Wink to Support Google’s OpenSocial Initiative
Wink’s People Search Engine Includes 250 Million Social Network Profiles From OpenSocial Supporters, Bebo, Hi5, MySpace and Friendster
Wink.com, the Web’s largest people search engine, today announced its intentions to support OpenSocial – the API developed by Google to promote interoperability of applications and data across all online social networks. Wink will release a major update of its people search engine in one week, improving the profile-building and control features that span social networks like Hi5, MySpace and Friendster.
“At Wink we are constantly seeking ways to make it easier and more intuitive to find and connect with friends, classmates, and business contacts wherever they are online” said Michael Tanne, CEO of Wink. “Since we already support most of the leading social networks we are encouraged by the efforts of all the companies signed on to support OpenSocial and are eager to use the API to provide more services to people at any social network.”
By supporting the OpenSocial API, Wink will enable people to access their profiles and social graphs, as well as keep in touch with friends on different social networks more readily.
Since its launch at Web 2.0 Summit, November 9, 2006 as the first people search engine for social profiles and online identity, Wink has maintained its leadership with over 250 million people listed in its search engine. Many of the popular social networks that have joined the OpenSocial effort are already searchable via Wink, including MySpace, Hi5, LinkedIn, Bebo and Friendster.
Tags: peoplesearch, wink.com, OpenSocial, wink, people search,
Wink Wins People Search Engine Smackdown
Web Worker Daily posted a review “Testing the People Search Engines” and concluded that Wink was the winner. Here’s what Mike Gunderloy had to say:
Wink was the exception in this group. It’s very quick at what it does, and very good at providing just a few, targeted results. With an easy-to-remember URL, it’s a good starting place. If you want to add just one people-searching site to your repertoire, on top of whatever general-purpose search engine you already use, Wink would be the one that I’d start with.
Om Malik posted about the review as: The People Search Engine Smackdown at GigaOm.
There are many ways to find people online - and it is a genuine need. Some services provide more detailed information like your street address and phone number, or other public data. For the searcher, the more the better. For the person being searched, they may feel uneasy if they are concerned about privacy. What Wink - and several others I think - are trying to do is provide search across the more social part of the Web. It makes sense to start with the social networks and grow out from there. There are already over 300 million profiles on social networks and then hundreds of millions beyond that in other kinds of places online - without getting into the White pages.
We’ve had may very nice notes from users who have found long lost friends or family members or classmates. And we’ll keep making it better.
While it’s unrealistic to think everyone will come create their own profile, there is a way for anyone who wants to manage what information is posted about them. Wink lets you claim and update your profile, which you can do here.
Cheers,
Michael
Tags: peoplesearch, wink.com, wink, people search,
Wink People Search Selected by PC Magazine in Top 100
As the need to find people becomes more common, people are associating the name Wink with People Search. PC Magazine just listed Wink as one of its Top 100 Undiscovered Web Sites. This is a great list of sites that are new - some already well known to people who spend a lot of time online, some just being discovered. Here’s what PC Magazine editor Kyle Monson had to say:
Our list of the new and/or undiscovered Web sites that have grabbed our attention this year. You’ll see a large collection of Web applications and tech sites, excellent blogs, offbeat social networks, and, as always, a handful of addictive Flash games for those slow days at work.
Some of these sites are completely under the radar and get very little traffic. Others are hugely popular within a specific demographic. But all of them deserve to be in your bookmarks.
Thanks PC Magazine!
If you haven’t claimed your Wink profile yet, it’s an easy way to manage how you want to be seen online. Just click here.
Cheers,
Michael
Tags: peoplesearch, wink.com, wink, people search,
People Search News
People Search has been in the news lately. Wink People Search is one of the first services that let you find people across social networks and other places on the Web. There are now several people search services available.
A recent story in the BBC covered the space well:
Web Search Engines Get Personal
With Wink, you can claim your own profile on the Web so that you can manage how others see you online. You can decide which of your places and links to include: MySpace, Facebook, Bebo, linkedIn, Friendster, Hi5, Xanga, Twitter, your blog, etc.
Wink has 215,000,000 people profiles and growing. So we should be able to find most people. And if we can’t find them now, we will be able to soon.
If you have found someone online using Wink, please share your story at feedback@wink.com
Cheers,
Michael
Tags: peoplesearch, wink.com, wink, people search,