that grabbed my attention. In it, he described how central and integrated Access Hollywood’s website has become (in a very short time) to the distribution of entertainment news & media. What used to be a second thought to the on-air broadcast is now a rush to post content online.
And then while watching CNN’s coverage of the New Hampshire primary results, I literally had a “holy crap” moment: Suddenly my “viewer experience” became a seamless “user experience” because of the way CNN converged its online and on-air media.
The highly watched cable news network managed to pull this off in a number of ways:
- Purposeful Crossovers: The on-air broadcast of the results maintained a persistent running tally of votes framed around the visual commentary – if a viewer was watching CNN in HD, they’d get access to additional data points along both sides of the frame. Throughout the broadcast, host Wolf Blitzer would lead viewers to reference their laptops and check out CNNpolitics.com in order to drill down and hone into more granular real-time specifics. While lots of broadcast programs lead people to the web, it was the effortless, integrated, “live”, and complementary nature of the use of their website that grabbed me.
- Embedded Content: At certain points throughout the broadcast, CNN would feature segments from the various campaign’s live video feeds and direct viewers to CNNpolitics.com to tune into any of the candidate’s specific coverage for further viewing and analysis. Since the on-air broadcast only gave samplings of each campaign event, viewers were easily able to target their preferred candidate online and augment the on-air content. Although CNNpolitics.com was referenced constantly throughout the broadcast, it wasn’t disruptive – it felt right.
- Integrated Look & Feel: CNNpolitics.com was a natural creative extension of CNN’s “Election Center” set design and broadcast graphics. The two mediums visually became like one. Viewers who frequently turned their attention from being an online user to an on-air viewer felt a single, integrated experience.
The fundamental shift in the way in which we consume and interact with media has now tipped the scale from the after thought of “supporting Web information” to primary online content. We’ll be seeing many more examples of this in 2008 as TV continues to become an inefficient content consumption technology.
Posted September 24th, 2007 by Neha
Rumors that 14 year old Disney star Miley Cyrus is pregnant circulated around radio waves bright and early this morning. The radio program, Matty in the Morning, had assistants frantically trying to confirm these rumors. Once upon a time, when a rumor needed to be verified, contacts at print publications like US Weekly were on speed dial. Yet, this morning the contact that was bombarded with phone calls and email was none other than the most notorious blogger.
Listeners were assured that all efforts were being made to contact Perez Hilton to solve the mystery of the alleged pregnancy. Kerry, a member of the Matty in the Morning team, proudly stated that she had Perez Hilton’s cell phone number and another team member was simultaneously flooding Perez’s inbox with inquiries.
A brief post on Perez’s blog quelled the rapid rumor and put it to rest. But one thing remains true - a shift became apparent this morning when traditional media turned to social media for news and content. The blogger used to generate content by scouring magazines and gossip columns in newspapers but now Perez Hilton, the king of gossip, has emerged the ultimate source of
Hollywood chatter.
Posted August 21st, 2007 by admin
Heavy.com, providers of such online video hit series as “Superficial Friends” and “Behind the Music that Sucks” has today announced the public beta of its own ad network, The Husky Network.
According to the press release, Heavy will be wrapping video players, such as YouTube or Revver, with branded skins and selling them on a CPM basis. According to the screenshot below, Heavy will be dropping a big static pop up on your page with a hole in the middle for the video to play in.
Posted July 30th, 2007 by Kevin
Will JK Rowling kill Harry Potter? Will the iPhone levitate? Are the cast members of “Lost” in purgatory? If you want an answer, you can find plenty of them in the appropriate community. Today, anyone can be a Super Sleuth and find facts and data to support a desired theory to the questions above. The most recent example of this phenomenon is 1-18-08.
If you’ve seen the movie trailer, your first reaction was probably “WTF?!?!?!” Followed quickly by, “What was that called? I didn’t see a title.” Paramount Pictures released the trailer prior to Transformers and the blogosphere has been buzzing ever since (you can see the trailer here). There was no story mentioned. It looked like an earthquake, until something roared. There was no title. Just 1-18-08.
Now, just three weeks later, you can find countless theories and a huge foothold online. Have a theory about the movie, visit the wiki. Want to get some additional clues, visit blogs like this. Want to follow the breadcrumbs that Paramount is leaving you, then check out the official site at www.1-18-08.com where you can view four still images they’ve released to date and check back often as there are more to come.
So…what is the community saying about a movie with no title, characters and confirmed plot line?
“I just watched the trailer to 1-18-08 and it looks like its going to be one hell of a movie. I have no clue what it’s about.”
“…Along with the date (1-18-08), we see a time of 12:36 A.M on one of the pictures. I did a google search for 12:36 (with the idea of a biblical verse) and here’s what it came up with. “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak…” Matthew 12:36
“Supposedly he told Ain’t It Cool News that it’s about a giant worm that falls to Earth. Sigh…Viral Marketing works I guess.”
Posted July 11th, 2007 by admin
The Live Earth event on Saturday, July 7, was announced as the most significant musical event in the 21th century by some and completely dismissed by others. In any case, it was a grand effort to raise global awareness of a problem that we can all try to do something about. I watched it from the floor of Giant Stadium in New Jersey.
The ten hours in the hot New Jersey sun were well worth my money – I saw more bands line up in one day than I have across my entire lifetime (not that that’s very long). The crowds that stayed at home and watched the 24-hour broadcast from seven continents (yes, including Antartica) broke the streaming viewership record: more than 10 million hits (as a compared with the previous record holder, the Live 8 event in 2005 which had 2.9 million). And not only did we witness great performances by great artists, we also heard them speak about saving our planet in a generally sincere way.
Some of the celebrities talked about creating a new movement and starting a revolution. That sounds very 20th century to me. My Eastern European upbringing taught me that revolutions have a way to go sour. Instead, I’m all for raising awareness and trend setting as the new vehicles of change in this century. Al Gore laid out his seven pledges that he wants people to sign. I opted to choose my own seven things that I hope to get out of this experience, because it’s not about my signature on a piece of paper – it’s about what I do to help save the planet.
#1 I heard loud and clear from the celebrities who candidly admitted that they sin against the environment daily and pledged to do something about it. It’s always hard to change bad habits and then it takes extra effort to stay disciplined about it. If you ask me, one of the best quotes from the event came from the pretty Fall Out Boy, Pete Wentz, comparing environmentalism with working out – “…you’re only gonna do it if it’s convenient for you. Cause the first day you’re like ‘I’m totally gonna do it!’ and then the next couple of days you don’t.”
#2 The variety of performances and appearances are what made this event great. Yes, most people watched because of entertainment, not because they are so concerned about the Earth, but in the meantime they got to hear their favorites deliver a simple message. It ranged from Madonna’s capstone “Hey You” broadcast from London and Melissa Etheridge’s sermon-like performance, through Petra Nemcova’s Tsunami survival confession and Cameron Diaz’s and Leonardo DiCaprio’s presence in support of their friend, Al Gore, to Jon Bon Jovi and Sting’s no commentary style. Seriously, how many blondes will it take to persuade you to change those light bulbs?
#3 Many journalists and bloggers talked about how celebrities are being hypocritical by not practicing what they preach in their over consumption of non-eco friendly goods and modes of transportation. But I think we are also hypocritical because we love to watch them go over the top. Celebrities are ultimately business people who supply what we demand. Why hasn’t Ed Begley Jr.’s house been on MTV Cribs yet? Plus, greening your home seems like a lot of fun to me and it helps save a ton of money. So let’s demand more green and less bling. Soon enough there will be MTV Green Cribs. In fact, there already was a Green Pimp My Ride.
#4 And speaking of rides, I loved the backdrop of the stage made of old tires. Recycle, reuse and renew are the three verbs that I really believe can make a difference. If you are like me and love to build stuff from scratch, finding creative ways to reuse something will leave you with a great feeling. For those who know me, I’m big on renewable energy, too. It’s the way of the future!
#5 One of the most bizarre messages was the Live Earth one-minute spot of livestock ‘pooping’ on camera to emphasize the CO2 emissions that this produces. Most of the crowd turned their heads and looked away. To me this was a good metaphor for the ‘inconvenient truth’ which we don’t want to face. We need to break the nasty habits we have practiced for years or we will see cities like New York, London, Amsterdam and Boston under water within our lifetimes. It will be hard to look away then. Call it awakening, call it preemptive action or call it whatever you want. Just snap out of it already and start making a change!
#6 Save energy and fuel. In my days as a poor student I learned the habits of using public transportation, carpooling and turning off appliances that are not in use. I’m keeping those habits in case I do become rich and famous.
#7 I did notice how overwhelmingly young the crowd was at the concert, considering that Bon Jovi, Roger Waters and the Police were the three major acts. The low TV viewership ratings raise further concern that some people are turning a blind eye. (There were, however, complaints about foul language.) The message needs to reach all generations. The issue has been heavily politicized, but disaster will not care about political views when it strikes. I don’t have the answer for dealing with the political problems of going green, but I hope the message does reach all humankind.
Posted June 15th, 2007 by Kristin
July 7, 2007, YouTubers and fans will converge upon Washington Square Park in NYC from 11am until 8pm for a gathering event. Why should marketers care? Popular YouTubers are the new influencers. Lonelygirl15 has 94,625 subscribers and her videos have over 11 million views. Smosh has 118,334 subscribers and their videos have over 6 million views. 777 is an excellent opportunity for marketers to begin cultivating a relationship with these influencers, not to mention spread around some swag to develop brand awareness. So will you be in New York City on 777?
Posted June 13th, 2007 by Scott
I’ve been to quite a few Second Life (SL) events in the past, but haven’t been as impressed as I was with the launch of the Offical Playboy Island last night. I think this event was a great representation of Playboy as a brand rather than the stereotypical affirmations people usually make. What really caught my attention were the greeters who made it a point to greet almost every person that teleported to the event. Xena and Zoey, members of the Playboy team, were dressed as bunnies and welcomed everyone to the event throughout the night, even ushering tours around the facility.
The first level was a mix of mingling and casual shop browsing with the opportunity to buy Playboy branded clothing for both yourself (male & female) as well as your avatar. Surrounding the island, were several tiki bars and even a replica of the infamous “Grotto” (which I didn’t have a chance to go into but heard some stories haha). I did venture to the second level for a while which was definitely where the party was. I was told that the Sim was maxed out at 85 avatars throughout the night. Now you may be saying “85? That’s nothing!” However, when you look at it over the course of several hours, that’s a high number of people continuously engaging with your brand. Not to mention all the people (like myself) who told friends and family about the event.
I want to give props to MSGiro, the developer and manager of Playboy in SL, along with his team at Sentient Services for putting on such a successful event and representing the Playboy brand so well. It’s amazing how far SL has come since my first encounter with it and I feel other large enterprises will soon begin to realize its value. To those of you who still aren’t sure or have tried it and say it doesn’t work, all I have to say is “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” Just give SL time and patience and Linden Labs will do the rest.
Posted May 8th, 2007 by Andre
Don’t have a 512Mb video card and 2gigs of RAM? Longing for old school RPGs where the characters were 2D sprites? Compulsive MySpace/Facebook checker? Do you like anything Anime style?
Gaia Online is for you.
Gaia Online is a cross between an old school RPG and a social networking site. You can build a member page, ala MySpace and Facebook, communicate with friends, and meet new people, but at the same time it offers things that other social networks don’t: continuous gameplay.
That’s right, you can do quests, buy, sell, or trade items, build up your avatar with the newest and most awesome items, armor, clothes, and weapons. You can interact with other people in a 2D world, you can fish, gamble, play slots, earn money and a multitude of other prizes to gear up your avatar.
Here’s what they have to say:
“Founded in 2003 by a few comic book fans in a garage, Gaia Online has become the fastest-growing hangout on the web. Millions of teens come to Gaia every month to play games, make friends, and participate in the world’s most active online community.”
Source
Gaia has millions of members and boasts that it has “nearly two million unique visitors… each month” and that “three hundred thousand members log in to Gaia every day, and those members spend an average of two hours on the site daily.”
Two hours, that’s a ton of time when you think about it in context of daily web surfing. How long do you usually spend on Facebook or MySpace once you have been using it for a few months? You check your friend requests, group requests, answer some messages and maybe a wall post or two. Total time? For me, that’s about 15 to 20 minutes a day, every other day, then I’m gone.
What does this graph say? Well, that Gaia Online’s usage by its members per day is growing at 3 times the rate of MySpace’s usage and 300 times that of Facebook.
So what’s the appeal? Well, there is just that much more to do in Gaia Online.
From the site’s about page:
- Online Hangout: Millions of teens spend hours a day on Gaia, exploring, chatting and just hanging out. Whether they’re posting on our forums, participating in special events, or playing our multiplayer mini-games, there’s always something fun to do.
- Endless Customization: Gaia revolves around creative customization. Every member can create their own virtual character and dress it up with over five thousand items: clothes, accessories, pets, masks and just about anything else imaginable.
- Thriving Community: Gaia Online boasts one of the most active forum communities in the world with over one billion posts to date. Members can chat in our online games, post messages on our forums, or send each other private messages.
- Gaia Gold Marketplace: Gaia Online is free to join, and members earn free Gaia Gold for everything they do on the site- posting, playing games, or just hanging out. Members can buy thousands of items in our virtual stores, or they can set up their own shops. Our virtual auction house lets members buy, sell and trade their items– over 50,000 auctions are completed every day!
- Fun and Games: Members can interact, have fun, and earn Gaia Gold with our quick and casual online games. They can also go head-to-head in our Avatar Arena to see who can make the coolest virtual outfit, or test their talents in the Art Arena, where thousands of members vote on the best original artwork.
With a thriving economy, endless items and engaging games, there’s always a reason to stay an extra 10 minutes on Gaia.
Here’s my avatar:
He likes to rock the Scythe, but he has a softer side, shown by his love for his “mimzy,” one of the collector items that were introduced to Gaia Online to promote “The Last Mimzy” movie.
A social network exploding in size is nothing new, but now that they are aging, keeping those same users interested and logging on will be the make-it or break-it for many fledgling networks.
Link to my original post
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