The advent of Web 2.0 has paved the way of different types of user uploaded content. There are now blogs that work like a diary or even for business purposes, and there are also podcasts where users place their views online not in words but in voice. Vidcast is also a form of podcasting but instead of voice, it’s now like a show that’s being uploaded to popular content based websites such as youtube.com. There are even sites that offer free live webcasts. Anyone can now go online and rant for free, no one will stop them. All they need is a computer mic, webcam and headset’s and they are good to go.
Now a small but continuously growing trend in the world of “casting,” just this year, the term pagecasting has been getting a lot of buzz from techies.
Pagecasting has been around for years but it’s more on a personal note. If you have an account in Yahoo!, you may have crossed with their service called My Yahoo!. This page stores everything that you’re interested in. You will be able to see the latest news, the latest comic strips and even the latest e-mails. Pagecasting is essentially like this, with minor modifications.
You can say that a page cast is more like a web portal. Everything that you need to know is there. Instead of going to all the websites, you can just place them all in one place. However, the main difference between pagecasting and web portal is the ability to be shared with the public. Pagecasting will not only be limited to what you know, but you want to share it with the public. iGoogle and my.yahoo.com’s account can be considered like a pagecast but it’s only a portal as it cannot be shared with the public.
But one site has taken the challenge that will enable users to share what they want with the public. Pageflakes.com is a fairly new website that as of this writing has at least 150k active users. This website has taken the term pagecasting seriously and has given all the users the ability to pagecast their favorite sites.
If you have a pagecasting site, you should be able to tell the people what you think, what you love, what you listen to, what you read, and everything. You page can be enhanced with thousands and thousands of widgets but as the website calls it, “flakes.” You can enhance your page with the latest news, weather updates, podcasts, videos and even blogs. You can RSS your favorite site, or even copy a simple code to be launched in their very own account.
So far, pagcasting is not as popular as other “casting” services. However, it will surely be a hit as thousands are signing up every minute, showing curiosity and eventually dedication. Give it a year or two and everyone will literally have their own pagecasting site. Even though you don’t write anything, but you can always share what you know and love with the rest of the online audience.
