For the past few weeks I’ve been using a widget to enable readers to rank my postings. The company that created it, MajikWidgets, is now open for business. So far, there are three widgets:
- Ranking
- Polling
- Opening a new page from a link
An example of a ranking is at the end of this posting. Here’s a poll:
The company uses a novel “credit system” involving paying a credit for each instance of a widget’s use. You get a bunch for free to try stuff, but eventually you have to buy credits.
We also came up with the concept of “linkware.” This enables a blogger to add a link to the blog of the person who thought of the widget. So, for example, if you use the ranking widget (which I requested from the company) and like my blog and want to help me with a link, you just check a box prior to the generation of your the MajikWidget code. Shareware, freeware, now there’s linkware!
By the way, if you want to ensure that your link is counted, please ping Technorati here.
Here’s an early review of what MajikWidget is doing.
Please check it out. I love what they’re doing…cool stuff from cool guys!
Nice widgets, but terrible math. P.S. Your blog is great!
What best describes how you feel about Guy’s use of the word “shiitake?”
17% It is silly and childish–beneath him.
33% I don’t give a shiitake either way.
17% It’s a somewhat clever way to avoid profanity.
0% I haven’t even noticed him using the term.
6 people have voted in this poll.
powered by MajikWidget
Visit Guy’s Blog
Off-site scripting? I use Firefox with the NoScript extension- your page now has scripts from:
www.zoomclouds.com
www.statcounter.com
www.simplyhired.com
www.mikejsolutions.com
www.majkwidget.com
www.caboodle.com
www.google-analytics.com
s23.sitemeter.com
rpc.blogrolling.com
proxy.blogads.com
linklog.blogflux.com
blog.guykawsaki.com
This is too much, potentially unsafe, and is driving me away due to lack of trust. It also shows lack of care for the reader. I can (and do) simply not run these scripts, but what about the average viewer?
***************************
Can’t you just use an RSS feed or email? I love these widgets and stuff. I doubt I’ll be reducing them in the near future. My goal is to have the richest siderail in the blogosphere. :-)
Guy
Two comments:
My five-year old son says “holy shiitake mushrooms” but he often forgets the second and third syllables in shiitake. He got that from Spy Kids.
Further, I imagine you might get a few “extra” credits for making this blog post. Now I’ll go blog about this post and probably lose a reader. ;)
Great blog you have here, Guy! Thanks!
We have made corrections in the math for the poll. Since our product was just public beta today we have been tweaking some things. Unfortunately we tweaked when we should have ducked. Our polling widget allows up to 5 possible selections. Our math was based on having 5 for some reason. Probably a lie of an engineer as Guy would say.
In either case. All is well now. Thanks for all your support Guy and your readership as well.
As you probably know, the poll doesn’t render in the Safari feed view. This is unfortunate because it means that fewer folks will see it (only those who bother to follow the link directly to your page).
Interesting poll, and interesting results :P
Right now it’s an even spread for the most part hanging towards the ‘I don’t care/mildly clever’ orientation.
One commenter complained about the offsite scripts and I would like to second that. Also: if your sidebar is longer than most of your blog posts you might want to weed out the lesser stuff here and there.
I don’t see how MajikWidget will sell but then I personally don’t like credit-based systems. All in all my rating is ‘meh’. I don’t know about ranking systems but polling scripts are a dime a dozen (by which I mean free) no matter how nicely shaded the stat bars are.
And “Opening a new page from a link”…am I missing something or are you describing one of the basic interaction of the web?
It sounds like something that might thrive for a while IF enough people buy into it/develop scripts but will that happen?
no firefox support?? The poll doesn’t show up
Great blog Guy –
What’s up with 22.5% of people not noticing you using the word shittake? I found your blog the other day for the first time and five minutes later I was on the ground laughing my a** off (that’s how I avoid using swear words).
As great is all the info is, I get almost as much enjoyment out of seeing how you find a way to sneak the word shittake into every post.
Keep up the good work!
The price is outrageous, both the model and the dollar amount. These guys should visit FeedBurner offices to learn about pricing strategies for blogging tools.
Right now, it seems no clue.
Got to chime in on the scripts — I’ve never seen as many different scripts pop up in Firefox’s NoScript menu. There’s a reason why we block scripts, lad. Seeing no less than 12 separate sources of scripts on the same page makes a fella really edgy.
Shiitake and chutzpah are two of my favorite words. But I also hate the word evangelize because of you. Keep polarizing the vocab Kawasaki.
5 reasons Why GuyKawasaki- blog’s rank not exceeding 30
1. Guy talks lot about himself.
2. This blog is less informative.
3. This page looks like a blog on lie “shit”.
4. Guy forgot that this blog is read by people other than his “fans” and “entrepreneurs”.
5. This blog has too much of rating damn stuff.
So Mr.Guy please do some introspection and come out with some good stuff.
Ah, so that’s what the annoying thing is that keeps popping up a browser window when I read your RSS feed.
Suggestion: remove it from your RSS feed and just use a link to “Rate this post” instead. It gets quite annoying.
Hi Guy,
I get the impression you are getting focaccia nervous about my amazing progress at technorati. I am almost going to break the 100,000 rank. Not bad for a no fame blogger huh? In less than a month. For the most part I have avoided asking for “mercy links”…although I guest hosted someone elses blog for a week and did plug a request for mercy links. I understand you don’t care what people think about yourdesire for top technorati ten rank…just as long as they link you! So I got inspired to not be self conscious too. The portrait I have been working on of you is coming along and almost finished. It’s focaccia beautiful. A delicate treatment of you ina watercolour technique then all kinds of wild imagery and symbolism…including a totem of myself made out of bright green and wolf images. There are clouds and bikinis and wires and widgets in the portrait. Like I said, it’s focaccia awesome!
I enjoy your blog, as you already know, and have learned a lot about some things I didn’t even know I might be interested in. We work in different feilds with some and many different interests but it has been of value for me to stretch my exposures and see a different side of life. You are evangelist, I am gnostic. From one warrior to another,
solemn bow,
Cheers,
Candy
http://gnosticminx.blogspot.com/
I WILL BEAT YOU!!!!!! :)
Guy – I completely enjoy your blog. I love that you’re right out there with your goal – in fact, it makes me feel like I’m helping you accomplish it when I check back to see how you’re doing or tell others about your blog. Your blog is entertaining, enlightening, and interesting. I don’t care how many widgets you use (honestly I always like to peek and see if there is something I should “borrow”). Keep going guy! Top ten or bust!
Some comments:
* this widget does not display in bloglines….
* what is the exact relation between you and magickwidget? I am a frequent reader of this blog, but it’s the first time I see a so obvious promotion of a company?
* magickwidget itself: you have no clue on whatwidget they have on their web site. I guess you need to sign, but they probably need some help on describing their product….
**********************
Thomas,
I don’t know what the deal is with one these things display in feeds. That’s over my head. Frankly, my goal is to create such interesting postings (including graphics and widgets) that people feel compelled to actually viist the blog. :-)
As for my relationship with MajikWidgets, here’s the story. A few months ago I asked for help with getting a daily, resettable page counter. Three people immediately volunteered to create one. A guy in Poland, Kuba Choinski, did it first. I guess he got the jump on the people in earlier timezones. :-) Mike Johnston of MajikWidgets also volunteered.
Fast forward a few months, I wanted something that people could use to rank my postings with a star system. Couldn’t find it anywhere, so I asked Mike…and the rest is history. Then I came up with the idea of “linkware,” by the way as another way to tweak the A listers.
I have no equity relationship, no percentage, no nothing…although I asked him to buy me a car if he makes millions with MajikWidget. :-) The company simply delivers very useful stuff! You can see the companies that I do have a financial relationship with in the siderail item called “Alignment of Interest”–vis-a-vis “Conflict of Interest,” get it?
As for MajikWdigets being one of the few companies getting blatantly promoted, well, you haven’t been reading my blog carefully or long. :-)
Thanks,
Guy
Guy,
Big Fan of your blog’s. I don’t know where you find the time for your blog, but trust me – we’re all the better for it.
Quick comment: “The Evangelism, Sales, Marketing and PR” category has a dead link. Here’s what I get:http://blog.guykawasaki.com/evangelism_marketing_sales_and_pr/index.html
Also, not getting my morning fix of your blog postings is giving me withdrawal symptoms of reading less interesting blogs. Keep posting more, live longer and kick more butt!
-Mario Sundar
******************
Mario,
Thanks! You’re very kind. I’ll check the link. I’m on vacation in Hawaii, so I haven’t posted for a few days. I’ll fix that!
Thanks,
Guy
I forgot to say yesterday that y’all can see the painting I have been working on to intimidate my opponent Guy Kawasaki and bring positive energy and competitve spirit to our blogging worlds in a fun way. I have documented the progress from drawing Guy off a computer image to now when as it is almost finished.
:)
Candy
You need another option in the poll…
“The first time (or two/three) you saw it… it was funny… but now it’s getting old.”
Shiitake
Sh**
A**
F***
It’s all the same… and as far as a subject to discuss… about as worthless as criticizing another site’s redesign.
I want to second Thomas’ early comment about the majikwidget site, which is sorely lacking in demos of what is offered.
I see that the “widgetmaster” is responding also here. Is this the “Mike” that guy refers to?
I suspect you’d get a lot more interest in things if you gave more clarification on the site of what you’re offering. For now, if it weren’t for Guy’s enthusiastic support here and on the site, I (and I suspect others) would seriously find it all very suspicious. I hope you’ll take that feedback to heart.
With Guy capable of creating a powerful traffic flow, and naming it something critical for bloggers to consider, you would do well to address this ASAP. Just trying to help.
Great feedback everyone. We are working hard to address the “what’s under the hood” issue. We are in the process of updating the GUI and getting all that in place. Quite frankly we expected a lot of traffic but no where near what we received. That turned our focus into making sure things operated smoothly.
We posted a new entry in the blog this morning with a “sneak peek” of the new UI and it will include an FAQ section and listing/images of all widgets (pre-signup).
http://www.majikwidget.com/about
Thanks for the feedback.