Web 2.0 Ireland

Ye know when you find an app that just makes 100% sense? Not the next Flickr or Facebook, just incredibly bloody useful? YellIfItChanges is one of those apps.

It lets you know if:

• a website is updated
• a website changes Google Page Rank
• a website receives more incoming links
• a website changes position on Google search engine results page (SERP)

and it can let you know via

• email
• RSS Feed
• iCal Calendar

Sure, lots of sites have RSS but there are still a huge number that don’t and site-RSS doesn’t provide all those other features above. I’m using it to watch when certain sites come out of closed beta, but there are tons of different ways to use it. Check it out.

Application development on social networking platforms was the hot topic this week at the Graphing Social Patterns conference in San Diego. Ironically it’s like the wild wild west of a few hundred years ago - lots of prospectors in an undefined territory where the opportunity is massive.

Here are the key challenges and recommendations I collected from the speakers and conversations I had at the conference:

Challenges:

• Applications and widgets are hard to monetize. Traditionally brand advertising is related to the web CONTENT (e.g. target “Grey’s Anatomy” watchers because they appear to fit with the brand). Essentially the new world of social network advertising is trying to monetize NEW types of experiences and context-free environments. Since users can create any type of group, profile, page etc. there is some fear over what the ads will be placed next to.
• There are low barriers to entry. Anyone and their dog (who knows a bit about PHP) can create an application on Facebook rather quickly at very low cost. This has lead to low quality, low utility, disposable, spammy apps but the good news is that the trend is quickly moving towards high value, engaging, quality apps.
• The metrics for measuring and analysing applications are minimal. This is an evolving area in itself.
• There are multiple APIs. OpenSocial vs. Facebook/Bebo platform - different audiences, channels, usage patterns etc.

Recommendations:

• Develop apps that have utility and meaning. Facebook is changing the rules of the platform to protect its users and provide an experience that increases communication and improves user engagement.
• Ensure your app is: 1. Clear in its proposition and easy to use, 2. Measurable - track growth, engagement, advertising etc., and 3. Flexible - many crappy trials beats deep thinking/planning (Note: I believe this was the case for the low quality apps but the future apps require significant planning to make them of value. The main point of this is to get it out there early to see how users react - “perpetual beta”)
• Apps have three distinct stages of development: 1. Marketing - use appropriate channels to spread your “call to action”; 2. Growth - tune and track virality; What are the other apps in your category doing?; 3. Engagement - increase page views and time spent on site
• The level of trust must be improved between the users, applications, networks, and marketers.
• Plan for a portable ID. The industry trend points towards a future that allows for an ID that’s shared between applications/networks but will be controlled by the users (e.g. permissions)
• For social games the “social” aspect is more important than the “game” - it’s better when your friends are contacting you to “play”. You still must implement typical aspects of gaming - level/goal progression, turns, leader-boards, incentives/rewards: gifts, unlocking features etc.

You may be familiar with the very smart YouGetItBack concept which provides a lost and found facility for things like phones, iPod etc via simple stickers and a web app. The guys are moving into their next phase of development and it’s looking very exciting indeed. They will soon be rolling out apps for mobiles and laptops along with associated online services.

They are looking for Beta Testers for these apps. If you are interested, head on over to the blog and leave a comment or mail them at the address provided.

If you are looking for Beta Testers for your web app or mobile app, feel free to drop us a line and we’ll mention it here.

Online service @ Carpooling - Carpool.ie

Great idea - now we just need the govt. to create carpool lanes…. operation freeflow

Given the number of Web2 companies here that use freelancers and outsourcers for many aspects of their businesses, would it make sense to have some sort of simple skills board (as opposed to jobs board) here? Even something as simple as a page with a list giving Company Name, Person Name, Services Offered, URL for contact info.

Thoughts?

Haydn Shaughnessy has just launched the virtual art gallery Ten Cubed in Second Life. As a confirmed SL cynic, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this. However Haydn is one of the smartest guys around in media, tech and journalism so it had to be worth a look.

I have to say it’s pretty damned awesome. The idea is radical but seems like a logical progression from e-commerce to v-commerce. You walk around a virtual gallery and look at the art hanging on the walls. Some of it exists in the “real world”, some of it only in Second Life. But here’s the twist - you can buy either!

I initially didn’t understand the concept of buying virtual art but there are tons of companies with their own “offices” in SL who are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars getting them built. As with real buildings, these can only be improved with the addition of art.

The advantage on the real-world side is that you can get a much better sense of the art hanging on a wall in 3-D than you can looking at flat scans on a web-site.

Now I have all the artistic sensibilities of a corpse but there is some fantastic stuff in the gallery. I saw some of it when Haydn had the Gallery in Harbour View and it impresses just as much in a virtual setting. The other thing which is very obvious is the intelligent design of Ten Cubed. You have none of that usual 3-D world “where do I go?”. You are naturally guided in particular directions.

Even if you just want to see what eBay might look like in five years time, it is well worth your while checking this out.

One of the most successful community sites in Ireland, EuropeanIrish, has just had a major re-launch. This site has been quietly growing to an impressive 1 million uniques last year from its beginning in 2003. For most of its existence it was a part-time labour of love for Siasy Collins but with the closure of Motorola in Cork, he finally took the opportunity to give it his full attention.

The site is all about Irish ex-pats on Continental Europe having somewhere to congregate virtually so they can socialise better face to face. In some ways you could think of it as a niche Upcoming.org since it always has a big list of events that are happening around Europe. But there is a lot more to it than that and it has had a thriving community for many years.

In addition to a general re-build and facelift, they have added “MINE” - My Irish Network in Europe. This is effectively a Social Network for ex-pats and is an idea I love. There are only so many generic Social Networks that are going to get traction but a niche one like this, where you know that the other members have much in common with you, should see lasting growth.

Siasy says that 300,000 Irish people have now made their homes across Europe, and there were 3.5 million trips by Irish residents to the Continent in 2006. It looks like many of those Irish have been using the site for years. Whether it’s entertainment, pubs, social clubs, discussion forums, cultural issues or general news, the site has an angle on it.

EuropeanIrish is based in the Rubicon Centre in CIT in Cork and is taking part in the Genesis Enterprise Programme.

The buzz on the Twitter lines is all about stealth Irish start-up MOLI raising $30m in private investment. According to the Silicon Republic article, they have 55 employees and are based in the Digital Hub. They are supposedly concerned with managing multiple SocNet profiles from one account.

This sounds like it could be very useful, particularly if it dovetails in with all the current efforts around data portability.

Further descriptions muddy the waters slightly with mentions of “professionally-produced content coupled with interactive e-commerce features enabling members to connect and conduct business with other discerning individuals, groups and businesses”. There are hints of LinkedIn, Facebook, PodTech, Yahoo, eBay and Amazon in that one sentence.

You can sign-up for free on the site now and I’m off to have a good poke around. The design and production levels seems very high indeed. It also looks like they are the only company based here that has a slot at DEMO 08.

It’s fantastic to see high net worth individuals investing serious sums of money in the Web2 space in Ireland. We’re keeping a close eye on Ammado in that context too. Surely this is just the tip of the iceberg for those looking to add a bit of excitement to their investment portfolios?

UPDATE 1: Further scratching seems to reveal that they allow multiple profiles within their site, not across SocNets. Therefore are they positioning themselves as YASN with a demographic focus on late 20’s/early 30’s? i.e. somewhere between Facebook and LinkedIn.

The team at PutPlace just released an invite only beta.

PutPlace could be described as a butler for your entire digital life. PutPlace gathers all the valuable, digital stuff you’ve created and stockpiled over your lifetime—from photos and documents, to music and home movies. Then PutPlace organizes it, protects it and helps you find exactly what you need, wherever you are.

Sign up for a beta account - and provide Joe and his team with feedback/comments.

PutPlace have some exciting announcements coming out in 2008 - so stay tuned.

Polldaddy get great coverage in techcrunch article

Richard also has great analysis on readwriteweb

Congratulations to Lenny and the team.

ps. when you see folks like blogger/twiiter founder Evan Williams using polldaddy - you know these guys will be successful.