User Spotlight: Rawkkiddo, A Master Mogger
I think we all know that, above all, what makes a good social network REALLY stand out are the people. And while most of the people just hang out, there are the "special people" - A group of hyperactive, talented users who constantly create new and freshy content, which makes us come back, interact and give back to the community. Most of the time, we forget that these "special people" are REAL people, not just images on profile pages. So, I decided to go on a quest - To uncover the real people behind the profiles and tell their story. Each time I will interview one of those “web 2.0†heroes, learn about their online and offline life and try to uncover the secret to their online success.
Welcome to 8hands' User Spotlight!
Our first interview is dedicated to the master MOG user: Rawkkiddo (33, ex-teacher and a Nofx fan). I first became aware of him when I was reading the MOG magazine and stumbled upon the title: "What kind of Mogger are you?", which was the subject of one of many of Rawkkiddo's posts. On that one he listed all the Mogger types out there, starting from the Sexy Mogger - "Your picture says it all, S-E-X-Y!", followed by the Angry Mogger – “You know everything, and you try and prove all others not worthy", proving that just like in real life, each user holds their own habits and character.
We asked Rawkkiddo to share with us his thoughts about life in and outside the Mogosphere. So here goes:
| Q: | Hi, and thanks for taking the time to participate in our interview. First, I must ask, what does Rawkkiddo stand for? |
| A: | Rawkkiddo is just a name that I have been using for a while. The rawk part is from a song I used to love a while back called Punk Rawk Show. The kiddo is because I do not quite look my age. I have had many parents of my students tell me that I look like I could still be in high school. I guess I have that Michael J. Fox thing going for me.
 |
| Q: | And that's always a good thing ;-) So, out of all the other music communities, why MOG? |
| A: | You know, I am not really sure. I have never been a big fan of online communities. Never did myspace or any of the other ones out there. A friend told me about this, and I set up a page. I really wasn't going to put much time into it, but then things changed. I learned about new bands, and different music scenes. The people on MOG are always positive about everything they write, and that's great to see. |
| Q: | The Mogger types you listed on your post, can they fit to any other social community as well? |
| A: | I am sure they can be tweaked to fit almost any social community. If you go to a bar, the same thing. You will see the sexy drinker, the informational (know everything about beer) drinker, the only guy to get out once a month drinker, the everyday drinker (I would call him the alcoholic), the stalker/please come home with me drinker, the guy looking for a fight drinker, the happy drinker, the selective drinker (only will be seen at certain clubs), and so on. |
| Q: | Yeah, I totally agree on that one. I love that analogue. What about writing posts? Do you prefer writing your own posts, or reading other people's posts on the MOGosphere? |
| A: | I like both. While writing your own is fun, reading what other people are saying is just as enjoyable. I find it a great way to both start and end my day. Another part of the enjoyment of MOG is hearing how people respond to your posts. Reading others has lead me to so many new artists it's ridiculous as well as become a great way to make some online friends. |
| Q: | So what kind of Mogger are YOU? |
| A: | While I wish I could say I am the sexy mogger, I would have to go with the everyday mogger. It has been easy to do that without a job at the time being. I left teaching to pursue a different career, and have been on a job hunt for the last 6 months. I hope it does not change too much once I am back to working full time again. |
| Q: | Best comment ever received? |
| A: | That's a tough one, usually all the comments are great. The best though is when you make a good post, and see a lot of people have clicked on the post. It's like a little pat on the back. |
| Q: | Have you ever had a dream about MOG? |
| A: | Haven't gone there yet. I have weird dreams, and am also a frequent sleep walker. MOG has not entered either one of the two worlds yet. |
| Q: | What do you think the best thing that can happen to you out of MOG? (Apart from this interview of course...) |
| A: | Fame, fortune.....uhm......mostly getting to know good music. I tried at first to get my artwork out there in hopes that someone who knows someone would contact me for a job. That didn't work, so it's just been a fun thing to do. I have met a ton of people, and gotten to both give and receive "care packages" with mix cd's and such. If anything better comes from that, then I will be pretty lucky. |
| Q: | Best MOG feature? |
| A: | That's easy, Rawkkiddo's home page. A close second is the Mog-o-matic. Its fun to see what others are listening to through out the day. |
| Q: | Your favorite MOG user? |
| A: | That I will keep to myself, I do have a bit of the stalker mogger in me. |
| Q: | And finally, give us closure: What would you do if you had 8 hands? |
| A: | Well I am sure I would be in the backrub department somewhere and making lots of money. I am pretty good with 2, and with 8 I would be unstoppable. I could always try my hands at being a male prostitute at Heidi Fleiss's new male only ranch. I am sure that would work well for me. |
The Best Mog Jingle
"I had a girlfriend
i told her i was into music
but i did not have a mog
so she thought i was a loser
and then she left me
i got a mog account for free
and now im cooler thanks to my computerM O G dot C O M..."
The perfect way to introduce you to the new MOG player. This charming mogger made the funniest MOG Jingle about his girlfriend that left him cause he didn't have a MOG account. best song of the week! Just reminds me how much I love the atmosphere on this supportive community.
How to create your MySpace music store?
A Couple of months ago Myspace announced they will allow unsigned bands to sell music via SNOCAP technology. These days all MySpace unsigned artists (over 3 million) are receiving the following message from Tom explaining how it works:
Hey MySpace artists,
Music has always been at the heart of the MySpace community. As an artist, you have a place to connect directly with music lovers and build a fan base. Now, through our partnership with SNOCAP, you can sell digital downloads right on your MySpace page. This is something we've wanted to bring to you for a long time, and now it's here!
It's really simple. Just click the "Create Your MySpace Music Store" link on your Home page to register with SNOCAP (or click here), upload your music, and set your price. Your store will be automatically created on your MySpace profile right underneath the MySpace player, and a new "Manage Music Store" link will appear on your home page which lets you edit your songs or change the price. Once you've created your store your fans will be able to purchase your tracks right off your profile and even post your store on their own profiles, and you'll get paid on a monthly basis. Click The Format to check it out.
You don't need to wait to have a CD's worth of music to sell. Record something tonight and make it available immediately. Or upload a few tracks from the soundboard recording of your last show. A MySpace/SNOCAP MyStore puts the power of distribution in your hands. And best of all, it doesn't limit any of your choices. You can still stream up to 4 tracks for free from the MySpace player on your page. You keep all the rights to your music. And this isn't exclusive - you can put a MySpace/SNOCAP MyStore on your MySpace page and paste the store anywhere else on the web you use for promotion; plus you can also sell through an aggregator or any other digital retailer you have access to.
You already use MySpace to market & promote - now you can sell your songs!
Tom.
In short: MySpace and Snocap will collect 45% cut - the rest will go to the artists. That piece of news has left us all wondering: can Tom afford himself a brand new T-Shirt now?
Jiggers are the new diggers?
iJigg is a new social network that tries to combine myspace and digg together. You can post songs and jig the songs you like. As opposed to MySpace and other musician networks, iJigg is more about discovering new SONGS, and less about discovering new bands or artists.
Their philosophy is that "listeners fall in love with songs before they love the artist. In many ways, every song is unique - even songs from the same artist". Following that, there's not much focus around the artist himself, which might be a bit pale (no photos or videos includes), but on the other hand it puts the music in the front, which gives it more of a radio feel.
The most popular songs will get a homepage spot, and you can sort them by "general audio" (podcasts, music you like) or "music" (original artist). By the way, the general look of posting an original song and posting a podcast or a song you like is exactly the same.
© 8hands 2006-2007