You may have noticed that FrankenFeed rarely works. For quite some time it worked fine. We had over 40,000 users merging more than 600,000 RSS feeds. Then someone built a bot to attack the system. Suddenly we were merging several million feeds bogging down the system. We would shut him down and then he would pop back up again from a new IP address. Finally, we stopped trying to stop him, but let the system bog down to a crawl (basically not working). We figured that eventually he would go away when whatever he was trying to do (Google SEO we think) stopped working. He didn’t go away.
Rodrigo began work on a new version that would prevent various types of abuse that we had seen in the first several months of use. He completed his work this summer, but we never got around to bug testing it. Today one of our clients needed the public version functioning for a project and we made the decision to launch the new version (in true alpha) immediately. You will need to recreate your feeds (sorry about that ~ but surely you were not actually using the system since it didn’t work constantly).
We will report here on the blog regularly on the new system and let you know what we are working on. In the meantime, enjoy FrankenFeed 2.0.
Certainly click-to-call has limitations and risks for abuse, but implemented correctly it can offer clear advantaged for certain web service providers. Contrary to some reports, Google’s click-to-call was not pulled (it is still functioning).
Integrated into web based services such as Salesforce.com, Mailroom (woot!), Basecamp ~ our Podcall functionality can offer unique social interactions and services previously difficult to implement and afford.
Yesterday I had an interesting call from a prospective Podcall customer and a feature we had previously not announced came up. While we provide the phone system, network interconnection and API hooks we don’t necessarily have to provide the minutes. If you want to negotiate your own wholesale minute rate we can simply connect to your provider and let you pay them directly. No need for us to markup the dial-tone costs. (our pricing for North America is currently around 2.5 cents per minute)
In a move that reflects the current direction of the Big in Japan business, we are launching our first true tool set ~ an API to allow web applications to build in robust voice features that are built, managed and hosted by Big in Japan. Big in Japan doesn’t want to build the applications you use, we want to make the applications your deliver better! Think BASF for web services.
We have been providing Voice 2.0 integrated applications as dedicated services for quite some time. Now we are offering a robust API (application programming interface) that allows any web developer or application developer to integrated custom phone features into their application. The first API provides hooks into our Podcall system. The API work regardless of the web technology (Ruby on Rails, PHP, Flash and of course simple HTML to name a few). Want to offer this sort of functionality found on Google:
Originally built to allow for quick and easy integration for Courtney Cox’s new television show Dirt, the Big in Japan team is opening the API for any developer who needs access to a telephone system. What can it do? The possibilities are endless. Start with simple functions like providing messages or wake-up calls to your users or clients. Then build interesting dating applications to connect people together. Or create robust identity verification system for your services for payment processing or demographic data collection. The system is robust and the applications are limitless.
Earlier today we announced that we would release the source code to several web applications built and hosted by the company in a post titled, “Opening the Source at Big in Japan.” TechCrunch even picked up on the idea. The source code is being released using the GPL.* Each tool was written using Ruby on Rails. If you review the code you will note that each tool was built at a different time. See if you can guess which tool was first and which was last. As promised:
The repositories can be accessed either by browser or via the svn client. The svn username is “anonymous” and the password is blank.
* To be clear, it is our intent that anyone who modifies the code MUST release those modifications publicly. If you modify the code for use as your own hosted service we require that you release the modified code. Get it? There is some confusion about this point in the open source community. The license explains that you are required to do so if you distribute or publish the code and some argue that a hosted application does not constitute “distribution” or “publishing” of the code and as such you are not required to release the modifications. We understand the confusion, but want to be very clear, for the purposes of our license hosting the source code for other’s use constitutes distribution or publication of the binary code. This is detailed in the source code files as well. Enjoy!
The Big in Japan team is growing and our mission is becoming clear. This morning while I was driving to work I was considering how much time we should invest in the free feed tools we built over the past year including FeedVault, PodServe, FrankenFeed, elfURL, InstantFeed, QwikPing and SocialMail. They need a lot of work to be relevant, but we are super busy working with our paying social media clients. Do we have the time to support a suite of tools that were very hot a year ago, but cooling off by the day?
We learned quite a bit about development, rss, social media, web 2.0 and ruby on rails while developing them. We learned even more about how hard it is to keep web services relevant. We are still using custom versions (i.e. mash-ups) of the tools to support our own clients.
So here is our proposal (instead of selling them on ebay). We will open up the source code for each tool (with the exception of PodServe for now) using the GPL just as we did for SimpleTicket. What do we ask in return? That anyone using the tools (i.e. building something from our initial work) contribute that work back into the SVN for that tool (FYI - the license requires it). If you don’t want to, or can’t contribute your modifcations back just let us know and we will sell you a modified license. The name Big in Japan is the property of our company as are the trade names associated with each tool. Oh, and we will keep them running as hosted services as well (don’t email us ~ your data is safe).
Check back soon for links to the SVN for each tool. Hope you enjoy taking a look at the code…
To help promote our Fancast service, Fox has been running short promotions on its various channels. Jeremy Pepper IM’d me this afternoon after he saw our promo on Fox News. To see the promo visit Fancast on YouTube.
After our initial launch for Nip/Tuck, users told us that our registration system was annoying. We took their comments to heart and relaunched last night allowing users to simply request a call without creating an account. Now all you need to get on the show is a phone number, email address and a name - no password or registration necessary. Users now get “instant gratification” and that is a good thing.
Fancast Before UI Simplification.
Fancast After UI Modifcations.
Today is a big day at Big in Japan. Together with FX Network, we’ve launched the Nip/Tuck Fancast. Update: For clarification FX Network is a client of Big in Japan.
The Fancast is live on the Nip/Tuck site, or you can access it directly here. We’re really proud of this project, and would love to get your feedback. It’s running smoothly and we don’t expect any problems. If you have any feedback, please drop us a comment in this thread. We’d love to hear what you think!
The Big in Japan team is working with Rupert Murdoch’s FX Networks (owned by News Corporation) to build a customized version of Fancast based on the highly popular PodServe podcast system. Update: For clarification, FX Network is a client of Big in Japan. The system combines a highly scableable ruby on rails application with a VoIP based phone system capable of handling more than 30,000 telephone connections.
This summer we began working with the producers of Nip/Tuck, the Golden Globe winning drama, on their community interaction efforts. The program is cables’ top-rated series with adults 18-49 with more than 2.6 million viewers. The first program consists of two fan generated podcasts. The first is titled the Nip/Tuck Fan Question Podcast. Where viewers can interview each member of the cast or crew. Each week five of the best questions are answered by the appropriate cast or crew member and then the content is posted to the system. The second is titled the Nip/Tuck Fan Comments Podcast. Each week the IVR system will prompt viewers to comment on various topics about the show.
The system consists of a white label version of PodServe using multiple load balanced DELL Poweredge servers to consume and organize recordings generated from Podcall using one or more Dell Poweredge servers running in series to generate dialtone, outbound calls, covert .wav and compress into .mp3 ready for iTunes. The tightly integrated system is known as the Fancast system. The servers are located in our state-of-the-art data center and network operations center. During programming our technicians watch the program on one screen, server and call statistics on another and errors on a thrid. Starting this week FX will begin to promote the launch of the system using television advertising.
Will it work? According to Arbitron/Edison Media Research more than 27 million Americans have listened to a podcast, half of whom are under 35 years old. Using the Fancast system, Nip/Tuck’s producers can empower their own community of 2.6 million viewers to deliver content via iTunes to more than 30 million iPod listeners. Converting just 2% of those iTunes users might deilver 600,000 viewers to the program. Additionally, FX has the option of inserting advertising into the consumer generated content as they moderate and process it allowing for additional marketing channels for their advertisers.
The Fancast system, launched in June 2006 and presented that same month at Under the Radar, combines PodServe and Podcall into a single platform allows users to easily create recordings for inclusion within hosted podcasts. Podcall is a multiprotocol PBX on Linux that provides all of the features you would expect from a high-end PBX and more. Podcall supports voice over IP in many protocols, and interoperates with all standards-based telephone equipment. Podcall can serve as a gateway to PodServe for inbound, outbound telephone lins (POTs or IAX) as well as conference bridges. Features include: Automated Attendant, Blacklists, Call Detail Records, Call Forward on Busy, Call Forward on No Answer, Call Forward Variable, Call Monitoring, Call Recording, Call Retrieval, Conference Bridging, Fax Transmit and Receive, Interactive Voice Response, Predictive Dialer, Route by Caller ID, SMS Messaging, Spell / Say, Talk Detection, Text-to-Speech, Graphical Call Manager, Outbound Call Spooling, and TCP/IP Management Interface.
According to INC Magazine, our PodServe solution is best for podcasting. To be honest, we have not been investing much time in our free tools. Instead we have focused our attention on the enterprise market for white label versions of the tools. Our latest project is for a major television studio and their hit series. PodServe, with Podcall functionality, will allow their cast, crew, directors and writers to interact directly with their viewers.
We need to remember that much of our ‘paying business’ comes as a result of the free tools we launched last year. I personally will make an effort to keep our free tools. In the meantime we will take the praise from INC and redouble our efforts. Nice that we are sitting between two heavy-hitters like Yahoo and Six Apart. Here is the scoop:
Companies make mistakes all of the time. For example, Big in Japan printed shirts for this month’s issue of Valleyschwag. They never got a chance to see the shirts before Thor shipped them and learned from a subscriber that they were see through. Ouch! This did not seem to mind the TechSlut, but Mierla was not to impressed. What if your users were so excited about your service that they took the time to fix your mistakes?
This afternoon I noticed a few new pictures tagged with biggu on flickr bubble up on the SocialMail footer and clicked through. Turns out Mierla, not deterred by the mashup goofup ‘remixed’ the shirts. She documented her effort on flickr:
We are huge fans of Valleyschwag. (In fact, I have just checked my mailbox three times this afternoon hoping that they made a rare double trip to my house just to drop off my new t shirts.) This edition of the the schwag-by-mail club includes a Big in Japan shirt we did: summer versions of the Mashup t-shirts we did around the Web 2.0 show last year. As seen on actual rockstars like Nivi.
Brian is going to do a full post on SocialMail, but I thought I would mention that it was turned on last week. For those of you who use various Big in Japan tools, you will note that SocialMail is the first example of our new login and footer design (no more sidebar). All of the tools will adopt these two SocialMail features. Otherwise check it out…
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