Isn't that how the advice goes to musicians. Regardless of how obscure or little known your band is, when justifying your popularity - or just talking smack, I think the line is supposed to be "We're big in Japan". Actually, ShopSavvy for iPhone and Android is made by a shop called "Big in Japan". I have no association, but I do like ShopSavvy for the Android. I have yet to try it on the iPhone.

This isn't what this post is about. Apparently, I'm actually big in China - and by big I mean, i got one visit. But it was a fairly interesting visit. Apparently Amazon MP3 Clips widget". Yeah, weird. Not a great claim to fame, but I'll take it.

Heard them this morning on CBC Radio 3 New Music Canada Track of the Day Podcast (yes Canadian Broadcast Company). I think they were featured on February 25th. At any rate, head on over to their MySpace page to hear the track I like (so far) Drawn in Crayon

Oh, I guess you can buy their EP on iTunes... I'm looking for another outlet. I don't buy from iTunes if I can help it. DRM Yo. Let me know if you find anything about them.

So I want to document here and for all humanity. Tonight, after months of looking for a clear and simple unsubscribe link in the bottom of the useless and unwanted email I get from classmates.com, I signed on to their cursed site (hate them slightly less than evite.com) and unsubscribed from everything. What I realize now I should have done is munged my information and email to be something like youmissedthesocial@networkboatyoufools.com. Then curious I wanted to see what their traffic was like. So I bopped over to Google Ad Planner and looked them up.

Classmates.com Demographic Data on Google Ad Planner

So then I got to thinking 17M Uniques Worldwide (Nearly all of which are US) doesn't suck, but I wonder how it compares to say another their's to lose early player in the social network space, Friendster.com
Friendster.com Demographic Data on Google Ad Planner

So I guess there is some consolation for the craptastic classmates.com - they are handily beating friendster.com in the US. Now, why all the hating on classmates.com?

• They violated the I-give-you-my-email social contract of the web by not having an easy unsubscribe link in their email
• They are not remotely relevant to me, their demographic sweet spot appears to be women just shy of my mother's age who started but did not finish college
• With the information I've given them they should be able to tailor a marketing message that remotely piques my interest?
• I am never going to become a gold member! - stop asking

Finally, because it wouldn't be laughable without including the email here it is below. Note, the "One Sweet Day" reference... To my point above: Are they really asking me if I blared "One Sweet Day" in the school parking lot? The song that came out a couple years after I graduated High School sung by Mariah Carey featuring Boyz II Men. At any rate, I'll be sure and let you know when the emails show up again. I don't believe for a minute that my email-confirmed-your-settings-are-saved interaction will stick.

Surfing the NY Times on a ridiculously gorgeous July 5th - don't worry I'm on my way out. There is an interesting piece about how Twitter has turned up as something useful. Turns out the savvy brands are watching their names on Twitter. Have a look for yourself:

PRACTICAL TRAVEL

Twitter Comes to the Rescue

By MICHELLE HIGGINS, Published: July 5, 2009
From bad airplane seats to poor room service, customers are getting surprisingly fast responses to their tweets.