• 09/28/2008 - My Lovely Wife Lou is Pregnant
• 12/14/2007 - ArtistServer News and a new site: FreeMusicLicensing.com
• 09/18/2007 - AritstServer and ToneThis Serve Up Indie Ringtones
• 09/11/2007 - Running LightTPD and PHP on Windows
• 09/06/2007 - Compete.com -vs- Alexa.com - Comparing Website Rank
• 08/29/2007 - HostMySite.com Limits ColdFusion, Does Not Tell Customers
• 08/14/2007 - New Song: Chocolate Rain - Sonic Remix
• 08/03/2007 - If You Use Open Source, Leave the License and Credit
• 07/31/2007 - Add Links to Profiles on MySpace, Facebook, and More
• 07/23/2007 - SocialNetwork.in API Promotes Cross Site Networking

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While at the Emerging Technology Conference earlier this week, I handed out 20 folders containing information about ArtistServer.com. I've been sitting on a few of my plans and haven't posted anything online about them, and since this information was in those folders, I feel it's time to start talking about one or two of those plans/ideas here on my blog so they are published publicly under my name.

Yes... we're talking “TOP SECRET” stuff here! Are you ready?

• Concept: Fan Blogging or Group Blogging - Initially, the service is for artists and bands who perform, but can and will be extended to provide the service for any type of event or location.
  

• Summary: To provide the means for an audience and/or participants of an event or location gathering to self document using photos and video from mobile devices. In addition, this system provides a greater opportunity for follow up sales and marketing through the Website which displays the user generated content. Lastly, depending on the settings, a contact list can also be generated which helps one grow their network.

Before I go through the flow of the process, I'll give you a scenario using this system.

Scenario:

Ok, we have this band, and they've joined ArtistServer.com, and they're going on tour across Europe or the U.S. A few of the guys in the band have mobile phones, one possibly has a laptop. Since they're using ArtistServer and have an upgraded account, they'll have access to the Fan Blogging tools. The first show is in their home town, so before the gig, they login to the site, and create a new Fan Blogging Event. After entering the start and end times, a title, some tags and the status setting (which sets if the published content needs band approval first), they publish the Event to ArtistServer. Before heading to the gig, they print out a bunch of flyers with the band's Fan Blogging address: BandName@mobpub.com – this way they can get the word out to the fans at the show on how they can participate.

The band is now at the club/venue, the flyers are placed around at the tables and just before the show starts, the singer announces, “Good evening everyone... All of you that have mobile phones that can snap photos or video, and can also email them to people, we have something for you to do tonight. If you take any photos, or video here at the show, send it to our Fan Blogging address – it's printed on the flyers, which is: BandName@mobpub.com. When you do this, your photo or video will be posed on our band's Website! Plus, if you do this, you'll be sent a message back to your phone asking you if you want a free ringtone! It's our new song, This Is Our New Song, and it rocks. If you are confused, just take a photo and send it to that address – you'll see. After the show, you can always check out the photos from this gig by visiting our site. Check it out at: ArtistServer.com/BandName."

The band launches into their first song and right away, a few people pull out their phones, run up to the band and start snapping photos and video. While back at their seats, they select the photo they like the most, tap in the address, and off it goes. A minute later, these people receive a text message from ArtistServer.com which they probably won't hear it while inside the club, so it stays valid for a day. If they do hear or feel their phone, they can then accept that they wish to be added to the contact list for the band and be sent another message with a link to the free ringtone.

The fans start having fun with it now, and realize that they should start taking photos of each other and themselves at the show to post on the band's site. As the night carries on, the band gets into photos with fans, takes photos from the stage themselves, and posing for group photos. All the while, the photos and video are generating a real-time Website for the event – even text messages getting posted alongside the media.

It's now the next evening, the band is about to head out to the next gig but decide to pull over to a WiFi hotspot to look at last night's show. To their surprise, there's dozens of photos and video, not to mention another 15 new signups on their contact list. Not bad for only filling out a form on a site, passing out a few flyers and making one announcement at the show. The band is now even more motivated for tonight's gig, and head out the door in a rush.

Due to the quick exit, they forgot to setup a Fan Blogging Event for tonight's gig. But that's not a problem, since several of them have mobile phones. One of them flips his mobile open and sets the event up either using a J2ME application on the phone, or by sending a simple text message to their account with the settings inside. ArtistServer.com pings them back with a text message so they know the Event was added, and they're ready to go.

This is only part 1 - be sure to view part 2.