Business Networking - MySpace Competitor Announces Website Widgets

Social networking sites such as MySpace are proving increasingly popular, with continued growth of the phenomenon predicted for 2007. One of the fastest-growing social network sites is Bebo UK, who recently announced the rollout of advert-supported widgets. What are they, how do they work, and should we be worried about their impact?

The official definition of a web widget reads something like ‘A GUI component or portable chunk of code that can be installed and executed within any separate HTML-based web page by an end user without requiring additional compilation’.

In the case of a social networking, the widget is essentially a small web application that a networker can embed into their profile. For example, Bebo already allow members to select a specific photo-sharing widget (from a choice of three). Bebo currently offers one advert unit per page on its site; ad-supported widgets will come in many guises including interactive games and will incorporate some form of advertising.

Sounds harmless enough although there is some concern, particularly among parents, that the technique could be classed as ‘branded utility’ - a marketing tactic which involves advertising through a medium the individual can ‘use’, thus making it appear less invasive.

Indeed most site visitors will simply regard the widget as another piece of fun content rather than an advertisement.

Widgets are akin to plugins or extensions in desktop applications. Other terms used to describe a Web Widget include Gadget, Badge, Module, Capsule, Snippet, Mini and Flake. Web Widgets often but not always use Adobe Flash or JavaScript programming languages.

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[ MySpace Competitor Announces Website Widgets ]

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