idiomag

Recently, we’ve been focusing on marketing the idio platform as a versatile and customisable publishing system. We think our model creates a range of exciting possibilities for online publishers to deliver content in an entirely new way. If you’d like to read more about the technology’s potential, head on over to our new platform showcase site, or check out the blog, where we’ll be writing a lot about the digital magazine industry.

Last week we ran a survey to find out whether you would use idiomag on your mobile handset, and what suggestions and comments you have about this. It was great to get so many responses, and to hear how interested you are in mobile!

As a summary of the results…

The vast majority of people were interested in the fundamentals - getting news, reviews and recommendations based on your favourite artists. I guess that’s obvious.

It was great to hear the huge range of mobile sites/apps that you already use! Here is a wordcloud of your favourite mobile sites (graphic created using wordle).

Based on your feedback, we will certainly be focusing on providing a mobile website with speed and simplicity - to allow you fast and easy access to the latest news and reviews about the artists you love, as well recommendations.

It’s interesting to see that there is a strong Apple following at idiomag… Here is a wordcloud of the phones you use.

Given that a lot of you already use smart phones, we will work to provide flexibility so that those of you who want to, can enjoy a multimedia experience.

We are also interested in the possibilities of integrating with other services, and in the future, possibly with location-based information (such as gigs), to link idiomag into the wider mobile community. Watch this space…

Anyway, thats enough from me. Thanks again for another awesome survey response - and for your messages of support. It always makes us smile when so many of you contribute ideas and thoughts.

For all our readers that love Karl Pilkington (Ricky Gervais’ producer), and who wish to get a daily quote from the aforementioned comic genius/dunce, you can add the KP Facebook app here.

There are only two apps I use on Facebook: idiomag and Karl Pilkington. ‘Nuff said.

Most people agree that the online experience will increasingly involve personalisation, as content becomes almost infinite and therefore the process of filtering becomes paramount. Some companies (eg Digg) have approached this from a social perspective, relying on friend networks or crowd wisdom to help us find what we want. Others (eg Matchmine or indeed idiomag so far) have approached this from an algorithmic perspective, mapping user interests and developing systems that make the selection decision. Since both have strengths (the social approach is able to incorporate emotional and other tacit factors, whereas algorithms can lead to a greater degree of individual accuracy and scalability), it is likely that they will be almost always used in combination.

Since we are already developing a solid algorithmic approach, I have had a think about the social side of things. There are three key social filters that are helpful in my search for content. 

Firstly, I want experts to inform me. These are people I trust, because they have positions of credibility (Mossberg @ the WSJ), expertise based on experience and success (Paul Graham), or a reputation formed from a large following (Michael Arrington). They provide a first-level filter for more important coverage, and they provide a knowledgeable opinion on the subject as well as a brief factual overview. However, they don’t provide an all-encompassing view and they can’t provide all the relevant information on the topics I am most interested in.

Secondly, I want friends to help me form my own opinions on the issue. These are people I trust, like or am interested in, but they aren’t necessarily experts. Their reaction to coverage is important, as it fleshes out the story and provides a wider perspective. I also listen when these friends recommend content to me, as they know my interests or we share similar interests.

Thirdly, I want crowd wisdom to highlight coverage of interest to me. Beyond the bounds of my friends’ recommendations, I am interested in reading what everybody rates as good. Two examples are that when I want a funny video or quirky story, I see what the popular vote at Digg gives me, and when I want to buy a new laptop, the crowds’ opinion via eBuyer is more important to me than advertising, brand or even price. Crowd wisdom is not only useful for recommendations, it also creates an incredible depth of further information about any topic (Wikipedia, Blogsearch etc). This all-encompassing viewpoint allows me to explore topics of interest in more depth.

All three are important and provide different functions to ensure I receive a broad but interesting outlook, and can explore in-depth when required. A system that can effectively combine these filters in the areas in which they are strong, would be very powerful indeed.