SEAN TINER

...Are you Linkedin ? ...Enjoy spending time on Facebook ? How about Myspace ? Okurt ? Hi5 ? Bebo ? Youtube ? Pandora ? Flickr ? Vox ? Imeem ? Deviant Art ? Friendster ? Yelp ? Friendster ? Twitter ? ....The list goes on and on. Simply put, the Internet has several popular social networks. It is difficult to properly micromanage and efficiently spend time on the various popular Web 2.0 sites. As society continues to move forward, the future of Web 2.0 sites is in social network aggregators. Network aggregators collect content and information from multiple social network services and consolidate the information into a single location. In layman's terms, network aggregators post updates from sites like Facebook , Youtube , and Hi5 into one single profile. They make it less intimating to join multiple sites and connect with friends. ...Network aggregators are similar to traditional search engines, like Google and Yahoo. Two popular social networking examples are: Friendfeed and Sp...

...Want to open up a little more? ...Jump on the Web 2.0 bandwagon? ...Be famous for 15 minutes (or at least seconds) ? It's amazing how easy it is to start a blog and share thoughts, insights and opinions. According to Technorati there are over 112 million blogs and 175,000 are created each day. Although the numbers are impressive, I still believe that the 80/20 rule applies to a majority of these blogs. ...Where the top 20% of blogs receive 80% of the traffic. It is even more lopsided at the top. For example, Perez Hilton , Forbes' #1 Internet celebrity , received over 1.4 million visitors in May 2008 (according to compete.com ) . Whereas, Seth Godin , #4 on Forbes' list , received 25,000 visitors in May 2008 (according to compete.com ) . It seems that as we move beyond Web 2.0 the need to personally connect applies more and more to the blogging world. Micro-blogging (think short blog entries) allows users to write brief text entries (usually less then 200 characters)...

( kkindc.blogspot.com's opinion of "Faces"). Yesterday, I discovered KK's opinion of my original "Faces" Series. In her words, "I saw the photo- which he created through a digital process, and thought it was really cool. I learned more by checking out his blog and then his website. I am really impressed by his artistry as well as his reasoning for doing the series." I agree that a minority of the people were a little confused about the series at first, because I purposely selected some people that I did not know to well. I wanted to reflect upon how anyone can access information that is posted online. From old girlfriend's parents to company recruiters, you never really "know" who is viewing your social profile in this Web 2.0 era. Additionally, I desired to connect faces digitally as a reflection for the serendipity of social networks. Overall, my Faces series continues to be successful and I receive daily requests for perso...

"If you do build a great experience, customers tell each other about that. Word of mouth is very powerful." -Jeff Bezos, Founder and CEO Amazon.com. Web 2.0 has poured the foundation to create a sustainable, loyal customer base. On a micro-level, I have spent part of this year connecting the dots of Web 2.0. Using existing social networks and posting diverse, aesthetically pleasing content, I have created a diverse web that accelerates traffic to my blog and portfolio website. (Diagram (C) Tiner.) On a macro-level, the same strategy can be applied for any member of the creative economy (artists, fashion designers & musicians) and other businesses that desire to create traffic for their website. It is important to remember that anyone can join these social networks, the key is to differentiate your company or brand in a positive aspect to "build a great experience, (that) customers tell each other about" (Bezos).

…Imagine sharing your song, book or artwork with one hundred thousand people at the click of a button. The Internet has transformed the landscape of contemporary communication. Musicians, artists, authors and brands are creating awareness and knowledge for their companies through social networks and Web 2.0 mediums. A company’s ability to successfully harness the power of the Internet will determine the most successful and innovative brands of the twenty-first century. Generation-Y, the 80 million people born between 1979 and 1999, are self-involved in issues and products that relate directly to their lives (McLean 2008). The ability to connect with Generation-Y on a one-on-one level is a dramatic strength for businesses. According to Anna Ivey, an independent consultant and author of The Ivy Files , a popular blog about Generation –Y, 'businesses that crack Gen-Y are going to have a real advantage' (McLean). Generation-Y is constantly demanding to be electronically stimul...

The concept of the series is to connect siblings in a digital environment. Facebook allows us to maintain our relationships with our friends, acquaintances and also our brothers and sisters. Although we may live thousands of miles apart, Facebook and other social networks allow us to connect on a direct platform. All of the siblings in the series have impacted my life over the years and I’m glad to creatively connect them. To see the entire series, please click here.