Viral Video of the Week

I couldn't pick just one. Both of these have circled online recently and both are hilarious.

Analysis of a Facebook Event

The NY Times has an interesting article on throwing a Facebook party and who you can expect to show up. The reporters analysis lines up with what I have noticed about Facebook events.

When invited to a Facebook event, you have three options:

1. Definitely attending
2. Maybe attending
3. Not attending

Translation of these responses:

Definitely attending: You can probably expect them to show up. They are interested, but something else could come up. Definitely translates into likely.

Maybe attending: They probably aren't coming, but don't have the heart to click 'Not Attending.' Your party might be one of many choices for them. Maybe they are seeing who else is attending to convince them one way or another.

Not attending: This is pretty straightforward. They proactively let you know they aren't coming. They are either too far away to attend or they really want you to know they have no interest in an event that you worked so hard to plan.

Web 2.0 Comes Out Into The Real World

A trend is starting in web 2.0: people are coming out into the daylight!

Online-only performance troupe Second Front is doing a performance in front of an audience! (It's streaming online too, of course.)

LOLCats is having a real-live auction! Funds go to help reading efforts, which will of course be undercut by LOLCats own cat-language blog.

What next, an impromptu Axiom bloggers forum in Bloomington? Who knows?

Russia to Internet: No Free Speech For You!

Why hasn't Google taken over Russia yet? Apparently before Google can acquire "Begun", the Russian advertising internet start-up, they have to release a list of their employees to Russia's anti-trust authority. Basically, they have to make sure that there are no liberals or Jews on the board.

This can be a reminder to all of us Americans that we're really fortunate to live in a place where free speech and free market economics are happening. Even in a downturn, I'd rather be on this side of things! (Valleywag)

Not Another Web 2.0 Forum: BroBible

Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace are being copy-catted by smaller forums for specific groups. We wrote earlier about the Christian twitter, there's also twitter moms and now BroBible. BroBible is a webspace for bros to post videos, share thoughts, stories and advice.

I signed up with a fake name and checked it out; while it's definitely not my scene (don't go in if you're a girl, seriously!) I can see how it would be a good place if you want to hear crazy stories about getting trashed or whatever these guys do. There's also a lot of info on politics and economics, if that's of interest.

Tucker Max has some competition on his hands!