Zaang Blog

Good news means not a lot of time for blogging!

Hey everyone,

We have been super busy -- as in, busier than I've ever been before.

That being said, it's all for good reasons. We have some amazing stuff in the pipeline that you are going to absolutely love.

Over the past few weeks, we've been fortunate to make some incredible partnerships, and we will be making a 'big splash' soon.

Stay tuned,

Mike

The big day

Today was the big day. After working through the night last night, we finally celebrated at 9AM EST when the site went live! To think that all the work, dedication and effort you put towards a project boils down to this single moment of excitement called 'launch'.

Well, we did it today!

It is exciting to see people already having conversations on Zaang, and making connections with others. You see quick back-and-forths, followed by a sudden spark, which results in some really insightful input. Really promising ...

But really, the launch is just the beginning. The launch is nothing more than showing up at the party -- how long you stay or who grows to like you all depends on what you do from there.

We are listening if you have any advice on how we can make a bigger splash now that we are here.

If you want to connect with me, come into Zaang and let's have a conversation!

Mike

Blog Withdrawl

How is everyone doing? It is Wednesday night and I have finally freed up some time to write another blog post. Don’t expect any humor, I am sitting through a music theory class and my brain is fried learning about tuning systems, crescendos, and music textures. 4 liberal arts credits closer to graduation… oh Babson requirements.

Since our beta launch last Thursday we have received a great deal of support from the blogosphere, supportive early adopters, friends, and family. Our entire team wants to extend our gratitude to everyone involved so far.

We have learned that there is indeed a place for a community like Zaang on the net. It has been great to see people dive in and start Worlds and have meaningful conversations. Zaang will transform and adapt as it grows but only with help from you. We are eager and excited to learn what you would like to see next. Please reach out via email (info@zaang.com), the feedback tab on the left side of the page, or in the Zaang Support World.

Here are some ideas we have been tossing around: Real time functionality? More badges? A better presentation of badges/rankings? Enhanced profile information? A better input box for content? A better way to view/browse Worlds?

We can sit around on our beanbags and come up with millions of ideas, but that doesn’t mean any of them will be good. Please share your thoughts with us and help us grow Zaang into a thriving and helpful community. And keep February 1, 2010 (next Monday) free all day… details to come.

Cheers,

Alex

Today was a good day

Today was a great day.

Special thanks to Alex Wilhelm for his post today on Zaang on The Next Web! You can check it out here:

http://thenextweb.com/apps/2010/01/22/invites-zaang-host-topical-conversations/

I'd also like to thank Mohkim Khan for the post on his new blog, Chaotec! I've added Chaotec to my list of daily reads (and you should too!)

http://www.chaotec.com/zaang-lets-you-socialize-in-worlds-collaborate-concentrate-and-converse-with-people

Hey, a few bumps in the road (bugs!) but those are expected. Fabulous day, talk to you soon.

Mike

Earn Your Badges!

Tonight we launched a new feature: Zaang Badges.

These badges will help to distinguish those who contribute frequently to Zaang.

Earning badges is easy. Just continue to use Zaang as you have been and you'll start earning your badges! You will receive badges for posting content, creating worlds, having people follow you, receiving views and likes on your content, and your overall activity on Zaang.

To learn more about these badges head on over to the Badges page.

Cheers,

James

What we can all learn from Haiti

Sometimes, you take life just a little bit for granted.

I'm talking about the times you are stuck in traffic, and you move twenty feet over the course of an hour. Think about the last time you were in traffic like that -- it's unbelievably frustrating.

But man, there is something called the 'power of contrast', and it really puts things into perspective. When you compare something as menial as traffic to what happened in Haiti, you cannot help but feel compelled to do something.

We put a header on the top of our home page that links to where you can donate. Please, do your part in contributing. Yes, I know. This will require you to find your wallet, remove your credit card, enter your information into the fields. Don't let this be the reason you don't reach out -- seriously, you are better than that.

And let's all make a pact to never sweat the small stuff -- and most things are small stuff.

Mike

Hackathon Night at the Office

Its late Thursday night, errr… early Friday morning here and the team is hacking around on the site. The ping pong table we are all working on is covered with empty redbull cans, rolos, starbursts, a broken Brookstone mini-remote control helicopter :-(, and strange trance/techno is playing through our Dell mini computer speakers (so rich). The white board is covered with cryptic scribbles that are about 10% coherent. I think there is a picture of a stick figure dancing on top of a staple’s ‘easy button’. Now the music has changed to “Mmm… Bop” by Hanson…. this night is taking a turn for the worse.

As our ears start to bleed, we are adding some of the finishing touches to Zaang that may or may not include facebook integration. We are also cranking on our advertising platform, but I’m going to be purposefully vague *suspense* about the specifics. If you are that curious stop by the office at about 2:17 am and I’ll fill you in, otherwise you can wait like everyone else.

My Redbull is now empty so I am going to go search and rescue another one – please do not let it be a sugarfree one. And if any of you reading this thought my rantings were funny I strongly recommend that you reevaluate what you consider is funny.

Much love,

Alex

P.S: Anyone watching BIDU?

Preparing for Launch

Wow ...

The time is finally coming near -- we are finally ready for our launch. Right now, we are doing some final bug fixes and are tying together loose ends. This site has absolutely transformed itself over the past couple of years, and I'm proud of what everyone at Zaang has accomplished.

It seems as though this is the nature of business, in general. It all starts with a single thought -- a lonely idea in the middle of the night. The next thing you know, you are in an office working day and night towards achieving an incredibly compelling vision, and have the financial backing of a handful of savvy investors.

The first step has been taken in this journey. Each additional step will take us closer and closer to achieving the vision behind Zaang. We welcome and would encourage any feedback you are willing to share (we listen).

See you around (that is, on Zaang) ...

Mike

Welcome to the Zaang Blog!

We've been keeping things pretty quiet for a while now at Zaang HQ and we wanted to break that silence with a blog. So, welcome to our new blog! We will be using this as an outlet to announce new features, changes to the site, scheduled downtime, and anything else Zaang.

As you may already know, Zaang is currently in private beta while we let a select group of users test out the site and get all of the bugs out of it. If you'd like to be a part of this private beta head to the homepage and enter your email address.

As our public release nears, we'll be posting updates as they become available. These will include some screenshots of the site, photos of Zaang HQ, and even a contest where you can win some money!

So stay tuned for more, and be sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook to stay up to date with everything Zaang.