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"Founded by Phil Harrington and Bob Geldof, our vision is for the YouBloom platform to become a thriving digital oasis," inhabited by socially- and environmentally-conscious communities from all over the world, providing the space and the tools for their entrepreneurial, creative, and spiritual ambitions to be liberated and bloom. YouBloom's platform will enable Bloomers support their artistic endeavors by promoting, selling, and trading among their customers and fans through an embracing process that benefits themselves and the greater community of Earth."
As far as I can tell, it's Bob's version of Facebook or MySpace. I'm personally not too crazy about the concept of social networking. The main reason is that I trust no one. The number one raison d'être of those sites is for old friends to reconnect. In order to do so, you have to give some personal information that I'm just not ready to give.
That being said, I signed up because it's Bob's Baby. Yeah, I'm a sucker, but still a prudent one, since you won't find much personal info about me on my new YouBloom page. So why don't you guys come over and be my friends. I'm pretty pathetic right now as I only have "Phil" as my friend, and I have no clue who Phil is. So check it out and let me know what you think.
Admin note: Edited to stay on topic. -- Edited by MJ at 17:37, 2007-09-24
I've signed up to only because it is a Bob thing. I'm already on Myspace and Facebook and really have enough networking with those.
It is really a business/marketing venture for Bob to sell his records. OK that's fine, we are always complaining he doesn't do enough to promote his music, but how many people are on it? Is he going to attract that many (like Myspace) as the bias is towards him. It isn't quite the same as the other networking sites because its main objective is to sell. I'm not finding getting round it that easy - things aren't obvious to me.
Interestingly though I hadn't heard of it before and probably wouldn't have done if it wasn't being amongst the 'Geldof community'... Hmm not sure how to rate it and whether or not I actually like it at the moment, other than of course it being something to do with Bob!
That being said, I signed up because it's Bob's Baby. Yeah, I'm a sucker, but still a prudent one, since you won't find much personal info about me on my new YouBloom page. So why don't you guys come over and be my friends.
I'm not very comfortable with any of those network thingies. I know I'd be spending too much time on it.. Time I'd rather spend in the "real world". So I've decided to simply keep away from them.
I'm pretty pathetic right now as I only have "Phil" as my friend, and I have no clue who Phil is.
Am I the only one here, who doesn't believe that youbloom stuff???
I mean, look at the "Geldof" entry: It's pagename is boomtownrats. It's full of old content copied from .info.
"Polish gigs were briliant. Both we're festivals. One was for the amiversary of the German invasion of Poland and the other was commemerating the massacre of workers by the military of striking workers"
Please!
And look at those blogs. If this is for real, I'll eat my hat!
By Bob Geldof, On September 4, 2007 11:16 PM
I love this site. Great colours
By Bob Geldof, On August 29, 2007 09:43 PM
Have recently come on to this site and really liking it
Joke wrote: "Polish gigs were briliant. Both we're festivals. One was for the amiversary of the German invasion of Poland and the other was commemerating the massacre of workers by the military of striking workers"
Please!
Whoever is doing this has at least gathered some information. Believe it or not, it's true: The Warsaw gig was on September 1st (day of invasion) and it apparently was a peace festival. The other one was commemorating Lubin 1982 - just what it says.
Eh..Firstly I think the difference between a bucket of s***e and that site is the 'h'. (and the bucket) Not that I am aware of what the big guy does, but, firstly, a beta test??? Why would He be putting out things on a beta test???
Does He currently say He resides in Dublin???? ( also the zip code???) Would He be so candid about a riot in Libya (thankfully the gear was allright). Don't wear that one.
Maybe the gig happened (I don't know)......the site...Dont think so.
Its a gas wind up, thats the only thing good, once its not believed. (by the nieve)
Have salt.....Tell me which hat to buy.
nick
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there you go, big hand for the boomtown rats, music will never be the same again, i think........
Just to clear up a few things. Libertybloom is 100% genuine. The company has been in extistence for years now. The Youbloom stuff is part of the Libertybloom activities. Whether Bob's page has been written by Bob, I very much doubt. But he knows of its existence. Personally i think the design is dreadful. The colours are yuk and the text is difficult to read and I will tell him when I next see him lol.
As a concept for networking for musicians i think it could work well. I have a page, if you are interested in having a look its www.youbloom.com/web/philbatesandtinamcbain i have put a few tracks on there. Perhaps you can have a listen and give me a critique (OMG what have I said lol).
Katharina wrote:Believe it or not, it's true: The Warsaw gig was on September 1st (day of invasion) and it apparently was a peace festival. The other one was commemorating Lubin 1982 - just what it says.
OK, I was wrong about that bit. I hope I didn't offend anyone...
At least some of you agree with me that the design and content of that page are of dubious quality (to put it nicely ). For the rest of you: forgive me, but it's my job to criticise software and websites... I can't really help it I just don't understand Bob's internet ventures... The official website too could be so much better if a little more effort was put into it (no offence to Tina or Ian of course). And now this... I seriously think that Bob is missing out on a great opportunity to enhance his profile as a musician. But then, he always says that he doesn't give a sh*t about his websites. Too bad.
P.S. the hat was a bit tasteless, stale and flat... just like those websites
After further looking at the youbloom site it does look like a real site. I take back the bucket thing on a superficial level. Maybe Bob did get someone to put him on doing a cut and paste job.
But where will this all end?
I think blog sites in general are already dead, only because any yahoo can post their rubbish on them. (That doesn't include forums, like this one, because they're specific interest)
A lot of the people broadcasting on these sites aren't professional broadcasters and don't get professional advice on communicating. That means that the people who are genuinely talented are drowned out by the mountains of rubbish you have to trawl through to find them. We sleep 8 hours a day, work 8 hours, commute 2 hours and that leaves 6 - in which we have to eat and relax.
The tv programme in the seventies comes to mind, only for its title "Why don't you turn off your tv and do something more interesting instead?"
The youbloom site sounds like a good site for musicians if it is allowed to be that. There should be a selection process on the site to ensure the people on it are genuine musicians, to the point and interesting.
Tina's site on youbloom is interesting. (Although I couldn't get access to the pictures part of it.) More like that one.
nick
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there you go, big hand for the boomtown rats, music will never be the same again, i think........
I think blog sites in general are already dead, only because any yahoo can post their rubbish on them. (That doesn't include forums, like this one, because they're specific interest)
A bit of trumpet blowing here! My blog (theboomtownrats.blogspot.com) has slowly but surely climbed up the yahoo/google charts. Nowadays on a google/msn/yahoo search of "Boomtown Rats" it is the 24th, 10th and 2nd site (only to www.boomtownrats.co.uk - I'm coming after you BTR ) respectively due to the traffic. This forum appears nowhere! (I have added some meta data to fix that up today).
I think the blog is a nice lazy way to create a web site (no hosting and so on ) in the same way that this forum is.
And perhaps the best use of blogs is for political protest such as that in Burma. Wouldn't be able to host subversive web sites, would they?
Yes when I tried to find this forum from an internet cafe in Slovenia I couldn't. I had to go to boomtownrats.co.uk and do it that way! It used to come up quite high.
It is a good idea to have a purely musical site, but the youbloom seems rather muddled to me, and I'm struggling to follow it and do anything much with my profile. I've emailed them to see if they'll do anything about it!
iam also finding it hard to work out i want to put a biog and that sort of stuff on but so far iam at a loss to know how to do it lol
ive been told Phil Harrington will contact me soon and talk me through it so then i may be able to help but i wouldnt bet on it thanks for rating one of the songs
Jules/Argee your sites are not what I refer to when I talk of rubbish on blog sites. Also I don't refer to contributors on this forum, whom I think are genuine and interesting people. What gets me is the generic signup, people fill out.... in their millions with rubbish.... on 'Internet Space' websites. Name, address, favourite this and that.... then a bit of spout about whats brilliant to them.....please.
Have you tried a few countries on 'youbloom'......most have nothing, some have genuine entries in England, Ireland, France (or is it australia) check it out! otherwise its boring trudge of 'name address' and thats it.
I have a friend who's a singer/songwriter, but in the state 'youbloom' is in.. i'd never tell her about it ... nick
__________________
there you go, big hand for the boomtown rats, music will never be the same again, i think........
TheTopHat wrote:Jules/Argee your sites are not what I refer to when I talk of rubbish on blog sites. Also I don't refer to contributors on this forum, whom I think are genuine and interesting people.
With that attitude you'll go far Hey, we like you as well!
I think the general blog is dead as many ex-bloggers move onto myspace & facebook, but I think special interest blogs will florish. I did consider creating my own site, but with all the effort it involved I gave up. Blogs just make it easy.
I'm with Jules & Tina - Youbloom is difficult to get around on and to find out how to change things. It is easy as pie to add friends, however!
I have this great pic of Bob at the Wimbleton Festival on my profile page, but can't get it sized so that it doesn't take up the entire mid section - jezzzzz! I'm having a hard time putting in a URL - talk about beginner, here!
The best thing about youbloom is chatting to Pete Briquette. He does actually talk back to you. Seems very down to earth. He is on my friends list. After a whole weekend trying, I have managed to get my site working, have uploaded a video, which I am not even supposed to be able to do, (probably get sued for copyright) put up my pics, links to various videos and artcles.The rules are as clear as mud, but it does get easier with practice. I can talk people through it. The Rats page is awful. I have mailed them/him asking why they do not accept any friends requests. Useless having a site connecting artists with fans, if they dont communicate with them. Anyway, you can find me on http://www.youbloom.com/web/ireneclayton/?&public=1
This is an official review from an irish IT company. It blasts it to kingdom come.
"Another YouTube-esque video sharing site? I hear you say with a sigh. Well this one has cool credentials because it was co-founded by non other than Sir Bob Geldolf, right?Or so I thought until I explored it a bit more. The featured Bloomer or artist on the site is Bob Geldof himself and last time I checked, well over a month ago, he was the featured artist then.
Is this a social networking tool for arty types and their friends or just a strange shrine to Sir Bob?
With further exploringI found the site design and layout to be pretty dire. It should be taken down and fixed or maybe entirely re-designed before being put up again.
I know the site is in beta testing but that is no excuse, and anyone with Photoshop could make a site that appears more polished, shiny and Web 2.0-like in look and feel.
There is no consistent layout, as users are allowed to customise so that there is a hodge-podge of text, colours, background pictures and boxes on some profile pages.
Because this was billed as a next generation web 2.0 social networking site complete with its own marketing team I have to wonder why it resembles a site created by a colour-blind 14-year old with only a passing interest in coding.
I was going to leave a comment on one of the artists profile pages asking them if they actually used or liked YouBloom but the comments feature didnt seem to be working.
In principle the site is meant to flourish on a points system where creative types and their pals consume and interact with each others creations, getting points on this basis which they can then spend on songs, badges or videos from site artists.
Nice idea, shame the site is not upto it."
I agree, it is a nice idea. I dont think the points system is working. I don't want a T-shirt and already have the albums, so what else can I buy? The whole thiing is far too complicated , unclear instructions, with fancy words. Wonder who's idea that was? Simplify the whole thing. Myspace is so much easier. It is worth persevering with though. It is early days.
That is very harsh. It needs some sorting out, indeed.
By the way, it isn't a tshirt you get it is a jpg of one? So it seems to me? I'd actually like to buy some of Tina's works but she hasn't got anything up for sale/download. Shame.
The new, much improved version is now up and running. What a difference! Fully community activation. They have indeed taken much of our criticism on board. I will give Dr Phil credit for that. He does listen to people. Much easier to navigate, edit, upload. New look altogether. There will probably be more changes if needed.