Back in January, Jason Shellen, a former Googler known for his work on Blogger and Google Reader, launched Plinky, a new approach to blogging that wanted to give users a way to be more engaged in the process. The service got off to a fast start, but talk about it has dwindled in recent months. So now Shellen is ready to start something new. Something that utilizes yes, Twitter.
While Plinky will continue on as a product, Shellen is changing the name of the company to Thing Labs. The catalyst of this change was Plinky acquiring the technology Google Reader co-founder Chris Wetherell has been working on since he left Google. Wetherell is joining the company as the VP of Technology. The rest of the Plinky team will be joining in this new endeavor, and Shellen also tells me that they’ve made a new high-profile hire on the engineering end, that they’re not ready to announce yet.
So what is Thing Labs? Apparently, it soon will offer a new user-facing social media application that makes use of existing social networks. Shellen wouldn’t go beyond saying that it will involve the hot social network of choice, Twitter. It should be out at the end of June, we hear.
The company is also moving its headquarters from the east bay of San Francisco, into the city.
good name change.. plinky sucks
Why are the last 3 posts are about Twitter?
Plinky and the Brain?
Pinky and the Brain?
Exactly.
The sign up process at plinky is tedious and has a couple of wierd questions
What the heck is a plinky anyways ? LOL
“Apparently, it soon accoune a new user-facing social media application that makes use of existing social networks. ” – what the hell does that mean?
Yes, that was lost in translation. I translated for you.
Not really an inspired name, is it? Though I guess there’s nowhere to go but up from “Plinky”.
Congrats on the news Jason, no doubt you guys will do great things.
Might be a good idea to do a “high-end marketing hire” along with all the “high-end engineering hires” they already have. Sounds like too many geeks in the brew.
I like this site’s idea. They haven’t quite pulled it off as good as it could’ve been, and its single function is too limited in its scope, but an interesting site nevertheless.
Good luck to you guys.
I’ve been wondering when someone might use TheBrain.com ’s technology for social graph visualization…
bob wyman
Son,
when the smart techies always demand disheartening details regarding what you are up to just remind them about my favorite sitcom from the nineties. It was a show ‘about nothing’ and became so popular that it eventually had to be about everything! I wish you and your band of geeks the same kind of luck !
dad