1. Looking into Research Tools Amanda Bainbridge June 23 rd , 2008 Trends

2. google.com/trends Allows you to compare the trendiness of the topics that interest you by looking at how often those topics have been searched for. trendsspotting.com A blog which reports on and predicts trends based on marketing research, observation, and insight. socialmediamethod.com A social media trend blog designed to help people and businesses understand what is going on with social media. readwriteweb.com A blog which reports on Web Technology news and trends. More trend sites…..

3. 2008 trendcentral.com prediction, “Next big web property?”: that the web series called quarterlife would raise the bar for online video and appeal to young people, while its website would also serve as a social networking portal. Trendcentral probably felt this prediction likely to hold true due to the recent explosion in popularity of online video sites like youtube.com, or even online rental sites like netflix.com, where movies and series are immediately viewable by subscribers. Additionally, quarterlife ’s social networking property would seem to nearly guarantee popularity, with social networking sites such as facebook.com and myspace.com having met with such great success among young people. 1. http://www.trendcentral.com

4. http://www.alleyinsider.com http://summize.com However, very few people are chatting about the series. Recent blogs about quarterlife reached their peak with only 50-some people writing about it on one day, and on Twitter, almost no one was talking about the show – in fact, most mentions of the term “quarterlife” were using it to refer to something besides the web series. Perhaps this lack of popularity has to do with a lack of publicity? Or is it merely the case that the people who talk about quarterlife only use quarterlife to do so, rather than blog sites or twitter? Either way, for the larger public group, the trend prediction seems not to have held true.

5. 2008 trendcentral.com prediction, “Couch Swap on Facebook”: that a Facebook application called CouchSwap, developed by TripUp/SideStep, would tap into a trust between Facebook users, allowing couch swapping to become a success, especially with college students traveling on the cheap. This trendcentral prediction was likely made because of the relatively recent addition – and following popularity – of applications on facebook in general, as well as the rising popularity of informal classifieds sites like craigslist.org, where users sell goods in various conditions to other users, and a trust is built based on this upfront person-to-person sales design. 2. http://www.trendcentral.com

6. http://summize.com http://www.facebook.com However, the application no longer even seems to exist on facebook itself, is not being talked about on twitter or in blogs, and no longer even has a web presence with official information about it. The failure of this prediction to hold true may simply be due to the fact that since applications became an element of facebook in May of 2007, more than 29,000 applications have been added – making it less likely that all will be noticed or become popular with users. Also, while facebook used to offer a security advantage over myspace.com by being open only to colleges (and later, only to schools in general), it is now open to everyone to use, rendering that trusted network that this prediction and program relied on a good deal less secure.

7. http://www.socialmediamethod.com 2008 socialmediamethod.com prediction: that on social networking sites, there would be a good deal of growth among more mature users – parents of teens, professionals, and even senior citizens. This prediction likely seemed accurate, at least within facebook, because of that same change mentioned previously – facebook is now open to the general public. Anyone can create an account and interact with anyone, and just as the opportunity to keep in touch and remain socially connected with friends had appealed so much to students, it was also likely to appeal to mature adults. Similarly, for parents who had previously been unable to easily monitor their children’s activity on facebook, this new opening was sure the be seen as a welcome opportunity to become more informed. 3.

8. http://cpmadvisors.com http://www.facebook.com Indeed, a search for statistics on facebook demographics seem to confirm this predicted growth, with a 39% increase of users over 35, and a 31% increase of users over 50, just between 11/2007 and 02/2008. On myspace.com, a search for 35-50 year old users comes up with 3000+ matches, while on facebook.com, a search for the class of 1980 brings up hundreds of 40-and 50-somethings, just in the Minneapolis area. Likely, just as socialmediamethod predicted, parents whose children were already on social networking sites have quickly taken the opportunity to join themselves, and more mature members have felt welcomed by the broadening range of people and friends using these sites.