Weblin can make any Web site social
Weblin is a service that allows people to have avatars that appear on the Web pages they visit and communicate with any other Weblin users who are visiting the same pages.
(Credit: Weblin)If you're a social media addict but think that visiting regular Web sites is a lonely experience, you might want to take a look at Weblin.
Created by a German company, Weblin is designed to make the experience of surfing Web sites social--or make services like Facebook or MySpace.com more social. It does so by letting users create an avatar that they can then, effectively, take with them as they move around from site to site.
If they then find themselves on a site that is being visited at the same time by other Weblin users, then they can communicate with each other.
Weblin's main model is a small download, but it is also about to launch a light version that will require no downloads or plug-ins and will simply auto-assign users an avatar rather than them getting to choose their own.
(Credit: Weblin)The main Weblin service is a small download that allows users to register and then create their own avatar. But next week, Weblin plans to launch a light version of the service that requires no download or plug-in and which assigns an avatar to everyone who uses it.
That means that users would have less control over the experience, but at the same time they'd be able to use Weblin without doing anything except use the Web. Additionally, the light version will not require registration. Rather, users will just have to enter a URL into a Weblin page.
Down the line, Weblin says, it hopes to make it possible to integrate Weblin with users' existing avatars from some virtual worlds.
For the time being, of course, Weblin's utility seems like it only comes from there being a critical mass of users and when users visit sites that are popular with others employing the service. But over time, if it grows large enough, it could provide a fun alternative to the traditional way of using Web sites.
On June 10, Geek Gestalt hits the highways for Road Trip 2008. I'll start in Orlando, Fla., and visit many of the South's most interesting destinations. Stay tuned, and be sure to keep up, both now and during the trip, with what I'm doing on Twitter.
Daniel Terdiman is a staff writer at CNET News covering games, Net culture, and everything in between. E-mail Daniel. 
I just tried the app
http://www.flickr.com/photos/49932871@N00/
mashuped with some other avatar flash based 2d apps..the insanity will never stop. web2.Over... lol maybe they will monetize without selling out a generations freedoms or others IP-)
Anyhow.
I like concept alot. BUT. they have a last person "feature" that scares the crap out of me... they track all your travels. and allow any user to "stalk" you by a click. anyone you might look up, can easily "confront you" at a click....lol scary..and can be dangerous.
this is truly the end of the Singular web browser experinece- "privacy" for most hidden by arcane IP numbers.... this system must be examinded..its global, and it removes all notions of privacy to what you look at on the web.... and allows instant "questions" that MUST be asked from any other user.... context is everthing in intent--- but this type of communication media offers all rational context to be removed.
transparency is the current buzzword of the tech drunk.... without the right to privacy there can be no free individuals and any free societies...
i do hope the interface is tweaked, because i can see many uses for entertainment and social use, but without MUCH tighter and MORE explicit controls over access and viewabiltiy, this app is a lawsuit waiting to happen.. and that would be a shame, its a great start to making the web truly social...
maybe im wrong, but not even facebook/ or myspace allows anyone who happens to look at your profile page to be instantly tracked back down for questioning, and presented in the context of the next "interest" they happen to be looking at.
c3
The way we monetise our users will be with virtual goods and Advertisement-BOTs. Virtual rain of flowers, customized shirts, exclusive avatars etc. to name only some examples of virtual goods.
What do you mean with stalking other users by one click? No one gets any dedicated information about the website this particular "weblin to be stalked" is browsing at the moment. What brings you to this conclusion? Regarding the profile pages you are right that you appear as "last user visited your profile" but totally wrong in finding this person instantly on another webpage. Our plan for the near feature is that weblin user use their existing profilepage from other social networks like MySpace, Facebook etc. and special weblin items e.g. gifts, activity points etc. will then be available as little modules/widgets which can be implemented on your external profilepage.
Furthermore every user can easily decide on which website he will be visible and where not plus the opportunity to ignore any other weblin-user or report abuse.
Further technical information by our Founder and CTO can be reviewed on http://www.virtual-presence.org/notes.html.
- by rajivyadav June 2, 2008 11:07 PM PDT
- hiiiiiiiiiiii
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