Bloggers Unite to support Human Rights in Iran on Monday June 29th.

Violence, arrests, crackdowns and media blackouts continue to increase in the aftermath of the recent Iranian presidential elections. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_Iranian_election_protests

On Monday June 29th, we ask Bloggers from around the globe to Unite for a Free Iran. Please JOIN this event and use your blog to educate your readers and spread the word about how we can help support a Free Iran.

For more information on this eent or for some suggestions on how you can help, please visit http://www.bloggersunite.org/event/free-iran

In the News

Swine Flu Virus Causing Global Concerns
The Swine Flu virus, which has caused 81 deaths in Mexico and has been confirmed to have infected individuals in the United States, Canada and Spain, is now believed to have spread to the UK, Brazil, Israel, Australia and New Zealand.

The global spread of the virus is causing public health officials around the world to take notice and to take action to contain its spread. The spread of the virus is also having a negative impact on several industries.  Stocks for companies in both the pork and airline industries have taken hits.

Read what BlogCatalog bloggers are writing about the Swine Flu:

• Stock Index Falls on Swine Flu Worries
• Swine Flu Confirmed in NYC High School Students
• 2 Suspected Cases of Swine Flu Reach Israel

…more BC results for Swine Flu

Obama’s First 100 Days
Obama’s first hundred days have come and gone.  While such a short period of time can not give us a definite answer of whether or not he will be a successful president, it at least gives us a good look at his management style and an idea of what we can expect in the future.

Read what BC bloggers have to say about the Obama’s 100 days:

• Americans Split on Torture as Polls Approve Obama’s First 100 Days
• First 100 Days
• A Recap of Barack Obama’s First 100 Days

…more BC results for Obama’s First 100 Days

Facebook vs Twitter
According to an article by Eric Schonfeld on techcrunch.com, Facebook has “opened up its activity stream through a new API for developers.”  Schonfeld says this is a “big deal” because certain applications will allow two-way communication and will essentially allow Facebook to “compete head to head with Twitter.”

Read the whole article at techcrunch.com.

See what BC bloggers are saying about Facebook:

• Facebook Launching Developer APIs
• Facebook Updates Feed API Features

Bloggers Unite

Bloggers Unite For Hunger and Hope

BlogCatalog members and Heifer International are partnering to call for the end of world hunger and start of hope on April 29. All we ask is that you join thousands of other bloggers and write a post about world hunger on April 29. You can make a difference.

To get more information on this event go to http://www.bloggersunite.org/event/unite-for-hunger-and-hope.  There you will find more information on Heifer International, a list of the 527 (and counting) bloggers swho have signed up to participate, as well as a list of articles submitted on the subject of world hunger.

Featured BC Members

Check out the profiles of some of the Blogcatalog community members you may not yet know:

• Like video games and zombies? Check out MarcusFenix
• Interested in network marketing? Check out theincometeam
• Into jewelry, art and fun? Check out kristinfriesen

As you may know, many BlogCatalog members are fueling their blogs with traffic from Twitter, which is used by more than 4.5 million people. Some also use Twitter to stay up on hot topics.

The success of our member using Twitter made us take notice. So, BlogCatalog recently purchased Tweetfeed.com to help you get the most out of Twitter. Tweetfeed.com is a customizable presentation Web application that captures Twitter activity in real time.

But now, it does even more since we’ve added real time topic trends, personal profiles, and topic widgets. The widget is one of our favorite new additions. You can add it to any blog or Web site in seconds.

What Can You Do With the TweetFeed Widget?

You can the widget for topical information and then place it on your blog. For example, a nonprofit could track and display cause-related Twitter conversations; a fan group could track and display Twitter conversations about their favorite actors and shows; or companies could display conversations about their successes, even if they have multiple employees participating on Twitter. It’s completely customizable so it’s all up to you.

The widget not only links to the conversations, but to your Tweetfeed.com profile page. The new profile page displays all your feeds, helps promote your blog, and makes it easy to help people connect to you on Twitter.

Check it out! All you have to do is visit Tweetfeed.com

BlogCatalog is always on the look out for new features that can get your blog more traffic as well as enhance the value of your blog to visitors, so that they keep on coming back.

We found a tool that we think you’ll really like. BlogCatalog has partnered with JargonFish, a company that offers a free, customizable widget that when added to your blog will increase your blog’s traffic and provide your readers with a convenient way to find blogs from other BlogCatalog members.

So how does JargonFish work?

Once on your blog, the JargonFish widget highlights keywords that you select. When a visitor click on those highlighted keywords, a small JargonFish window is launched providing the visitor with a variety of helpful resources related to that keyword including related blog posts from BlogCatalog members, as well as some other leading content providers, including Digg and Technorati.

What does this mean?

This means that you will be receiving traffic from other members who add the JargonFish tool as well as providing your blog readers with more reasons to visit your site.

To see the JargonFish widget in action and add it to your blog visit http://www.blogcatalog.com/jargonfish/

If you like what you see, visit http://www.jargonfish.com/builder/signup.htm?sourceId=5 where you can further customize the JargonFish tool.

Hey guys, I wanted to introduce you to the newest widget in the BlogCatalog family, the Newsfeed widget. Basically, it’s tied into the information you have shared with the blogcatalog community to share with the readers of your blog. Now, your fans get a chance to see your favorite websites, stumbles, twitters, and blogcatalog activities!

Available in a variety of colors, the widget is a fun and dynamic addition to any blog because while you are being active online the widget is constantly changing for your readers giving them the opportunity to catch your latest suggestions and updates. It also gives users the opportunity to add your feed to their RSS reader so they can follow your favorite stories and videos at their convenience.

This is a great way to promote your posts and your friends posts, so take some time and check out the NewsFeed widget here: http://www.blogcatalog.com/account.widget.php?type=feed

Also, we have finally updated the profile page with their own personal activity feeds. Now you can check out your favorite members feeds from their profile, if you like what you see you can add them as a friend to place them in your dashboards newsfeed.

The Dashboard’s news feed gives a chance for you and your friends stories going viral. As soon as BlogCatalog sees that you have a new post, we put it in your followers feeds so they can check it out right away. Also, if they digg or stumble the post then THEIR friends can see your posts, and if those friends digg or stumble the post then THEIR friends will see it… and so on… and so on… So not only is it a great way to get the latest news, blog posts, and entertainment but it gives you a chance to promote your favorite webpages to the people following you and vice versa!

Oh and for those of you looking for the ever so popular Neighborhood posts you can now find them in the right hand column below the Favorite Discussions, or even better, for a larger view you can see them in your dashboard here: http://www.blogcatalog.com/dashboard/neighborhoods/