Happy Sunday – the weekend is almost over. But before you head back to work, make sure to vote on today’s Is It Real? contender.
For those of you new to Is It Real?, it’s a simple concept: we provide a company name and description, and your job – if you choose to accept it – is to vote on if you think it is a real company or not. We tally your votes all week long, and reveal the real answer on Friday.
One caveat – you cannot use the internet in anyway to help guess your answer. Ready? Then let’s get started:
Today’s company is called MyGlu – a web 2.0 open-source API that allows users to begin threading together information from a variety of social network sites, and presents it in a single dashboard-like interface. Taken from the website directly, here is a brief description of their services:
No two social networks are alike. Taking this into account, MyGlu is designed to aggregate key information from all these sites, and give users an easy-interface to share and update data.
With already existing APIs for MySpace, YouTube, Twitter, Friend-Feed and Spokeo (to name a few), MyGlu is a much-needed application is the clouded web 2.0 space.
So friends, we must ask – Is MyGlu Real?
Is MyGlu a real web 2.0 application?
Yes - surely it must be real. After all, it sounds a lot like a previous yooRyoo post. (50%, 2 Votes)
Maybe - I am not sure. Can there be an open-source API that is free? (50%, 2 Votes)
No - MyGlu cannot be real. I try to keep MySpace and Facebook separate at all times! (0%, 0 Votes)
A new study by George Picken & Calvin McCracken released today entitled “Attempting to measure ROI on Web 2.0 Companies – Why Sisyphus Had it Easier” revealed an alarming statistic: 67% of all Web 2.0 statistics are made up on the fly, based on only anecdotal evidence.
George Picken reciting statistics that he just made up
“It’s really amazing” stated Picken, “Not only are the statistics completely unreal, nearly 95% of the time these false statistics are made by people with a peripheral knowledge of Web 2.0!”
“What’s more surprising are the demographics,” added McCracken, “80% of these false statistics are made up by men aged 25-40. The second largest group are transgendered people aged 90+ at an incredible 17.3%...or so I’ve heard.”
Calvin McCracken, known recluse
and his wife, posturing
Based on a rough survey they did at various local coffee shops around town, Picken & McCracken’s study went on to reveal more surprising data:
53% of Web 2.0 companies are created with no plan to make money, and from that group only 24% of them actually survive the first year
12% of Web 2.0 services are geared to Mac users exclusively, which matches the commonly believed 8% market penetration of Macs within the home computer user segment
The three fastest growing Web 2.0 services are:
microblogging (at 33% over the previous year),
social network applications (with a steady average 15% growth rate for the past 6 years)
mashups (with a sharp spike of 42.2%, this year over previous)
Picken & McCracken’s study is expected to cause ripples into the blogosphere (83.4% of all news is transmitted throughout the web through blogs, the study has found).
“Now that it’s published online, it’s gotta be true,” said Picken.
“Yeah, once it’s on the internet it’s part of the collective reality,” added McCracken, “It happens 93.47% of the time.”
Fans of “Is It Real?” might have noticed a recent trend where most of our “Is It Real?” features are indeed real. That is not only a testament to the wide-breadth of companies on our Web 2.0 world, it also speaks to the strangeness of it all. In fact, a recent set of Google searches has revealed a number of the satirical companies that we created actually do exist!
To that end, today we are featuring a few of those companies. No polls this week – but be sure to tune in next Sunday for a brand new version of “Is It Real?“…
Introduced on June 12, Triangle Hero was a parody of Guitar Hero, but with a less-sexy instrument. Designed to teach players how to patiently wait through 138 bars of rest in symphonic pieces before playing your triangle controller, we thought it was a smarmy commentary on those crazy instrument games. Well we weren’t the only ones…
The Cartoon Network started featuring this commercial for a suspiciously similar game…
Created as a rip on Twitter, Toot (and Toot 2.0 – now available for the iPhone 3G!) is a faux company designed to provide your health updates to subscribed friends through a micro-blogging service. Now you can Toot all day long, and no one will be the wiser!
Did you know there’s a real Toot company? We didn’t either…here’s a description of their services:
Toot! is software for making rich résumés and portfolios.
A rich résumé includes examples of your work. It exchanges the dry chronology of dates, companies, job titles and duties for an enriched résumé with actual pieces of your work that prove you know your stuff. Those pieces can be presentations, reports, plans, lesson plans, budgets, schematics, art, music, dance — anything you can render in digital form.
A portfolio is a trove of your work, collected over time with reflections about each piece. With Toot!, you can keep an on-going record of your life, including artifacts from all its aspects — work, education, hobbies, family, vacations, etc. When it comes time to create a résumé for a specific opening, you can select those pieces from your portfolio that best exemplify your qualifications for the position.
With Web 2.0 parody, Apple’s “i” series (iPod, iTouch, iPhone, etc.) is an easy target. yooRyoo imagined a time (hah!) when Steve jobs would create a clock where he could control – and enhance – the time-tracking experience.
However, there really is an iClock application. Here’s a review:
iClock‘s simple, intuitive interface never lets me down. With a quick glance at the pull-down menu, I can see what time it is where I am….where I’m going…and where I’ve been. With another click, I can check the weather at my next destination. Its so much more than a digital timepiece for the Mac.
In a clever twist to combat the popularity of the gPhone, yooRyoo introduced on July 22nd, our “open-source” version of a Google-created phone, called the gPhone. Ultimately, the gPhone is designed to do one thing really well – make phone calls! In addition, we added a feature called “I’m feeling lucky” which randomly calls people – it’s like the Web 2.0 version of drunk-dialing.
Since we debuted this clever satire piece, many people have started calling Google’s upcoming Android phone the “gPhone” (yes, Google is really creating a smart phone). We’ll take credit for where credit is due. Here are a few gPhone links:
It’s clear that since we launched yooRyoo in mid-June, we’ve already had an impact on how technology is evolving. Stay tuned for more “OMG – It IS real!!” features in the future. Have a great rest of the weekend.
In a second surprise announcement today, the McCain campaign released plans for a new micro-blogging service company led by the new presumptive Vice-Presidential candidate, Sarah Palin. Mrs. Palin described the software as follows: “This is a Web-services-ready multi-device hybridized dating web-app that leverages the basic human need to connect.”
When asked for clarification from the press, she stated, “As I said, this software-as-a-service is a social-networking-aware multi-device hybridized photo web-app that leverages the potential for exponential growth.”
The McCain campaign attempted to explain: “It’s a filtered revolutionary Web 2.0 photo infrastructure that leverages the third screen. Where else can you find a Web 2.0 p2p long invite-only beta calendaring framework that leverages ubiquitous broadband?”
Confused reporters than turned to McCain for a deeper clarification. “I still don’t use a computer,” he replied, “but I do know that her software is an incentivized p2p social-networking-aware IM Firefox extension that leverages the destabilization of the music industry.”
Then in complete non-sequitors, simple sound-bytes rang out from Fox News:
“Sarah Palin created the very first multi-device web-services-ready open source voice infrastructure that leverages the long tail”
“This inexperienced female governer from Alaska is delivering to the American population the only social-networking-aware long invite-only beta revolutionary email cellphone app that leverages network effects.”
“Tagging-enabled hybridized Web 2.0 search Firefox extension that leverages existing metadata helps to create Sarah Palin’s inventive remixable filtered disruptive calendaring desktop app that leverages the third screen.”
When asked for a response, Obama’s campaign simply stated: “So what – we created the very first web-services-ready Ruby on Rails multi-device social network framework that leverages the long tail…something no one else can lay claim to.”
Happy Friday before a three day weekend! As always, on Friday, we at yooRyoo share the results of last Sunday’s “Is It Real?” poll and then share a funny, relevant video making fun of Web 2.0. Today – as an added bonus for this extended weekend - we’ll also share some additional technology links that we find to be pretty funny.
First, let’s reveal the answer to “Is It Real?” – last Sunday, we highlighted a company called Estilook – a Portugeuse fashion site that allows people worldwide to judge other people’s fashion sense. A brief company description:
Estilook is an innovative social community directed toward people who have proper style. Our mission is to provide a democratic space where people of some countries, cultures can show and share its styles, interacting with other users of similar interests.
We asked you to vote, and vote you did – all week long. But now the polls are closed and here are the results:
60% of you thought it was real
20% said no
20% said they didn’t know
This just goes to show – once again – that you readers are great at separating the real companies from the fake ones. Estilook is indeed real – check out their website at: www.estilook.com
Enjoy the start of this long weekend with a funny British skit from YouTube called “FaceBook in Reality”…
Added bonus – extra-special content!!!!
As I mentioned, we found that MSN posted a few links in their Technology section this week. While these postings had nothing to do with us, I am sure the MSN editors secretly visit our site and were inspired by yooRyoo.
They’re worth a look (even though the interface leaves something to be desired…what can you expect from Microsoft).
Incidentally, these links were forwarded to us by our good friend, and loyal reader, Jim Merrion (thanks for sending our way, Jim!). Feel free to submit your ideas at any time through our Submission button.
Come back this Sunday for a brand new posting of “Is It Real?” - and have a great weekend!
Today, in our regular “Is It Real?” posting, we’ll present to you a Web 2.0 company/service, and then we’ll ask you – the readers – to vote if it is real or not. But first, let’s ask an important question that might be plaguing readers of our site – why should you vote?
The answer is simple – Web 2.0 is great because it provides openess and true democratization to the web. However, because of this, it’s also very scary! Some things on Web 2.0 just shouldn’t exist. And you, as a savvy Web 2.0 consumer, must be sure where to spend your precious time on the web. Because, Google is watching you and ready to serve up ads based on the kind of sites you frequent! Big Brother is Watching!!!
So, with that, let’s get into this week’s Is It Real? -
Estilook – a social networking site designed to allow community members to have “fun” while judging other people’s design and fashion!! This Portugal-based Web 2.0 company allows you to:
Share your style by uploading your pictures and looks
Have fun knowing and voting in outfits of people from different companies
Keep track of trends and news to aggregate even more style while dressing up
Here is a rough (online) translation of their company mission (translated from Portuguese):
Estilook is an innovative social community directed toward people who have proper style. Our mission is to provide a democratic space where people of some countries, cultures can show and share its styles, interacting with other users of similar interests.
Professionals and not lovers of fashion are welcome to the site. Estilook Is a place where common people can learn to dress in accordance with proper style, can make uploads of these looks, to think on different appearances, to be aware of trends, events in the area and much more.
Simply put – this is Web 2.0 fashion police community! What more could one ask for?
So, readers, I ask of you: Is Estilook Real? Take a second to vote below:
Is Estilook as real web 2.0 social networking community that allows users to judge each others fashion?
Yes - anonymously ripping on other people's fashion sounds like a fun activity (60%, 3 Votes)
No - people that would belong to a site like this are fashionistas, and don't take any criticism (20%, 1 Votes)
Yo (the mythical state between yes and no) - it could be real, but if it were, I wouldn't be part of the site since I only wear jeans and t-shirts. (20%, 1 Votes)
In a crazy move (on a triple-word play, no less), Hasbro games announced today the release of one of their newest online, Facebook game application – Crapulous!
Crapulous is an ASCII-based application available through the Facebook application interface, allowing users to clumsily play against a “computer-generated AI” player through command-line scripts.
“Loosely fashioned after such engaging games as Zork and that one the Matthew Broderick kid played in ‘Wargames,’ we’re convinced Crapulous will be as popular as ICQ,” commented Hasbro spokesperson, Crash Bandicoot.
Although early beta-tests revealed difficulty installing the command-line window interface on most computers, Crapulous has already gained a significant early install base, revealed Mr. Bandicoot. “We’re definitely excited by the usability testing on Windows NT machines, but only those with more than 256kb of RAM,” he added.
Nonplussed, the creators of Scrabulous have already released their replacement game, WordScraper, and have already tracked more than 8 billion installs.
Hasbro has already tentatively announced a complete roadmap of ASCII-based games for Facebook, through the remainder of 2008, including:
BattleCrap – face off against another player, in this exciting, turn-by-turn script-based battle game
CrappyLand – where kids and adults move simple emoticons through a flat, 2-dimensional land of fun
Hungry Hungry Crappos – exciting turn-based action, where you compete to “eat” more “&” symbols than your computer based foes
Oper-crap-tion – your skill at kernel commands is put to the test…fail, and you might hear the dulcit sound of an 8-bit alarm tone from your speakers
Canaanite 2.0, aka “McCainonites,” are a modern version of the biblical Canaanites, who were smitten by the Israelis back when toilet paper was a novel idea. Canaanite 2.0 is a VC-funded technology, led by an unnamed elderly Angel-investor that happens to be running for a major political office. These “McCainonites” believe in the strength of old people, national defense, and smiting “non-believers” – and they do this via an AJAX-enabled interface offering news updates exclusively through AltaVista.
While in days of old Israelis destroyed the Canaanites, it seems that the “modern-day” (ha!) McCainonites are being undone by their own actions and poorly written code.
A list of faulty code found in McCainonite include:
Replacing (in many news posts) the word “Iraq” when they clearly mean Afghanistan”
Mistaking “Somalia” for “Sudan” in at least one news feed
On their sports section, swapping out the “Green Bay Packers” tag for the “Pittsburgh Steelers”
Often referring to Vladimir Putin of Russia — particularly following trips to Germany — as “President Putin of Germany”
Interchanging the words “Sunnis” and “Shiiteheads” in all Iraq-centered updates
Accidentally mistaking a dog for a cat
Once trying to open a baby instead of an umbrella on a rainy day
<sarcasm>No, old age and outdated code really has nothing to do with it </sarcasm>
In response, two major news sites – Yo’Bama and Jo’Bama didn’t have to do anything – they just changed minor CSS items, and stood aside to watch the fiasco, and try not to make flubs about the US having 57 states.
It’s time for the weekly installment of Is It Real? - where a Web 2.0 company or technology is presented, along with a brief description of what the product actually does and then we ask the yooRyoo readers: is it a real company or not?Here’s the catch – you can’t use the web in anyway to help you with your guess!
We’ll run the poll all week, and provide the answer next Friday. Think you’re up to the challenge? Let’s go:
Imagine this scenario: you got your Twitter account and found two dozen people to follow (and maybe half of those follow you), but you really don’t feel popular enough. But, some of the people you are following have hundreds – thousands – of people they follow. Surely there’s a reason for their popularity. So, how do you get as popular on Twitter?
No problem – Twannabe is here! Twannabe allows you to enter in the name of one of your “Twitter Heroes” and it automatically determines which of those thousands of contacts you should be following!!! Simply add those contacts to your “follow” list, and voila – Twitter popularity automated for all of us Twitter poseurs!
Note: this is limited to only 2000 contacts…sorry!
So, Is It Real? fans, it’s time to ask: Is Twannabe Real? Vote below!
Is Twannabe real?
Sure, Twannabe has to be real - and just in time, since I need to really up my Twitter stats! (50%, 2 Votes)
No way is Twannabe real - I got popular on Twitter on my very own, one follower at a time. That's the way it should be! (50%, 2 Votes)
Maybe Twannabe is real - but getting popular online can't be that easy... (0%, 0 Votes)
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