Another from the "meant to post this a while ago" files. A fellow named Mike Reining from MindValley wrote me to tell me about their BlinkList service. Mike successfully got my attention by showing awareness of this site (and also You're It), writing to me about MindValley's passion for "how online tools are transforming the social fabric of how people interact, learn, share, and make transactions online."
So how does something like BlinkList differ from, say, del.icio.us or Yahoo's MyWeb 2.0? Mike says:
In my prior history I worked for eBay (on the craigslist deal in fact) and now I have decided to go out on my own to bring some new ideas to market. One of them is on social learning and sharing. I guess it is generally referred to as social bookmarking and social search, but I think that misses out on the "learning and knowledge sharing aspects" that make this field so interesting.
Mike also drew my attention to an interesting review of the BlinkList beta at Blended Edu:
Simply stated, MindValley recognizes that online community hinges on the users ability to easily access their information without frustrating them to the point they won't use the software (a point which is - surprisingly - often overlooked).
...
As you store and tag more content, it becomes more and more difficult to remember what tag you used for similar content. But don't fret! MindValley Labs has come up with a slick way to help you to maintain tagging consistency. Here's how it works: as you add links and other content to your cache BlinkList automagically suggests tags you have already used. This simple step makes it easier to find content at a later date, prevents user frustration with the technology, and allows students to focus on their learning.
Ready for another neat techno-constructivist BlinkList feature? When you click on a tag, BlinkList shows related tags, thereby allowing users to easily find topics and resources related to their search. But wait. There's more! By using the tag filter you can drill down even deeper into the BlinkList community knowledge reserves to locate the resources most relevant to your particular needs.
Looks like a site to keep an eye on.
