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sbryan

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 6, 2007
96
0
There's an ubiquitous plugin for blogs that allows users to connect with what seems like 200 different web avenues. (Digg, StumbleUpon, etc.)

Now, I'm convinced this "Connect however you want!" trend will die soon enough and the frontrunners like Facebook, Youtube, and Twitter will be supported and nothing else will. The blogosphere simply can't embrace that many core technologies without diluting the message.

I enjoy when companies take Facebook's, Twitter's and Youtube's logo and integrates them into their website visually. EX: White background / Buttons in black silhouette until hovered over.

My question is this. What core applications and functions must corporate blogs support (assuming they have supporting material)?

Vital:
-Facebook
-Print Layout
-Email to a friend

Recommended:
-RSS Feed
-Twitter
-YouTube

Emerging speciality applications:
-SmugMug (vastly superior to icky, icky Flickr)
-Vimeo (nice colorful interface and knowledgeable community. YouTube HD is a step forward, but you really have to manage feedback.)

I'm hoping RSS feeds become mainstream. Leopard spoils me because RSS feed management is built into Safari and Mail.
 

Cromulent

macrumors 604
Oct 2, 2006
6,802
1,096
The Land of Hope and Glory
Only one of the items on your list is actually a technology as such and that is RSS which is pretty much supported on everything nowadays. All the others are examples of a technology or technologies.
 

sbryan

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 6, 2007
96
0
They don't have to support anything if their content is good enough.

Not true. Solutions like Twitter and Facebook allow customers or clients to act as product or service evangelists, not to mention define their identities by what they enjoy.

Cromulent, forgive me if I find your distinction incromulent. We should make a distinction between OS-native support and application support -- the difference, of course, if it requires a downloaded application, the adoption rate is usually low. Windows 7 may have changed this, I haven't upgraded yet, but the Windows platform still requires a feed manager, whereas Leopard has idiot-proof integration.

Technical people know other technical people, and as a result, their perception of adoption is usually skewed. I do not know of one non-technical person who uses RSS feed management as part of their business or personal workflow. It's a shame. It's quite handy. Like Twitter, it's a customized news source.

Yes, the technology is established and commonplace, yet integration and adoption are poor.

Returning to the purpose of the post, I'm developing and interactive plan for integrating individual technologies into website design. Granted, this plan is just a starting point. I can't imagine a commercial landscaping company using Twitter, but I believe printer-friendly and e-mailing options are necessary.
 
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