An interesting analysis of top  100 blogs (18 February 2008)
http://technobabble2dot0.wordpress.com/2008/02/18/top-100-analyst-blogs-2/

You will find
- list of 100 blogs
- methodology of ranking (determined by PageRank, subscribers, recent inbound links, frequency and focus of posts as well as the number of comments)

 An interesting list of tools boosting creativity
http://lifedev.net/2008/03/19-online-destinations-for-boosting-creativity/

1. SpringWise - A database of great ideas that any entrepreneur can act on to help you start the “next big thing”. There are some great, fun ideas, plus they showcase the latest trends of entrepreneurship.

2. WhyNot? - Much like SpringWise, WhyNot? has lots of user-submitted ideas for any ambitious soul to take under their wing and develop. However, WhyNot? is more of a community for entrepreneurs than SpringWise, which can be a bit more helpful at times.

3. Digg - You can find a smattering of news, tips and other odd things on the Digg homepage. Digg’s users find the best of the web, and the community voting does a wonderful job of showcasing quality news and compelling links. You know it’s a good site when LifeDev has been on the homepage a few times ;)

4. Del.icio.us Popular - I love the del.icio.us popular page. One can find the most creative and interesting articles and tools on the Internet on the Del.icio.us popular page. It’s basically a barometer of what’s hot on the web with designers and techies alike.

5. Tumblr - Tumblr is another one of my personal favorites. Aside from creating your own Tumblelog, the Tumblr homepage showcases the best links, images and videos that people are sharing around the web.

6. Nasa’s Astronomy Picture of the Day - Have a breathtaking shot of the cosmos, once a day. Nothing is more inspiring and mysterious than outer space, in my humble opinion. Perfect for shaking any sort of doldrums you might be in.

7. FlickrLeech - If you’re a visual person and love to view creative photos, check out FlickrLeech. You can browse just about any type of photo, plus the default view of Flickr Interesting page is very handy, especially if you need some creative wallpapers for your desktop.

8. LifeRemix - Shameless plug? Maybe. But I visit the site every day and am almost always inspired by the quality of writing. Note: Yes, I’m the co-founder of LifeRemix ;)

9. DocStoc - You can find some incredibly creative and informative documents that can lead to many ideas. You’d be surprised at the great content you can find at DocStoc.

10. WisdomQuotes - Nothing inspires more than a great quote from someone smarter than myself. I’ve done entire blog posts based on an inspiring quote.

11. Seth Godin’s blog - Aside from his uber-savvy marketing advice, there are plenty of untapped ideas and inspiration that he shares frequently with his readership. And you better believe that if Seth Godin dreamed it up, there’s a good chance he’s on the mark.

12. TechCrunch - Mike Arrington and company constantly showcase the newest and the best sites on the web at TechCrunch. There is plenty of inspiration that can be found just by seeing the newest thing in web applications. Many ideas I’ve had for web apps come directly from concepts introduced through TechCrunch. Here’s a tip: If you’re wanting to create the next big web phenomena, hang on to their every word.

13. Kottke.org - Jason Kottke has been posting interesting and creative information on the web for the past 10 years. He’s a favorite of many bloggers, and rightly so.

14. BoingBoing - One of the most popular blogs around, BoingBoing showcases the most “wonderful things” on the web. Like Kottke, BoingBoing does the dirty work of sifting through the web for the creme de la creme.

15. Google Docs - While not expressly a site for finding information, GDocs is a great tool for capturing ideas and thoughts. GDocs gives the perfect flexibility for saving quick ideas and then expounding on them later.

16. How to Change the World - Guy Kawaski is a fun guy with great ideas. Though his blog is geared slightly more to the marketing crowd, it’s chock-full of great ideas. I think the most stimulating thing about Guy’s blog is that it’s written with great voice and lots of humor.

17. MindMeister - Although I’m personally not a huge fan of online apps for creativity’s sake (other than GDocs), many people do like to use online mind-mapping tools for brainstorming. MindMeister is right up there with the best of the online mind-mapping tools because it’s quick and intuitive.

18. Twitter - Although the way I use twitter is more as a web service, (I use the twhirl twitter client), Twitter can use your friends to help you find interesting and creative articles to check out. You can quickly ask your friends if anyone has an idea for XYZ, and odds are someone can point you in the right direction. Also, your friends will most likely link to content that you’ll find interesting as well.

19. Smashing Magazine - A site that shares useful and interesting bits for web developers and designers. It likes to showcase the trendy and useful, which can stimulate creative ideas for any reader.

Read Svetlana FULL  blog

Today I realized that I have not claimed my authorship of this blog on Technorati yet. And since usually Technorati is the first tool the majority of bloggers use to make their blogs noticed by other bloggers, I have decided to correct this by claiming this Profy blog.

Obviously, I already have an account on Technorati that owns our multi-author Profy blog (I will appreciate you adding this blog to your favorites, of course, if you like reading our posts). If you do not have an account yet, you will have to register first.

READ MORE on Svetlana blog

 

source

READ Svetlana blog

Technorati Profile 

source

 http://howtosplitanatom.com/interview/lessons-from-entrepreneurs-svetlana-gladkova/
By Steve Spalding March 18th, 2008
Under: interview

Svetlana Gladkova is a part of the team behind the blogging platform Profy. What’s especially interesting about this company is that it’s based out of Siberia. Svetlana was kind enough to share some insights about development, networking and reaching international markets.

Here is what she had to say.

First of all, I need to point out that we only launched Profy blogging platform in private alpha back in January so this is a very early stage project – thus the early-stage lessons I can share with your audience. So my tips are focused on the development and launch stages of the web project.

Development is your focus until your product is perfect

As a marketing person I used to think that success of any project depends mainly on marketing, publicity, and public relations. Now I know that no PR can actually make any project a success. Now I know that when you prepare to launch a web product, almost everything depends on the development process and this is what any web entrepreneur should focus on. You can believe your over-optimistic team and expect the development to be completed in 6 months (and have the development budget for this period as well) and you can easily end up with over a year in development.

Such situations can easily crash even the best of ideas so it is extremely important to have a good architect to plan the development process and set deadlines. And even if you are 100% sure in how your team will perform and know that your product will not have any single bug, it is still wise to add a couple of months to your plan to be absolutely sure you have at least some time allowance to have the product ready.

You are the leader, your enthusiasm is crucial

READ FULL interview

A new study has found Bloggers are better adjusted and live healthier, happier social lives.

The research, from Swinburne University of Technology found that “people felt they had better social support and friendship networks than those who did not blog” after a two month blogging period when compared to people who do not blog.

The good news also extends to users of social networking sites, with the study finding than any online interaction makes users “feel less anxious, depressed and stressed.”

It’s not all good news however, as the study found that some “potential bloggers” start from a less socially integrated position. Professor Susan Moore told the ABC:

“We found potential bloggers were less satisfied with their friendships and they felt less socially integrated, they didn’t feel as much part of a community as the people who weren’t interested in blogging,” Ms Moore said.

“They were also more likely to use venting or expressing your emotions as a way of coping.”

“It was as if they were saying ‘I’m going to do this blogging and it’s going to help me.”

 

I have found an intersting blog about creativity and productivity

Thank you for stopping by my blog! My name is Andrea Flowers and I am the owner of Advanced Productivity Concepts (http://www.advanced-productivity.com). With a BA in English/Journalism, I began my career as a technical writer writing user manuals and online Help systems for computer software companies. For the past 16 years, I have written for large companies, small businesses, start-ups, and entrepreneurs alike. More recently, I have transitioned into the role of virtual organizing and productivity coach.

So how did I become a virtual organizing coach? Good question… Looking to explore different options in my career path, I spent many months searching for a new path. I had also just had a new baby and was searching for an opportunity that would afford me the luxury of staying home with her. One day, I was surfing the Internet and came across the NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers) Web site and a light bulb went off in my head. I realized that all the skills I learned and practiced as a technical writer were 100% transferable to the professional organizing arena and that my passion for organizing information could be used to help people organize their workspaces and increase productivity. After all, I had been organizing information for 16 years…why not organize workspaces and filing systems?

As a virtual organizing and productivity coach, I work with small businesses and entrepreneurs to help them reach their productivity objectives. My main goal is to help people declutter their workplaces and set up efficient filing, time, and paper management systems. I pride myself in using innovative techniques and tools designed to empower them with the
knowledge they need to spend more time building their businesses and making more money. My versatile background and style allows me to think outside of the box, without sacrificing quality or integrity.

In this blog, I will be giving you lots of information about how to become more productive so you can live your life the way you want to live it.

 

 
I have found a very intersting tool to evaluate your blog
Blogpulse
http://www.blogpulse.com/index.html

I have tried to evaluate my blog
zigmasb.wordpress.com 
using
BlogPulse ProfilesBeta

But I could NOT evaluate zigmasb.profy.com
I propose to test your other profy blogs.

Blogpulse enables:

• Trend search
• Featured trends
• Conversation tracker
• Blogpulse profiles

Trend search - more detail info
Trend Results

BlogPulse Trend Search allows you to create graphs that visually track "buzz" over time for certain key words, phrases or links. Compare search terms/links in isolation, or use all three fields to compare search terms/links against others.

Type your search terms in the boxes on the left. Type descriptive labels for each search into the boxes on the right. Then choose your time frame: 1, 2, 3 or 6 months.

 When you are interested in some topic, e.g. blog
I propose to start searching  in www.searchslide.net

A few of the interesting presentations are

The 25 Basic Styles of Blogging ... And When To Use Each One

http://www.slideshare.net/yizmo/10-ways-to-a-killer-blog/

http://www.slideshare.net/mjamesno/blog-basics-how-to-build-a-blog/

 

What Is The Blogosphere?

Comments:
By Steve Spalding January 28th, 2008
Under: Questions

A colloquial term for the group of authors that write, edit and publish blogs.

The idea that blogs and their authors form an ecosystem around which conversations occur.

Where rationality and measured discussions go to die.

See also: Bedlam

Other Definitions

Wikipedia,

Blogosphere is a collective term encompassing all blogs and their interconnections. It is the perception that blogs exist together as a connected community (or as a collection of connected communities) or as a social network.

Dictionary.com,

a collective term for the world of weblogs, the community of all weblogs; also called blogsphere.

Citations

The Blogosphere Time Vortex,

“The blogosphere tends to look at itself from within a time vortex. It’s a world where this month’s ‘A-list’ blogger de jour is perceived as having they staying power of legends like Dan Rather. Since so many people enter and exit the conversation each day, we have a hard time remembering that the ’sphere looked quite different only a few years back.”

How To Save Blogging From Itself,

“This is an open letter to the blogosphere. I have decided to use this time to take a look at how blogging could fail, and what we can do to prevent it.”

Why Tech Media Cannot Go Mainstream,

“Tech journalists are constantly asking when we will hit the mainstream. They wonder how long it will be before the culture of blogosphere spills over into the real world. Many subscribe to the Utopian belief that the day when blogging supersedes mainstream media is upon us.”

(Image) (RSS)