Bebo WidgetsCreating widgets are the new Bebo craze. When researching the popularity of widgets I came across this interesting article from http://mashable.com/2006/12/14/bebo-widgets/:
Bebo Launches Bebo Widgets - 100,000 Widgets Created in 12 HoursDecember 14, 2006 — 11:15 PM PST — by Pete Cashmore — Share This
Widget developers should be deeply interested in Bebo’s latest move. They’ve just launched Bebo Widgets, and they’re reporting 100,000 widgets created by users in the first 12 hours. What’s Bebo Widgets? In case you can’t guess, it’s a service that finally allows some selected developers to gain access to those valuable Bebo profiles.
For now, they’re supporting RockYou, Photobucket and Slide.com, with RockYou offering the most advanced options. Users have a special section in their profiles where these widgets are embedded, and multiple widgets can be added. The move explains why I spotted a Bebo logo appearing on RockYou on Sunday. Users can add the widgets to their profiles by typing their Bebo username and password on the partner site (this uses Bebo’s new widget API), or by returning to Bebo and pasting the code. They also have a viral element: if you see a widget on another profile that you want to post on your own - maybe a slideshow of a party all your friends attended - you can add it to your profile with two clicks.
However, users can only insert code from the three selected sites. Just like Bebo’s video section, which only allows video from YouTube and VideoEgg, they’ve locked down the service and prevented a huge developer community from establishing itself. If Bebo was to open up in this way, it would provide one of the biggest platforms for external development, meaning that a block by MySpace wouldn’t be the end of the world for sites like VideoCodeZone. I sincerely hope they’ll consider it.
To create a Bebo widget, all you need to do (when you are in your personal profile page) is click on the link 'create a widget'. This link sends you to a page where you choose exactly what you want by following the simple instructions. Through widgets you can create image slideshows, signs and fun photos.
Bebo Music/Bands:
The music links on Bebo are increasing in popularity. By clicking on the 'music' tab at the top of your profile page, you are able to search for your favourite bands, create fan groups and playlist charts. The following explanation of this music epidemic is discussed on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bebo
On 11 July 2006, "Bebo Bands" was launched. On this section of the site, bands or solo artists are able to create a profile showcasing their music. Along with undiscovered talents, it has a section called "New Music Only on Bebo" linking to established artist pages including Paris Hilton, Matt Willis, Orson, Coldplay, Kylie Minogue, The Kooks, Lily Allen, U2 and others.
The band pages include a band member list which is similar to the friends list on a normal profile, a list of "fans" (fans who have added the band as though it were a friend), an area for tour dates, a blog, and a list of songs which have been uploaded for playing through Bebo's media player, or to be added to other user's playlists. These songs can be grouped by the band into albums, along with cover-art. All band members can edit the content of the band profile.
Although the Bebo Band section is intended for use by musical groups, the facility is also used by many to form clubs or societies, or as unofficial fan pages for established bands.
Both widgets and music on bebo continue to transform and adapt over time.
