Multiply

I stared fiddling with websites like 13 yrs ago when I first started teaching. Back then they were dumb, nothing but links, then clunky, nothing but dumb graphics and links. 2-3 years ago when I wanted to save & post my columns I discovered this cool service called Blogger, where you could just upload what you wrote and it automatically archived it (http://tedscolumn.blogspot.com). Now there was content, not just links! Then I started getting more into the photography.

Cheerleaders wanted to see their pictures. There was a coaching website service where you could upload pictures, but it was a pain and I wanted to integrate my blog there, but it wouldn't let you. Lots of students were using these sites like photobucket and fliker and yahoo photo, but they weren't tons better. SInce all the kids seemed to have MySpace pages I thought I'd put one up just so they could find me once they graduated, but MySpace is insanely STUPID- it's pretty much a cross between passing notes, graffitti and a community bulletin board, besides college students don't use it, they use something called Facebook...

ANYWAY, one day my goddaughter, who is a painter in L.A. shared her website with me so that I could view a lot of her works. What I discovered was this free website service called Multiply. It was started just a couple of years ago by this guy who ised to be CBS SportsLine.com's President of Operations and Product Development. I really enjoy it because it allows you to post photos, blogs, videos, music and reviews all in one place. I think its easier to navigate than stupid MySpace and easier for me to post stuff to than trying to maintain my own website (which I still do anyway http://ted.mallory.googlepages.com/home.html). The beauty of Multiply is that you can use it like a "social networking" site like MySpace & FaceBook (if people register, they can leave comments or post to your bulletin board), or you can use it as away to make content available to the general public- photos, stuff for sale, cartoons, paintings etc. (Visitors don't HAVE to register if they don't want to, unlike FaceBook for example).

So now I can share pictures, links, and content (blog entries & reviews) As well as stuff I like that I want to share like songs and video clips. Pretty cool, huh? Its free and its not on my computer, also cool. But, what all those adolecent MySpaceers & FaceBookers need to learn is...don't put anything out there that you don't want EVERYONE to be able to see. (Although, Multiply does let you make some folders secure so that people can only have access to them if you email them an invitation.)

So, there I am at http://tmal.multiply.com, a habbit that has been too addictive, but at least I'm not smokin' meth, losing money on the ponies or frequenting girlie bars.