What better way to start off the weekend then launching a new API for all you developers out there to play with.

This is our first go at an API so we’re really looking for any general feedback, bugs, or feature requests anyone may have to make the next API much more robust.

I am also giving away FREE Premium Memberships to any users who come up with any tools/mash-ups/whatever using our new API.

You can find the documentation for the API and generate your API key at:
http://www.blogcatalog.com/api/

<a href="http://blog.blogcatalog.com/category/community-challenge/" title="BlogCatalog - Blogging For a Great Cause"><img src="http://blogcatalog.com/~pub/bl_unite/bl_unite_badge_abuse1.jpg" alt="Bloggers Unite"></a>

<a href="http://blog.blogcatalog.com/category/community-challenge/" title="BlogCatalog - Blogging For a Great Cause"><img src="http://blogcatalog.com/~pub/bl_unite/bl_unite_badge_sm.jpg" alt="Bloggers Unite"></a>

<a href="http://blog.blogcatalog.com/category/community-challenge/" title="BlogCatalog - Blogging For a Great Cause"><img src="http://blogcatalog.com/~pub/bl_unite/bl_unite_icon_med.jpg" alt="Bloggers Unite"></a>

<a href="http://blog.blogcatalog.com/category/community-challenge/" title="BlogCatalog - Blogging For a Great Cause"><img src="http://blogcatalog.com/~pub/bl_unite/bl_unite_logo_sept.jpg" alt="Bloggers Unite"></a>

<a href="http://blog.blogcatalog.com/category/community-challenge/" title="BlogCatalog - Blogging For a Great Cause"><img src="http://blogcatalog.com/~pub/bl_unite/bloggersunite_cause2.jpg" alt="Bloggers Unite"></a>

<a href="http://blog.blogcatalog.com/category/community-challenge/" title="BlogCatalog - Blogging For a Great Cause"><img src="http://blogcatalog.com/~pub/bl_unite/bloggersunite_cause_simple1.jpg" alt="Bloggers Unite"></a>

<a href="http://blog.blogcatalog.com/category/community-challenge/" title="BlogCatalog - Blogging For a Great Cause"><img src="http://blogcatalog.com/~pub/bl_unite/bl_unite_logo1.jpg" alt="Bloggers Unite"></a>

On September 27th, join thousands of bloggers around the world in BlogCatalog’s Blogging for a Great Cause Challenge.

This Month’s Blogging Challenge:

Bloggers Against Abuse
September 27th, 2007

The Outcome we are after is to be part of the largest group of bloggers to ever blog about an important cause, all on the same day.

So how do you participate?

On Sept. 27th, blog about putting an end to some sort of Abuse (you decide what kind of abuse to blog about).  In the meantime though,

• Spread the word among all the bloggers you know. Perhaps even give them a link to this Discussion.
• If you are a graphic designer, perhaps you can come up with some small badges announcing the event, that we can then place on our blogs. To share the badge, place it on this thread.
• Let other members know of any organizations who are involved in putting an end to abuse.

What do you get?

• You will receive a link to your Blog Post from the Blogcatalog blog when we list everyone who participated.
• You get to use your blog for an important cause.
• You get to create blogging history.

Just because we’re running a $2,500 Big Idea Challenge doesn’t mean we’re out of ideas for improving BlogCatalog. We’re always hard at work making BlogCatalog a valuable resource for Bloggers and Blog Readers alike. We have made a lot of changes since our last major update, including:

• Discussion Search
  We’ve finally added the much needed search functionality to our Discussion Forums, making it much easier to find exactly what you’re looking for and maybe even some things you’re not.
• Meta Tag Verification
  We know that the real estate on your blog is valuable to you, and while we previously required either a widget or backlink to BlogCatalog to verify you as the owner of a blog, we now offer you the option to verify blog ownership through a simple meta-tag. Check out the bottom of your Buttons page for more information.
• Resubmission Process
  If you have ever tried making a change to your blog listing on BlogCatalog, our new resubmission process should bring a smile to your face. No longer do you have to go back in the queue any time you want to change to your listing, Updates are now instant!
• Broadcasts
  Our new broadcast system allows you to easily send a message to everyone who has added you as a friend and keep up with all your friends as well. Try broadcasting a new blog post your particularly proud of, a contest you may be running, or maybe just your random thoughts. You may be surprised too see who’s listening. You can find your Broadcasts in the right hand column of your profile.
• New Thumbshots Server
  Over the last month you may have noticed a change in the quality and accuracy of the Blog Thumbshots around the site. This is because we have created our own Thumbshots server to capture up-to-date screenshots of your blogs.

…and there is still a lot more to come.

If you haven’t already, don’t forget to submit your $2,500 Big Idea, welcome our newest team member Jonathan, and weigh in on you think the next BlogCatalog Blogging for Good Challenge should be.

We’re all very excited here at BlogCatalog. We have a new member of the team and I think you’ll be as happy with the addition as we all are.

Jonathan Phillips, who has a very popular blog, http://smartwealthyrich.com/, has been an active member of the BlogCatalog community since April. I know he’s been an inspiration to several members and has earned quite a few fans around here. He’s inspired us on more than one occasion too!

Jonathan is going to fill a brand new position for us as a blogger liaison. He knows a lot about blogs. He can offer advice to help make your blog better. He can give us advice on what would work best for bloggers. And as you can tell from the dozens and dozens of discussions, he’s smart, professional, always friendly, and someone you can count on to make things fun!

As blogger liaison, he can help with widgets, answer questions, accept ideas, and be our friendly neighborhood blogger go-to guy. (Just don’t overload him with a million questions all at once because I don’t want to scare him away!) You might not know it, but that is what Jonathan does on his blog too. He helps people succeed in social media.

I’m really psyched to have him on board. Our whole team is pleased to have him on board. He’s thrilled to be on board too! Please go see for yourself: http://smartwealthyrich.com/working-with-the-blogcatalog-team-im-thrilled/

He has two other really great blogs and I hope you’ll check them out:
http://www.freelancefolder.com
http://www.jonathan-phillips.com/

What else can I say? Please join me in welcoming Jonathan as the newest member of our BlogCatalog team! Just like he does on his blogs, I know he’ll help us make BlogCatalog the best it can be — interactive, informative, and fun.