Do we really need yet another URL shortener service? I guess we do, if nothing else but to get even shorter URLs for our slightly compulsive microblog link pushing. The most recent one is to.ly, created by Jonas Lejon, who also did the Twitter backup service. So why did he venture into URL shortening? Aren’t the competition good enough?

I’ve got so many crazy ideas about what is possible to do with an URL shortening service and I needed to use one for my projects. Also, I couldn’t find any PHP code examples on any of the popular services.

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The guys from VideoEgg have recently unveiled Twig, a form of video advertising that combines pop up vids with a sticky toolbar that hovers like a “twig” above or below your browser’s frame.

Twig looks like the familiar hovering bar we see in several media sites like Digg and Facebook when we click on external links. Although we may have mixed emotions about the implementation of a pseudo intrusive app on our blogs, the model does address the query of advertisers who want a guarantee that their call to action is always visible.
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My formal education didn’t progress very far but I do remember one thing from data processing. Programmers have a saying about inputs and outputs they call “GIGO”, and this applies to many areas of life, especially social media … read more

Whitehouse.gov isn’t the open discussion website that (at least som) Barack Obama supporters from the election would have liked. I can understand why, politics is tricky business and if anyone could post a comment, it could (and would) get nasty really quick.

Enter Wired’s Clive Thompson and his post on how to tame trolls. It’s not news really, rather technologies and ways big sites manage it today, from stripping trolling commentaries of the vowels, to manual comment moderation. read more

In a story so short it could fit into a handful of tweets, notorious British tabloid The Sun reports that Beyonce Knowles is planning legal action against those who are pretending to be her on Twitter.

Apparently, her sister Solange said that she was being pestered by someone pretending to be the singer.

Whether this is a legitimate story is another matter. Though Twitter has been known to shut down accounts that either impersonate or are otherwise dubious, it’s possibly a better idea to ensure that your official Twitter account is well publicised so that the fakers can then be easily identified.

(Hat tip @kevindixie)

A few minutes ago I followed a trackback to a lovely blog post about one of my blog posts. It was quite complementary and made some good points. I was in the middle of composing a reply when I glanced over to the sidebar and saw the listing of the most recent blog posts featuring what were clearly pay-per-post or sponsored post titles. Ick!

That was my first response. Ick. Yuk. Oooey gooey, as one of my nephews would say.

We’ve talked about a lot of different design detail clutter and distractions in the ongoing series, “WTF Blog Design Clutter“, but we haven’t addressed the issue of perception when it comes to inspiring blog comments and conversation.

It’s true that a lot of people comment on blogs for link bait and Google juice. While that may be true, what is unsaid about the importance of a blog comment is probably the most important consideration when it comes to commenting on blogs: Association by commenting.

A blog comment says you want to participate in the conversation. It says you are interested in the topic. It says you are supportive of the blogger. It says you are who you say you are. It says that the link in your comment form takes the reader to your blog, which should speak well of you and match the quality of the blog you are commenting on. It says you want to be a valuable contributor to the blogosphere and the world of communication. Right?

No? Well, maybe it should. read more

Over on the Blogger Buzz, Google provided a quick explanation regarding its Monetize tab which mysteriously appeared late last month upon many Blogger blogs.

(Blogger Buzz) You may have noticed that about a week ago a new tab showed up in Blogger for your blog. The tab is called Monetize, and in case it isn’t clear what that means: it’s now easier than ever to make money with your blog! [...]

The current Monetize tab allows you to apply for an AdSense account (or link your Blogger blog to an existing AdSense account). You can then choose where to place ads on your blog, and once ads start appearing on your blog, review your earnings.

Once a user clicks on the “Monetize link,” Google cleverly presents them with several options as to where they should place ads on their blog, with some extra emphasis on placing ads upon the sidebar and underneath posts. read more

Sony’s semi-official PlayStation blog focusing on UK primarily, but being a source of information relevant for most of Europe, Three Speech is shutting down on April 17, leaving room for an official blog much like the US one. The regular readers will obviously miss Three Speech, but personally I think it is the right way to go for Sony UK. Three Speech was one of those blogs that you never really knew how much you could trust, better to be official in an open way, than to be shy about it. I guess the folks at Sony figured that out.

The nominees for the 2009 Webby’s are out, and so is the People’s Voice voting site where you can pitch in until April 30th (registration required). This is the 13th annual Webby Awards, and as always there are a ton (or 70-ish) nominees in a wide variety of categories.

USA Today is making a selection of its blogs and online communities available for Amazon Kindle. Would you pay for it though?

The blogs and online communities from USA Today featured on the Kindle include: Cruise Log, with the latest news and trends in the world of cruising; Game Hunters, an online community with a focus on video games and “interactive awesomeness;” Lifeline Live, your ticket to celebrity and entertainment news; OnDeadline, offering breaking news and must-read stories; Game On!, covering the latest sports news; The Oval, an online community dedicated to tracking the Obama administration; Pop Candy, unwrapping pop culture’s hip and hidden treasures; and Today in the Sky, delivering the latest news and analysis about airlines, airports and air travel.

Agan, would you pay for something that you can get for free? It’s $0.99 for blogs and $1.99 for online communities.