Jaiku Returns With Unlimited Invites
When Google acquired the microblogging service Jaiku in October of last year, many people had high hopes for Jaiku's future. Would a Google-flavored Twitter soon show up everywhere from iGoogle to the upcoming Android handset, we wondered? Instead, news from the company slowed to a trickle and the doors stayed locked to newcomers - signs that many took to mean Google had essentially abandoned the service. But today, things are happening at Jaiku once again - most notably, unlimited invites are now available. Is Jaiku poised to make a comeback?
At the time of the acquisition by Google, Jaiku was a promising competitor to Twitter. This was before presidential debates were taking place via tweets or the Mars Phoenix Lander was announcing the discovery of ice on Mars. In fact, in many ways, Jaiku was thought to be the superior service, considering its features like threaded conversations, easy group creation, and RSS import. But once Google got its hands on the service, a whole lot of nothing seemed to happen.
Now, we're tentatively raising our hopes once again. As VentureBeat reports, Jaiku is back after several days spent offline in a move to Google's datacenters as they continue their move to Google's App Engine service, the Google answer to Amazon's web services stack. In addition, there is now a brand-new TOS that existing users must accept upon login, which brings the original up to Google standards, presumably.
However, what's most exciting is that users now have unlimited invites to share with their friends, a step we hope is just the first of many in Jaiku's rebirth. Yet, as exciting as a Google Twitter-like service is, so much time has passed that Twitter has the market share and mindshare of those that want to participate in a micro-blogging community. Jaiku has a long battle ahead if they truly want to compete now.
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Actually Jaiku didn't move to Google App Engine, they moved to a Google datacenter. The transition to App Engine isn't done yet
Posted by: leo hal | August 28, 2008 7:44 AM
@leo corrected - thank you
Can I request an invite from you folks?
Posted by: Aziz Poonawalla | August 28, 2008 8:17 AM
And now the service is down. Again.
Posted by: Niclas Strandh
|
August 28, 2008 8:30 AM
Indeed, invites wanted. :)
Posted by: mkpaa | August 28, 2008 8:31 AM
@Aziz, @mkpaa: I just invited you.
Hey there, I am interested to have a Jaiku account too. I was just moments late that time I want to sign up an account there. Thanks lots~!
Posted by: nzj | August 28, 2008 8:47 AM
can i get an invite as well.. thankx much
Posted by: hsetty | August 28, 2008 8:54 AM
Invite please! Between Friendfeed, Twitter and La.coni.ca I think Google should just cut it's losses and let it go. Unless instead of the U.S. market, they put an emphasis on the global market. Then I think they've got a chance. It worked for Friendster!?
Posted by: Appfrica | August 28, 2008 11:01 AM
invites sent!
Hi, if you have any more invites going spare I'd love one! Thanks :)
Posted by: David | August 28, 2008 12:09 PM
Hi Sarah, can I have a Jaiku invite please? Thanks!
Posted by: Jonathan Kong | August 28, 2008 1:12 PM
Saw the invite via email, thanks much for the quick send, Sarah! :D
Posted by: Jonathan Kong | August 28, 2008 1:46 PM
Too little and way, way too late, for me. Jaiku has been one of the most wretchedly ignored services I have ever seen, despite having a vastly superior comment method/display than Twitter. Even though I love Jaiku's reply-per-message system and channels, I'll stick with identi.ca because I trust it not to become Google abandonware.
Posted by: pfctdayelise | August 28, 2008 4:34 PM
I've been extremely curious about Jaiku. I would be very grateful for an invite. :)
More on topic, if Jaiku has moved to a Google data center we surely can expect much more consistent up time than that of Twitter. I do hope Google continues to grow this microblogging service despite my current love affair with Twitter.
Posted by: Skunkie | August 28, 2008 6:24 PM
Hey guys, could you please invite me as well. I would appreciate very much!
Posted by: Marko Pyhajarvi | August 29, 2008 5:26 AM
Jaiku? Not useful at all. In fact, why would you need a microblogging platform at all? What is the point of using something like Twitter? Just have a feed ready on your blog, just as I have done: Microblogging through your own blog
Lenin Nair
Creative writing expert
Posted by: Lenin Nair | August 29, 2008 7:16 AM
Sarah, thanks so much for the invite!
Posted by: Skunkie | August 29, 2008 5:04 PM