Online messaging multi-platform service Meebo is cool. It lets you chat in your web browser using your account at a number of popular IM services, including ICQ and MSN. I’ve used it from time to time, especially when I’m at someone else’s computer.

Another $9m in funding will increase staff (they’re 10 now, apparently) and also make a new API a reality for developers who wants to integrate with the Meebo service.

But where to next? 1 million registered Meebo users is of course a lot, but surely there are grander schemes at web IM headquarters? Here are some thoughts on what Meebo might be doing in the future:

• Take on MyBlogLog and make sure that Meebo is in every blog sidebar
• Meebo Enterprise, giving companies and online stores a live chat with its customers, with possible integration with the store
• Meebo Out Load make voice chat accessible everywhere
• Webcam support for all IM protocols
• A stand-alone Meebo client, built upon open-source kick-ass IM program Gaim, further ties users to the service
• Meebo signs a deal with Google, delivering relevant Adsense ads on the Meebo page, based on your messages just like Gmail does

Where will Meebo end up, and who will buy it? I’d count Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and AOL out since they really don’t want to open up IM more than what’s benefits their own respective services.

Originally posted on January 19, 2007 @ 4:33 am

Seth Godin points me to The 59 Smartest Orgs Online, a clever little PR site for Squidoo, NetSquared and GetActive.

These charities were chosen for their excellence in online storytelling and collaboration with their donors. We didn’t play favorites to one cause over another, nor did we look at their fundraising goals or number of members. Instead, these organizations are winners because of their web 2.0 smarts and a willingness to engage their constituents far beyond asking them to dig into their pockets.

Sure, there’s nothing wrong with profiling non-profit organizations online, or letting visitors rate them Digg style. However, to me this is just a publicity stunt with the hopes of some viral spin by other websites blogging about it, and even putting the list in their sidebars widget-style.

I’m sorry, but to me this is cheap and cheesy. I sincerely there’s something positive coming out of this for the non-profit organizations listed.

Originally posted on January 17, 2007 @ 5:21 am

Om Malik asks a simple question over at his Daily.GigaOm blog:

What does one do when someone simply copies and pastes an entire post or two or more? Any suggestions?

A few of the copy-pasted posts include one about Bell, and another on The Venice Project. There are links back at the moment, I’m uncertain if they where there when Om posted about it since the blogger in question, claiming to only use the blog for internal purposes by the way, appeared in the comments.

[Read more…]

Originally posted on January 15, 2007 @ 1:31 pm

The open directory, DMOZ, is back online after months of problems. Maybe they have been for a while, I’m not sure… Does anyone really care, except the SEO people who want to get more inbound links to pimp the Google juice. Sure, there are directory sites that build upon the Open Directory Project (that’s DMOZ folks) but does it really matter today?

Maybe it does. I didn’t miss the site when it was down though. Did you?

Originally posted on January 17, 2007 @ 3:16 am