As you may have noticed, this blog has been reloaded. Content has been reorganized, new features -- namely a virtual currency -- have been installed, and the design has been tweaked. It's not just a blog anymore; it's an ActoWorld.

I hope it is clear how the ActoWorld reflects many of the things we've been talking about here:

1. Inverse Universe: ActoWorlds are built with RSS, APIs, and open source apps
2. Publishing 2.0: Obtaining profits through free media used to build communities
3. The Mythology of the ActoNetwork: Using blogs/social media to build infomediaries
4. Platform Strategies: Creating niche platforms designed to intermediate transactions in a given niche

What's New Here in Kid Mercury's World?

The key feature that was implemented was the virtual currency, which enables a points system to be integrated, and thus allows for games created. This, I feel, is a critical role that bloggers/commmunity moderators will end up growing into; being the moderators, or the referees, of the games played in the community. This relates to overall changes we are seeing in the social networking space, as I think the key basis of competition we are moving towards is community governance.

To be honest, the product is not totally complete yet, and the world will need to be reloaded once again (once the killer shopping cart from vBCredits comes out) before it can really live up to its full promise. But we are ready to progress a bit further with our plans to become the heroes who redeem the world.

Introducing The ActoNetwork


The ActoNetwork site has also been completely relaunched. Check it out, it has lots of fun pictures, and helps to communicate our mission statement, visual aesthetic, and marketing story. It also sheds some insight into what I feel is a key part of the changing face of business: alliances formed between small businesses, which will help businesses find ways to share data and maximize profits while also giving customers total freedom.

The ActoNetwork Wants YOU

Well, maybe. I'm going to start building more ActoWorlds, and working on a revenue sharing basis. This is something I've been meaning to do for a while, although now is definitely the time to proceed more aggressively with that agenda. If you feel you are destined to be the One who gives his/her community a whole new world -- YOUR WORLD, one that frees them from the false reality of the matrix -- feel free to contact me. Of course, I've got my ear to the street, and will be building worlds for talented publishers as well. So maybe I'll contact you.