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Stay N' Alive

My View of the Real-Time Web - Tech and Rants From Jesse Stay, The "Social" Geek

Apple is Creating a “Social Network” the Right WayYesterday

Today Apple did one of the most powerful things they have done since the launch of the iPod.  Notice that I didn’t say “revolutionary”.  There’s nothing new about it.  Note that I didn’t say “innovative”.  There’s nothing unique about it.  Today Apple launched, quite simply, a “Social Network for Music”.  What’s so powerful is that they’re not really trying to create a social network at all.  Apple realizes the Social Graph is just a complement to something bigger.  Instead, Apple focused on one of the biggest strengths they have – their music, and made it social.  I think this is powerful, and here’s why:

I think Dave Winer got it right earlier today – this is only the beginning for Apple.  You see, the secret to a successful anything on the web (not just “social”) is to focus on what you do best, and revolve around that.  Google’s strength was search.  Microsoft’s strength was the consumer OS that could be installed on almost any affordable PC, and has since become Exchange and Outlook and Enterprise apps.  Oracle’s strength is the database.  Facebook’s is the Soci

Want to Follow Steve Jobs? “No Soup for You!”Yesterday

Evidently a few of my friends have found Steve Jobs’ profile and followed him.  Apple must have discovered that, because whenever I click on his profile, I get the following popup, saying, “Your Ping Account is Disabled.”  Of course my account isn’t disabled because I can still follow other people, but it’s definitely interesting.  I can only reproduce this with Steve Jobs himself.  This brings up the question, is Apple going to need to do the “real person” and “fake person/brand” thing that Facebook is doing with personal profiles and Pages?

What if Steve Jobs wants to share his music with only his close friends and family, but he wants to maintain a more public demeanor to the world?  Will the 2 profile system be allowed?  Does Apple need more privacy preferences?

Steve, I understand if you don’t want me following you, but please don’t disable my account!

How the Little Guy Can Get Published – an AutobiographySeptember 1

As I just wrote, we live in an era where having a voice is much easier than it used to be.  Getting published is actually quite simple if you’re willing to work for it.  In fact, I’m living proof.  Just 3 years ago I was working a 9-5 job as my sole source of income as a programmer for a major health company, doing nothing but that.  I was a nobody.  No one knew me.  In very short time I was approached by my 3 publishers, amassed thousands of readers on this blog, and many more on Twitter and Facebook, and built a reputation for myself.  I truly believe this is something anyone can do.   Here’s what I did (this is still tough to write, as I still don’t believe I’m anywhere near my potential – to me, I’m still a nobody):

I Started a Blog

I actually did this a long time before I wrote my first book with HappyAbout.  I was trying to build an open source pseudo blogging/CMS platform, which actually powered this blog at one point.  In a sense, the goal was to eventually create a social network, something we tried to do at a previous

As Goes the Publisher, So Goes the ConferenceSeptember 1

Seth Godin is known as a leader in trends, particularly surrounding marketing and the new wave of media.  That’s why Godin deciding his 13th book, Linchpin, will be his last traditionally published book is a big deal.  I think it seals the deal – not just that publishers aren’t quite as needed as they used to (I have had a great relationship with the publishers of my 3 books – don’t worry, no plans on switching yet!), but that either the publishing industry is going to need to change in order for other authors not to follow suite, or they will die.  The big guy isn’t needed any more.  The modern publishing world is all about the individual, and there are so many ways to “go it alone” yet still cooperate with all the needed vendors that make moves like Godin’s make sense.

That’s why Brigham Young University (BYU) Football, a top 10 BCS team from last year, may actually be able to pull off leaving the MountainWest Conference and going solo, as they announced they were going to do today.

I’m act

Now You Can Check in on Twitter Through Facebook PlacesAugust 30

This post is syndicated from the SocialToo Blog – please check it out! I think this feature’s pretty cool:

Recently Facebook launched the ability for users to checkin to any place with their mobile phone, sharing with their Facebook friends where they are and what they’re doing, but what about their Twitter friends?  Services like FourSquare and Gowalla offer the ability for users to share their checkins to Twitter as well as Facebook (or just leave them on Gowalla or Foursquare).  Facebook, with the exception of Pages, has seemed reluctant to include Twitter syncing for Facebook status updates.  That is where SocialToo comes in.  Starting today, you can now sync your Facebook checkins automatically from Facebook to Twitter using SocialToo.

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