Music and Social Networking

Wallop is attempting at combining music sharing and social networking. This got me interested. Can you tell a lot about a person based on the music they are listening to? Can music be a good icebreaker in starting a relationship. If you would like to share your musical selections and network with people be sure to check out Wallop. I have a couple invitations for those interested.

My friends have provided me with a few music sharing links. Some are simple playlists, others
allow you to create your own playlists based on others choices.

• http://www.indie911.com - A good place to find indie artists and check out some of their tracks. Be sure to check out Joshua Cross


• http://www.jamendo.com/us/ - Find a playlist and have a listen, if you like a track add it to your playlist.


• http://www.dimvision.com/musicmap/ - Find an artist or album and find other things you may like to listen to


• http://www.webjay.org/ -
  
• http://www.songbirdnest.com/
  
• http://www.merchboss.com/home
  
• http://www.myvideokaraoke.com/ - For those into karaoke
  
• http://radioblogclub.com
  
• http://shoutcast.com

Please send on any links you would like added here to chrisw_88@hotmail.com and I will check them out and possibly add them.

Youth Information Resources

It is very easy to find resources for kids and adults to find accurate information about
virtually anything but its a lot harder to find these types of websites that cater specifically
to teens. Below are a list of resources I have found that do this.

• Lamplight


• Santa Clarita Valley Youth Project

Please pass on this information to any teenagers you know and by all means if you have
a link that would be good to place here email it to me at chrisw_88@hotmail.com

BlogTV - The next genereration of social media

I have been hearing the hype about BlogTV for many months now. But as the British say in the famous Tea commercial "Only in Canada, Pity". For you Americans on my list you will have to wait.

But for those Canadians wanting to check it out you can go to http://www.blogtv.ca for details. It is in beta so possibly you will see some hiccups but from what I have seen they are minor. So get out your webcam or video phone and have fun.

I figure by the new year you will be hearing as much about blogtv as you do now about podcasting possibly even more. Its going to be everywhere. I thought I would take this opportunity to share this with my network while its in the early phases.

If you would like to connect with someone over at BlogTV you may contact the Community Development Manager at moddy.blaze@blogtv.ca

You can check out Mr Mugatu, my 30lb cat with a 21 inch waist in his blogtv debut at:

http://www.blogtv.ca/ShowVodsListPage.asp?VodId=b2ZrZeXG&page=hp&list=PV&param=0&s=1&pos=ancr

This clip is really funny. Its all about technology and how we love it LOL.

http://www.blogtv.ca/ShowVodsListPage.asp?VodId=ZmPrZeVG&page=hp&list=PV&param=0&s=1&pos=ancr
This should give you a couple starting points. There is a lot of good content here. This posting will hopefully turn into a top 10 list of the top blogtv.ca links.

I have 10 wallop invitations with most of you know are hard to come by. The first 5 people to email me with a link to their entry on blogtv.ca will get an invitation to join my network on wallop. Both websites are leading edge technology, both are in beta and both are going to be huge next year. I look forward to connecting with you on wallop and voting for your entries on blogtv.

If there is a blogtv link you really find funny be sure to vote for it and maybe it will appear here. Also, be sure to email me them to me as well at chrisw_88@hotmail.com

Churches, The Bible and Social Networking

A lot of churches are realizeing they need to reach out to the community.
Also a lot of people are realizing they need to fill the spiritual void but are not
comfortable in the church environment.

I came across this link to a United Church in Toronto I pass on a daily basis.
Check out their online website, it has blogging, video, polls and much more.

The link is http://wondercafe.ca/

One thing great about the church I go to (The Sanctuary is that the sermons are about issues we are interested in. When Davinci Code the movie came out we discussed it on 3 sundays and during the week the pastoral team went with some of the congregation to the movie.

I came across an article that lead me to this church, Southwood Lutheran and they realized that their youth congregation was watching Greys Anatomy and that the show brought up some good questions. They did a series of sermons on it. Kudos to them. It is in hopes more churches will do this possibly with other shows, music kids listen to etc. God finds relevant teaching in the oddest places you just have to look closely.

Hopefully this trend will continue on these sites and at other churches.
Someone sent along a link to a site that has a list of great church websites you can check it out at: http://www.greatchurchwebsites.org/

But its not just about church sites though, people are creating their own sites, blogs etc in order to reach out and network to find the answers they need. One example that just started but I am sure will be a big hit is http://www.BlogTheBible.com This site just started but from connecting with the creator of this site I know its going to be a much talked about site in 2007

Even television is getting revolutionary with new religious comedys like Little Mosque on the Prarie. I know I am going to be watching it tonight. Be sure to click on the Watch Clip tab for a good laugh.

Thanks to those who have sent me links. I am going to start posting these at http://www.funkylist.com but here is a ist of some of the one I have been sent:

Community Mobilization: Social Network Analysis in the Bible
http://como.typepad.com/community_mobilization/2007/01/social_network_.html

Social Network and Bible Names
http://pagitt.typepad.com/pagittblog/2007/01/social_network__1.html

Social Networks in the Bible
http://www.chrislott.org/2007/01/29/social-networks-in-the-bible/

eBible Launches - Social Network for Bible Study
http://mashable.com/2006/09/11/ebible-launches-social-network-for-bible-study/

If you have a link to a really cool church website or a list of them email me at chrisw_88@hotmail.com and I will post it here.

Introduction To Wallop

A lot of people are hearing the hype about a new Social Networking website called Wallop. There is a lot of rumors
flying around that this was a Microsoft initiative but they dropped it and others continued the project.

The truth is that Microsoft has an equity stake in Wallop but they are an independant company. I am impressed so far with what I have seen of the beta version. I love the contact grouping functionality in fact I have been bugging LinkedIn for this for a couple years now. The network view is also quite revolutionary as I can visualize which contacts are in my realm and see a thumbnail picture of people so I can more quickly find the person I am looking for. I love that you can share music and pictures with others but also limit them to the groups you create as well.

Firstly, to get invited you need to either find someone else who has an invitation or go to www.wallop.com and on the home page is a place to request an invitation. I got mine through the latter.

The first thing to do once registered is to upload your picture to your profile. Right now this process is not fully intuitive so you may have to play with your uploaded picture a little to get it as your profile picture. Once this is done you will get 5 invitations to send.

For those trying to compare this experience to another Social Network, I would tend to compare it more to MySpace than LinkedIn but I feel that comparing this to MySpace is not a real fair comparison as I think Wallop is going places MySpace is only dreaming of.

They even have an API to allow others to customize their experience and create mods to share with others.
I have only just downloaded the API, but I am hoping to create my own mods soon.

Over the next couple months I am hoping more of you will get connected to Wallop and send me a link to your favorite mods along with other tips and tricks on how to use wallop.

As more invitations become available to me I will try and share them with the group.

Happy Neworking.

Recruiters and Sourcers Links

Recruiters and Sourcers have a great need to network. If you have a link that would be useful for these groups of networkers that you would like to recommend, please let me know at chrisw_88@hotmail.com

The following are links to help recruiters and sourcers create and develop your network:

FEATURED LINKS:

• My Good Friend Shally Steckerl has done a lot of research on shortcuts to help recruiters network better. You can access some of his cheatsheets at: Recruiter Cheatsheets

RECOMMENDED LINKS

• Recruiters and Sourcers (Yahoo Group)


• Sourcers Unleashed (Yahoo Group)
  

Networking Trainers, Gurus and Coaches

Networking has been around for a long time and people are at different levels in the learning process. Some are just beginning, some just need a few tips, others have been doing it for a while and need a fresh look, while others have been doing it for many years and have lots to share.

This is where trainers, gurus and coaches come in. They can help mentor and train up other networkers or simply create a spark or introduce something new to other seasoned networkers. Below I have listed some people with this gift. This is by no means a complete list.

If you know a trainer, guru or coach you would like to recommend, that would help people learn to network please let me know at chrisw_88@hotmail.com

The following are people I personally get my training and spark from:

FEATURED PEOPLE:

• Mark Freeman has a strong networking presense in Dallas Texas and a passion for networking. You can check out is Wiki at MyLinkWiki. The DallasBlue Business Network is a powerful network containing the best of the best in Texas. You can check out the
  DallasBlue Executive LinkedIn Group to connect with Mark and others power networkers from Texas
  
  
• Vincent Wright has a passion for everything he does personally and professionally. From first meeting him on MyLinkedInPowerForum I was in awe of his passion for helping others, to paying it forward, to building people up.
  
  This is why I recommend strongly that you check out MyLinkedInPowerForum along with LinkedIn Venture Capital and even more strongly that you connect with him. Your life will never be the same.
  
• Dan Williams is a networking guru, he travels the world helping people network better. Please check out his The Networking Community
  


• Ray Van den Bel coachs people in communication styles,
  profiling and networking using web 2.0 tools. He just wrote a new 2-day
  course. It is about communication styles which lead to effective
  profiling and networking on the net. I highly recommend checking out his blog at http://newnetworking.blogspot.com/
  
  For more information please contact Ray at vandenbel@gmail.com
  
• John MacKinnon trains professionals in sales and business development roles to improve their selling and client relationship management skills. Please check out his website for more details at http://www.mackinnongroup.ca/splash.asp
  

Networking Tools

Building a network can take a long time, that is why it is important to optimize it where you can through the use of various tools. Some tools will be as simple as Postal Code/Zip Code lookup tools, while others such as Personal Brain are meant to help you keep track of your thoughts.

If you have tool you would like to recommend, that would help people network more efficiently, please let me know at chrisw_88@hotmail.com

The following are tools to help your create and develop your network more efficiently:

FEATURED TOOLS:

• Social Networking Resource List - This is a list of social networking resources on FunkyList.com. Check it out and create your own lists for whatever topic interests you.


• Web 2.0 Directory - This site was recommended to me by a colleague and its awesome.


• Social Network Lexicon - This site has definitions for various terms related to Social Networking

RECOMMENDED TOOLS:

Name Generation Tools

• hrca website

Online Lookup Tools

• Zip Code and Area Code Lookups


• US Map With World Time Zones


• Country Code Lookup
  

Blogging Tools

• blogger.com


• feedblitz
  

Search Engines

• Multi Domain Google Search


• IceRocket Search Tool



Event Planner Tools



• eVite - Online Event Inviter Tool



Social Networking Efficiency Tools




• LinkedIn Lion Tools
  These are tools specifically for LinkedIn Lions. To become a LinkedIn Lion go to LinkedIn Lions

Network Organization/Analysis Tools



• http://www.mindjet.com/us/


• http://www.orgnet.com/inflow3.html


• http://www.huminity.com/


• http://www.thebrain.com

LinkedIn Specific Tools

• LinkedIn Contact Manager (Bottom Right Corner of the Page)

Website Statistical Tools

• StatCounter - Free Website Statistics Tool

Document Creation/Conversion Tools

• PDF Generation Tool

Insert Tool Here - Now its up to you. Do you have any tools for me to add? If so, email them to me at chrisw_88@hotmail.com and I will add them to this posting. Let's help each other make good use of tools so we can help each other succeed in networking.

Online Networking Websites

Online networking websites, such as LinkedIn, SoFlow and many others can be great sources of meeting new people with similar interests. I recommend joining general purpose social networking sites such as LinkedIn as well as others that meet your specific network needs.

If you have an online networking website you would like to recommend, that would help people learn to network please let me know at

The following are online networking groups to help your create and develop your network:

FEATURED ONLINE NETWORKING WEBSITES:

• Squidoo OneNetworking, - Anita Cohen-Williams has an extensive link of social networking sites, I recommend you check it out.


• Wallop - This site is the new kid on the block but it looks fabulous. Being a .NET Developer, I am very excited about this site. Look for an article to come soon.


• MommyBuzz - This site caters to moms who wish to social network with other moms.


• BakeSpace - This site caters to chefs wanting to social network with other chefs to share recipes and tips. You don't have to be a professional chef to join


• LinkedIn With over 6 million users this site is bound to have people that are from your country or have your interests. If you would like to join my network simply send me request at chrisw_88@hotmail.com. I am open to helping others with their networking needs.


• Open Networkers Collective X Group To join this group you need to first check out the open networkers group.
  
• Social Networking Portal Collecive X Group This group requires an invitation. Simply email me at chrisw_88@hotmail.com and I will invite you.

RECOMMENDED ONLINE NETWORKING WEBSITES:

Coaching Communities

• Coachville Community The world's largest hub for life, business and executive coaches. They provide resources and training for the world's best coaches.

Business Networks

• amodus - Strategic Networking an international community of business leaders, innovators, academics, artists, writers, journalists and politicos.


• Build Your Networks - Jon Williamson's open networking website.


• Circle Of Experts Nitron Advisors' Circle of Experts works to connect senior industry experts with premier professional investors.


• CustomUnity Social Networking Website but also Scalable Platform.


• DealMap - Expose your services and search for others providing a service you need.


• ecademy - Main Site


• Epoch Strategic Ventures


• eWomenNetwork The number one resource for connecting and promoting women and their businesses.


• FastPitch Networking


• go BIG network


• iKarma
  
• Jambo Networks


• InfoWorld IT Exec-Connect The latest to online networking site. This one is a little different than linkedin in that it seems more interactive and is focused specifically on IT.
  To find me on here look for fastcpu88.
  


• Linked In - With over 5 million users, you have a large chance of finding some people you are looking for.


• openbc


• Orkut


• Plaxo - Keep your address book synchronized and accessable


• ryze.com


• SoFlow


• Viaduc - French Language Networking Site


• VShake


• ziggs.com
  

Spiritual Networks

• Churchster


• Missionster

Friends Networks

• Friendster


• EveryonesConnected


• hi5


• imeem - (NEED TO DOWNLOAD) Uses .NET Framework

Insert Online Networking Website Here - Now its up to you. Do you have any online networking groups for me to add? If so, email them to me at chrisw_88@hotmail.com and I will add them to this posting Let's help each other make good use of online networking websites so we can help each other succeed in networking.

Entrepeneurs and Venture Capitalist Links

Entrepeneurs and venture captialists have a great need to network. If you have a link that would be useful for these groups of networkers that you would like to recommend, please let me know at chrisw_88@hotmail.com

The following are links to help entrepeneurs and venture capitalists create and develop your network:

FEATURED LINKS:

Only two out of a hundred new venture business plans written with the objective of raising seed finance succeed in doing so. Yet all investors, from business angels to large-scale investment houses report a shortage of worthwhile projects. The reason for this perceived paradox is that entrepreneurs fail to create a compelling presentation to potential investors. ClearStartup is a special programme, created for people that want to develop a compelling business opportunity into a fundable wealth-creating and sustainable business. It will prepare you to cover the aspects required to prepare a business model and business plan and create a compelling presentation that will get the attention of professional investors. Their objective is to foster your entrepreneurial culture and where possible to contribute to the success of your venture.

RECOMMENDED LINKS

• ClearStartup


• My 1st Business - (Paid site but also free resources)

LinkedIn Groups

LinkedIn Groups can be a good way of expanding your network without having to invite a large number of people directly to your node. If you have a LinkedIn Group you would like to recommend, please let me know at chrisw_88@hotmail.com

The following are LinkedIn Groups to help your create and develop your network:

FEATURED LINKEDIN GROUPS:

Being a Canadian, I have to feature these groups.

• LinkedIn Ontario


• LinkedIn Canada


• Friends Of Quebec
  
• SQL Server Expert

Forbes magazine recently created a cross-promotion with LinkedIn creating
as series of groups on the LinkedIn website. You can access them at:
http://www.linkedin.com/static?key=promo_forbes


RECOMMENDED LINKEDIN GROUPS

Below I have listed a set of LinkedIn Groups I personally belong to. This is by no means a definitive list.

• Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance (CATAAlliance)


• LinkedIn Ontario


• LinkedIn Canada


• MyLinkedin Power Forum


• LinkedIn Chicago


• LinkedIn Contact Manager


• LinkedIn Interims


• Linkedin TNC Direct Connect


• DallasBlue


• Dallas Professionals


• Forbes - New York


• Forbes - San Francisco


• Forbes - Entrepreneurs


• Forbes - Personal Technology


• Forbes - Life


• Antal International


• RFID Tribe LinkedIn Group - You must be a member of the RFID Tribe to join. Check out the RFID Tribe at http://www.rfidtribe.com/


• Insert LinkedIn Group Here - Now its up to you. Do you have a LinkedIn Group for me to add? If so, email them to me at chrisw_88@hotmail.com and I will add them to this posting Let's help each other make good use of LinkedIn Groups so we can help each other succeed in networking.

LinkedIn Links

With the LinkedIn website changing it seems almost daily it is really hard
to find some of your favorite places. Vincent Wright has supplied a link that
you may find quite useful, a
LinkedIn Sitemap

Insert LinkedIn Link Here - Now its up to you. Do you have any useful LinkedIn Links for me to add? If so, email them to me at chrisw_88@hotmail.com and I will add them to this posting. Let's help each other make good use of linkedin so we can help each other succeed in networking.

Online Networking Groups

Online networking groups can be a good source of meeting new people with similar interests. I recommend joining some of the groups such as MyLinkedIn Power Forum (Yahoo Group) to meet others who are starting out in networking. If you have an online networking group you would like to recommend, that would help people learn to network please let me know at

The following are online networking groups to help your create and develop your network:

FEATURED ONLINE NETWORKING GROUPS:

• For those who love recipes, I came across this Online Networking tool that allows
  people to share recipes, get introduced to other chefs. You can check it out at
  bakespace.com
  
• Diana Lindstrom, based in Arvada, Colorado, and I've been involved with LinkedIn for about 2 years. She runs an Online Networking Group for Project Managers who are on LinkedIn. If you are a project manager, I highly recommend checking it out at: http://www.sdbpluspm.com
  
• Kevin Banks recently introduced me to his networking groups on http://www.yorz.com. There is a wide variety of groups here that will match your profession. This will help you network with others and build each others skills up.

RECOMMENDED ONLINE NETWORKING GROUPS

Below I have listed a set of online groups I personally belong to. This is by no means a definitive list. I recommend looking at The MyLinkWiki LinkedIn Groups List. It lists a large number of groups that may be suited to your networking goals.

• MyLinkedin Power Forum


• LinkedIn Lions - Also known as the 500+ club


• open networkers group - This Open Network group is for people who want to be invited to networks on LinkedIn, OpenBC, Ryze, Ecademy etc.


• ConnectorNET.com - Weaving a web of social connectors using the Internet


• LinkedIn VCs


• cool tech club - Specifically Silicon Valley Developers


• Dallas Blue - The best of the best Dallas, Texas Networkers


• Dallas Professionals


• Early Stage Entrepreneurs


• HR Nation


• Boston Recruiters


• Calgary Alberta Canada Immigrants


• IT In Calgary


• Matters Of Plaxo


• LinkedIn Business Schools


• Startup Play - Startup Club in the Bay Area


• Yahoo Groups - There are literally hundreds of LinkedIn related groups on yahoo. If you do a search you will find the ones that best fit your needs. I have listed just a few of them above. For a full list you will need to check out Yahoo Groups yourself.

Insert Online Networking Group Here - Now its up to you. Do you have any online networking groups for me to add? If so, email them to me at chrisw_88@hotmail.com and I will add them to this posting Let's help each other make good use of online networking groups so we can help each other succeed in networking.

Blogging and Networking

Blogging can be a good way to express your opinions and get feedback on new products or ideas. They can be a good source of meeting new people with similar interests.

I recommend joining some of the blogging groups such as the LinkedIn Bloggers (Yahoo Group) to learn more about blogging and how people are using this medium for networking.

If you have a blog you would like to recommend, that would help people learn to network please let me know at

The following are blogs to help your create and develop your network:

FEATURED BLOGS

1. For those interested in food I recommend checking out the FoodTv Blog at http://www.foodtv.ca/blog
   


2. Ray van den Bel, in my opinion is a Web 2.0 Guru, please check out his blog below you will not be disappointed.
   
   
   
   • newnetworking.blogspot.com


3. Jeff Pontes has a strong passion for networking, please check out his blog below you will not be disappointed.
   
   
   • U R Success Blog



4. Vincent Wright has a passion for everything he does personally and professionally. From first meeting him on http://mylinkedinpowerforum.com I was in awe of his passion for helping others, to paying it forward, to building people up.
   
   This is why I recommend strongly that you check out www.MyLinkedinPowerForum.com along with www.LinkedinVentureCapital.com and even more strongly that you connect with him. Your life will never be the same.
   
   His latest project is the http://www.linkedinbusinessdiscussionindex.com/ is a blog that contains lots of information on how to use linkedin.
   

RECOMMENDED BLOGS

LinkedIn Blog Lists

I have listed a select amount of LinkedIn related blogs. For a more extensive
list, please check out the MyLinkedIn Wiki Blog List. This is a good resource for LinkedIn related blogs.

• Social Networking Blog


• Another Social Networking Blog
  
• LinkedIn 'N' 37 <-- Check out David Regler's Blog as there is lots of info here


• LinkedIn Users Manual Blog


• LinkedIn Notes Blog
  
• LinkedIn Business Discussion Index

General Blog Lists

• Teten blog list (Author of Virtual Handshake)
  
• TravelPods (Travel Blog To Communicate while travelling)


• KBCafe


• Insert Blog Here - Now its up to you. Do you have any tips for me to add?
  If so, email them to me at chrisw_88@hotmail.com and I will add them to this posting

Let's help each other create solid profiles so we can help each other succeed in networking.