It’s called Fo.rtuito.us. It’s just a soft launch, but I thought this was neat when I saw it on Techcrunch.

Here’s a quote:

“When you register at Fo.rtuito.us it randomly introduces you to another member. You have four days to interact with that member via anonymous email to see if you can become friends. If after those four days both people decide they would like to stay friends, they are added to your permanent friends list. You are then introduced to another person.”

Who knows if it will have the same traction as MySpace or Bebo, (which is growing as fast as MySpace) but as Michael points out, if it was offered as a feature on those existing social networking powerhouses, it will definitely get traffic.

In the comments section of my post about the marketing seminar at Nettwerk Records, Erin Kinghorn has responded. Good for her, and for the label.

In her comment, she says that they already have a list of 100 bloggers that they are in constant contact with. Now, they just need to make JD number 101. And don’t forget about Mack.

I found this via Darren Barefoot, a technology writer here in Vancouver: A head-to-head comparison between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0. It’s a great list that explains the current revolution happening in the online world

Here’s one that Darren added to the already great list that has direct correlations with the company vision of Tell Ten Friends:

Web 1.0 was about advertising, Web 2.0 is about word of mouth.

Not only does that one mean a lot to my company, but it also helps define the line between life before the “bubble,” and what’s been happening since it popped. I’ve added my own below, and I encourage you to add yours:

Web 1.0 was about companies, Web 2.0 is user-driven.
Or…Web 1.0 was about them, Web 2.0 is about Us.

Bonus Link:: First, dream up your idea for a new Web 2.0 product or company. Then, enter it into the flickr logo makr. Then start saving your money for the inevitable copyright infringement suit.

Mark Cuban has a lot of money.

And he doesn’t want to spend it on print advertising anymore. In his “quick letter to the newspaper and magazine industries,” he says that a lot of his entertainment industry peers feel the same way. I guess he’s okay with print for his beloved Mavs, but when it comes to his movie companies:

“It’s expensive to advertise movies or TV shows in either newspapers or magazines. Very expensive. Where entertainment is traditionally advertised, you guys know you got us, and it shows in your pricing. The pricing in the Movie and TV sections of print media is outrageous.

“Which means that every single company in the entertainment business is looking for a way to never ever have to spend a nickel with you again. Our entire business knows we have to spend money with you now, but we are experimenting with every option possible to pull that money from you and spend it elsewhere.”

Mr. Cuban isn’t exactly known for being subtle, so it’s no surprise that he’s bitching publicly about this, his latest beef. Still, you gotta hand it to Mark, he’s an agent of change.

He’ll probably end up getting a better rate for all of the display ads he buys for 2929 Entertainment and HDNet, but I’d rather see him prove that you can do it without print, just to put a scare into them. I don’t hate print; I still love it. But I think we all know paper’s days are numbered, and I for one am ready for the revolution.

It’s the most popular show in North America, and nothing else even comes close.

It embarrassed the Grammies this year when the two were aired on the same night, and in the finale the other day, 63.4 million votes came pouring in to help decide a winner. As Ryan Seacrest announced on the show, that’s more votes than any Presidential candidate in the history of the U.S. (Watch the language there, more than any one candidate; not more than the whole election)

Some fans have bragged about voting as many as 100 times each, making some people think that the number of votes is somehow less relevant. I disagree. My wife and I have watched every season, but have yet to vote. WE DO however share our opinions back-and-forth and try to predict what the voting outcome will be. And thanks(?) to her diligence, we hardly ever miss an episode.

Why? Why would I, being of sane mind and body, tune into American Idol along with millions of others, helping make it more of a cultural phenomenon than just another TV show?

Because American Idol does what every other company on the planet should be doing. It gives the audience a voice. It brings them into the discussion, and make their opinions matter.

Taylor Hicks’ soulful swagger and Katherine McPhee’s physical attributes aside, the reason why fans are so rabid for the show and have put it on top is because it’s interactive. As consumers, we want to be involved. We want to be heard. At the very least, we want some proof that our opinions and feedback aren’t just falling on deaf ears.

It gives us something to think about when we’re running our own businesses:

How can you invent a model that will work in your company? To involve the most loyal of your customers, bring them into the discussion and reap the benefits of their feedback and conversation?

Want people to tell ten friends about your business? Give them something to talk about. Sometimes all you have to do is talk to them at all, (and listen!) and the rest will take care of itself.

Idol fans Bonus link:: JD has made peace with Kellie Pickler, and she wrote back!

Via Steve Rubel: Podguide.tv reported today that NBC News is now selling news stories in the iTunes Music Store.

Steve says that this is a sure sign that paid video and podcasts are next. I say it’s a sure sign that the slow-to-change mass media companies are clutching at straws to hold onto some market share, as more and more people turn off the evening news in favour of other sources of information and entertainment.

I’ve hammered NBC before, and here I go again: Wake up! Your business is in advertising first and foremost, and you’re on a very slippery slope when what is supposed to be your most objective content (the news) is suddenly being sold as product.

Sell ads, not news. Give the clips away with ad support, and this idea might have a future. If necessary, sell a hi-res version separately (via your own site) to the two people in any given story that will buy it from you; but otherwise concentrate on ideas to deliver value to your advertisers.

Maybe I’m wrong, maybe there really IS a market out there that will actually pay for news stories and NOT turn around and use them for commercial purposes, but my gut tells me this is an idea destined for failure.

NBC deserves an honorable mention for making an effort, but their last two attempts at taking a piece of the new-media pie are failures, imho.

You’re in a position to really help me out.

As I proceed to plan the future of Tell Ten Friends, I wanted to conduct some very vital market research. I have a survey about marketing, that takes about 2 minutes to complete.

With your help, I’d like to forward it to as many Business Owners and marketing decision makers as possible. (preferably businesses with less than $30 M per year in sales) I can’t do this alone, so please help out by forwarding it “ten friends” if you can think of that many.

I realize that the easy thing to do is skip this over, but it would make a big difference in the future of my company, so please forward on this marketing survey.

If it’s easier, here’s the link in full; so you can copy and paste it into an email:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=628672147583

Thanks in advance, all of you who helped me out on this.

Update: I’ve gotten a few responses, but I need more. That’s why I put in this otherwise useless update…to give me an excuse to republish this post.

MySpace accounts for 10% of the traffic to telltenfriends.com, and a little over 5% here to the blog.
Not bad for free.

How in the hell Craigslist makes any money?

It’s the single-most effective online advertising tool on the web today, as far as I’m concerned. And it’s totally free. It’s conspicuously free of any ad support whatsoever, and I use it as the shining example whenever I try to explain to someone why user-driven content is king right now. (MySpace isn’t for everybody, after all)

The other night I put on ad in the Vancouver vehicle classifieds on the site, and within minutes my phone was ringing, and I was getting emails like crazy. First thing the next morning, I guy came by and gave me my full asking price for my car; while my phone kept ringing. I had to rush upstairs after he left to delete the ad, but still the calls came trickling in.

I subscribe to the RSS feeds for work leads as well, and if things ever slow down for me, you can bet I’ll be posting ads for Tell Ten Friends‘ services as well.

I just can’t believe that after getting so much value from a site, I have yet to pay a nickel, or be subjected to even one banner ad with talking emoticons, etc.

I guess what I’m saying is, I love Craigslist. I even like how when you bookmark it, it leaves a little “peace sign” icon. Maybe it will be free forever.

Peace and love, Craig.

If she starts a 12-step program, I might be a “friend of Ann.” (AA reference that I hope some of you picked up on)

At Marketing Prof’s Daily Fix, Ann Handley posts the Top 10 Signs You Might Be Addicted to Blogging.

I’m guilty of most of them. Are you?