Timothy Post.com

I think I made a semantic mistake in my previous blog post, Hand Rolled Badges, when I called the Seal Generator a “code generator.” Actually, the Seal Generator is an “graphics generator” not a code generator. The difference being that the graphics generator let’s users customize a graphic file but does not give the user the actual embed code. Instead, the user can download the graphic/image and then go through the manual process I detailed in the Hand Rolled Badges post to create a web badge.

My guess on why most graphics generators don’t offer their users the embed code is because then they would need to actually host the graphic file (think YouTube, Flickr, etc). Most of these graphic generators don’t want to incure the hosting and bandwidth costs associated with being a “real” web service.

I think most folks view these graphics generators as cute one-trick ponies. In other words, fun “toys” without much importance in the larger discussion of web2.0.

I disagree completely. I believe that these “cute” little graphic generators are actaully first generation “badge engines” (i.e. code generators). Think for a second if your developers could combine a code generator with a javascript bookmarklet? Cool? Powerful? No doubt about it.

I will spend more time later writing about my ideas of how one might “marry” code generators, javascript bookmarklets, badge engines, badge hosting, exclusive graphical assets, DRM, licensed content, membership programs, social shopping, social identity, viral marketing, etc. But I do want to take a quick moment now to show you just how amazingly popular this cute little graphics generators have become recently.

Check out the right-hand sidebar in the following Generator Blog (I believe the author of the blog is Gerard Vlemmings from the Netherlands) There has to be over a hundred graphics generators listed. So, while graphics generators might still be perceived by many folks to be cute toys, I don’t think anyone can deny that there are hundreds, if not thousands of them floating around out there (i.e. they are pretty popular, otherewise why would folks continue to “build” them?).

One interesting note, when I posted the original blog post about the Seal Generator, it consistently was one of the most popular links clicked on my blog for a number fo days afterwards.

And lastly, should you suggest that graphics generators are only for “Red State MySpace yahoos,” think again- Philips (Yes, the German multinational conglomerate - although it looks like it was created by some Philips’ folks in Brazil. See domain .br and the choice of Portuguese or English) has incorporated graphics generators in their World Cup viral marketing campaign. Check-out the following link called “Supporters Cheer Up.” You can see the “friends” I met at the website at the top of this blog entry.

// 09.09.2006 at 5:50 pm // Tagged webwidgets