I’ve been hearing a bit about Microsoft’s Wallop project from users (apparently its at least two years old). Microsoft describes Wallop as a place to ” share photos, blog, and interact with your friends”. Ok, that pretty much doesn’t narrow it down much at all.
The beta is closed and as I said above there isn’t a whole lot of descriptive information on the website. The Microsoft Social Computing website has a little more, and includes a couple of screen shots:
In Wallop, you can share photos, blog, and interact with your friends. Wallop is a research project that explores how people share media and build conversations in the context of social networks. We are currently conducting a small, real world trial of Wallop with small friendship groups. Therefore, membership in Wallop http://mywallop.com is limited to study participants until the trial is over.
I’ll be keeping an eye on this one. The other projects on the Social Computing website also look interesting.
Hmmm… interesting. And it doesn’t sport a field to submit your email address for invites like the other countless services. Guess I’ll email them and see if I can squeeze something out of them.
They’ve been testing it in a closed group for a couple years. Yeah, their social computing group has some cool projects they are working on. Here’s my old piece on their group:
Diamonds in the Rough at Redmond
http://www.alwa...d=8473_0_26_0_C
Looks like they are on to a Myspace / Flickr / YouTube approach yet with a creative approach.. Interesting..
As Bernard Moon mentioned, Wallop has been around for a long time.
Microsoft Research is doing a lot of fun stuff.
In many areas, Wallop is light years ahead of other social computing services. It lacks in a few areas, but I can’t think of what they are…
This is the classic ‘build it and they will come’ crap that existed for 10 years or so. Have the existing MSN social stuff work to their expectation?
Oooh, that’s so cool! Whatever! Too many techies think social sites involve high-tech ‘coolness’ when in reality, successful social sites are very simple and primitive.
From what I’ve seen social sites requires social engineering for success, not web engineering. This means ‘they will come and build it’
Would you like an invite? I have several remaining. I have been testing this for almost 2 years now.
I think this is a typical example that M$ has much powerful technical on flash platform even than Macromedia.
BTW:My account of wallop has been deactivated.Any one know how to activate it ?Thanks
My Wallop has been stagnating for at least one year. I haven’t seen anything new. If you want an invite, then ping me [randy@kbcafe.com].
What I find so fascinating about Microsoft is that they have some amazing projects on their research site, but what comes out of their press room and sales department seems like garbage with one or two exceptions. I really don’t think it’s a lack of simplicity that holds back a lot of thier ideas (though some), but rather that their reputation precedes them.
Not that their reputation is unwaranted, mind you. If they could apply the same ‘employee personal projects’ idea that Google has instead of relying on the tried and true (and outdated), I think they’d have a better chance in the market as it stands and evolves.
I’d love to see a big, open source-like beta testing instead of this closet testing that just leaves me thinking “damn, that looks really cool. Too bad the execs will kill it for a lack of support.”
I’m not a rabid fan-boy of Microsoft or Linux, simply what works for me. I just think that if Microsoft wants to surpass their rivals in social webware, they need to think, create, test and release like a social company. From what I can tell, they’ve got some great ideas, but what they really need to do is open up the testing more and release everything even if it doesn’t ‘look’ good. If it doesn’t work, scrap the project and learn from the feedback.
Now I’m done with my rant.
I’ve been testing it for a year or so, it’s completely flash based and runs at a crawling hell.
http://www.ajchat.com
Its really crazy . Having spoken to people whom use it and from screen shots . I don’t know why bill gates doesnt bring it out.
This is the kinda thing microsoft have always done , they have really smart and dedicated people whom produce excellent things but then they leave it till its too late to bring it out.
if they brought it out they could make billions in ad revenue , take out my space and the other third rate sites and bring all the myspace type users to the microsoft way .
Please add more contrast to the colors used on your site. It’s too hard to read white text on the light blueish, and light blueish text on white.
Jon, ok, on my list. Will be fixed soon.
Entirely Flash based sites are not the web
Wallop requires a tooltip over everything so that you know what the heck you are doing in the interface.
Wallop might be halfway to something if they just rewrite it without the flash.
Mike, I completely agree. If they would just forward and do at least an open beta, they could either crush the bugs faster or generate hype. At least that’s my take.
The fact that I didn’t know about the problems with it being entirely flash-based just proved how much Microsoft cripples themselves with closed tests that approximately nobody knows about.
I don’t think this is Flash based. Microsoft is releasing a product that competes with Flash early next year. This may be released in conjuction of that product.
I used it a while back and didn’t really like it because it felt clunky.
I don’t know if it was the flash or just my computer but I didn’t like it.
Also, I just tried logging in for the first time in like 2 months and my account has been deactivated for inactivity…
I wonder if it’s anything like MSN Spaces (http://spaces.msn.com) – for some reason I have a feeling it is.
Spaces is a very clunky blog software that is integrated with MSN Messenger. It features blogs, photo sharing, lists & thats pretty much it. Very basic if someone has seen the two, maybe you can tell us if they are similar?
Hi Cadence,
I would be happy to send you an invite. Send me an email with your e-mail address.
In my opinion, it isn’t a lot like Spaces.. it’s a lot more interactive. I think it’s pretty interesting, but I’m not sure if it is something that would be popular with mainstream users.
Stacy
By the way, Phoenix, any active user can invite you to reactivate your account. Send me an e-mail and I’ll invite you again.
Can I have an Wallop invitation
please??
orliy1@hotmail.com
sound interesting..
thanks -
The Wallop seen very creative, want to try. May I have an Wallop invitation please?
ahmega@hotmail.com
Thanks
may i have an invitation, please?
my email: bluegreen61101@yahoo.com
Can I have an Wallop invitation please??
jp.networking [AT] gmail.com
I think this is going to be better that Hi5 and LinkedIN.
Thank you!
I’d like to checkout Wallop myself. Can someone please send me an invite? Thanks!
doug@phojo.com
Please, somebody can invite me for wallop??
mirandadesigner@gmail.com
Thanks!
* If Somebody needs some Gmail invite please tell me!!!
hmmm seems interesting, i’d like to test it out so if someone has a spare invite do you mind giving me one please? thanks.
dc DOT moogle AT gmail DOT COM
Can I have an Wallop invitation
please??
balttrans_pvv@inbox.lv
sound interesting..
thanks -
can i please get an inite for mywallop.com
thanks in advance
regards
1gigram@gmail.com
may i get an wallop invitation ?
Hi,
Wallop seems interesting. Can i get an invitation please.
Hi,
Wallop seems interesting. Can i get an invitation please
email is vennarbank+invites@gmail.com
I would love an invite
lindsey at lymabean.com
cani get an invite too?
joshualeffler@gmail.com
Can I please have an invite too?
How could I get an invite as well?
COuld I recieve an Invite for Wallop? Sounds interesting. If anyone wants some gmail invites I can give those in return as well.
please send me a wallop invite. email gsamy@msn.com
Kindly send me a wallop invite. Thx.
Send me a invite please miltonfilho78@hotmail.com
If anyone has an extra invite and is willing to send it out, I’d love to get one!
corey839@gmail.com
Could someone send me an invitation. The Wallop-crew must´ve taken a looong nap. Thanks.
need a wallop invite
please anybody
nadavov@gmail.com
If anyone is feeling generous I would like an invite- a cute female friend of mine got an invite, but it could take her a while to set up her profile and invite me…
hi i would like to have invite…if any body has got spare plz send me…thx
pjz1607@gmail.com
can i please get an inite for wallop
thanks in advance
regards
can i get an invite? Thanks soo mucho!
hehe oops send it here… kevhatanaka@gmail.com Thanks so much! See you on there!
please send me an invite to wallop
thanks all…
filipe.viana@gmail.com
Filipe Viana