Biz Stone and Evan Williams have just launched two new social networking sites Medium and Branch that look, on the surface, like they have great potential. It’s hard not to get all excited about anything that comes from the minds of these two; after all they did come up with the staggeringly successful Twitter and Blogger.
So what is Medium? This looks like a glossy online photography magazine complete with witty remarks and glorious lighting and captured moments. The site is still invite-only so don’t expect to be on board any time soon, unless you’re one of the lucky ones, but you can log in with your Twitter details to vote on images and view collections with impunity.
If you spend some time reading the About page for Medium, you’ll see that the idea is to create a publishing platform that’s about quality and takes the pressure off your own creativity by allowing you to build something you love, without having to develop an audience or fans. You can publish stories, photographs, random images, scanned sketches. The choice is yours.
I’m really excited about what Medium represents and I think that this is one platform that’s going to work beautifully with the ASUS Pad Transformer. Think about it, a gorgeous photograph-driven collection that drips clarity on the Infinity and, thanks to the built-in camera, you can add snaps as you travel, commute, or lie around on holiday. The keyboard dock allows you to type your ideas into a story-led collection that captures special moments in your life. Your life stories, perhaps, like this collection from Evan Williams himself.
Branch takes the twitterverse in a different direction. Here you can invite others to join you in elite conversations that can remain private or public and that can spark debate, discussion or perhaps where you’d all like to meet for a pint. You sign into Branch with your Twitter account and use it to create conversations with specific people about specific topics. You can join Branch by clicking on the Subscribe Now button and waiting on an invite, or by clicking on the Ask to join button on an interesting conversation.
Take a look at these, they have piqued my interest, and see what you think. Answers in the comment bar below…
Mrs Mario
Mrs.Mario is a freelance journalist who loves to write about anything and everything. She accidentally fell into the cauldron of technology about eight years ago and has been slowly simmering in there ever since. She’s a geek but still has tons to learn about the wonderful world of technology. She also suffers from a rare disease known as “need to game” that demands it’s sufferers play at least one videogame a week. So far, she’s been coping with her ailment admirably.