Comments on: Widgets: Promoting Blogging Mediocrity Everywhere.

By: jimmy

jimmy — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 17:17:20 +0000

Check out the new embedded version of Kool IM.

http://www.koolim.com

By: David Krug

David Krug — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 16:43:05 +0000

Spot on. I’m in total agreement. Down with widgets.

By: jeremy liew

jeremy liew — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 07:15:51 +0000

Tony,

You’re right about widgetbox – it targets bloggers. You can also see on its homepage how many widgets its served since inception – about 14m. Both Slide and Rockyou serve more than 100m widgets a DAY on social network sites (this was announced at the Mashable Widget Conference). Now these are not directly comparable as there are lots of other widgets served up on blogs that are not served by Widgetbox. But there are also lots of other widgets served up on social networks other than those two (Rockyou, Blinkyou, Zingfu, Bunny Hero Labs etc etc). Its indicative data only, but I think its directionally correct.

By: Tony

Tony — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 06:54:01 +0000

Jeremy,

I’ll grant you that widgets are also used on social networks — however, the widget directory that is mentioned in the NYTimes piece, widgetbox, seems itself to target bloggers.

Not social networkers.

Follow the link for “Why use widgets” and you end up on a page about widgets ending up in blogs: http://docs.widgetbox.com/bloggers/

I don’t know where most widgets are deployed, but until I do see some/ any hard data, I wouldn’t be so quick to think that they’re mostly used in social networks at all.

If they were, you’d think that widgetbox would have adjusted their copy to be more social network-centric. But in fact, there’s nothing mentioned about MySpace, Bebo, or any of them.

And hey, if you’re in the position to actually have data on widgets, pass it along. I’m more than happy to eat crow if the situation warrants it.

By: jeremy liew

jeremy liew — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 06:33:55 +0000

Slamming widgets because they distract from the content when put in blogs is like slamming TVs because they distract from driving when put in cars. But TVs belong in the home. And widgets belong in social networks.

I posted on this on the Lightspeed blog. Click on my name in this comment if you’d like to see more.

By: Jordan Mitchell

Jordan Mitchell — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 22:34:37 +0000

“pimping their hoopties”? LOL. I can only guess that a hooptie is a car.

I’m not in disagreement, but I did misunderstand — thought you really did request an explanation. :-P

By: Tony

Tony — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 22:13:00 +0000

Jordan,

I can see *why* people would want to personalize their space. Its the same reason why teenage boys like to spend thousands of dollars pimping their hoopties.

My puzzlement is over the fact that its a big deal when people should really be focusing on creating real content. And that includes “their life and experiences”.

People blog for all kinds of reasons, but regardless of the reason, I think that everyone still looks for validation when they do blog. Comments, traffic, inbound links and so on.

Without compelling content, even for navel gazing blogs, none of that happens. Widgets distract from what’s important, is all.