As part of my effort to help you find meaning(ful applications) in your e-life, i’m starting a regular column called The netGuide. In these blog posts I will briefly talk about some of my website findings from across the web and how they help solve old problems in new and creative ways.

In today’s web wanderings we’re going deep into birdy territory with a.viary.com – a comprehensive suite of free online software that promises to be the next generation of media editing. Invites inside.

Website: a.viary.com
Category: Media Editing and Collaboration
Web Traffic: Launched in Oct. 2007, and growing quickly. Currently ranked 41,500 according to Alexa.

As my colleague Alan first talked about HERE, Aviary is a suite of online media editing tools that can be used to edit images, audio and video, as well as accomplish a host of other functions, like font creation and desktop publishing, all accessed through the web browser.  There’s a few things that really distinguish Aviary from its competitors: the scope of the product offering is incredible – the numerous editing tools combine offerings from Photoshop, Illustrator, and a host of other software products that people pay hundreds, even thousands of dollars for. It’s free now but it will be interesting to see how it monitizes the website through ads, corporate licensing fees, etc.  The tools are only accessible online, so for most people with stable internet connections, this means you don’t have to install software that eats up your hard drive and which locks you to only one machine. Additionally, the tools are applied on a collaborative platform that allows people to form relationships and work together in the editing process, which may change the way we develop creative content.

The Aviary suite of media tools promises to reinvent the way people access and edit media, using the Internet, and threatens many well entrenched companies. Although I have only tinkered with the tools, the experience is intuitive and user friendly, while still retaining a large degree of the depth required for sophisticated editing. Currently a.viary is invitation only as it develops, but despite this, or perhaps because of this, web-traffic to the site has skyrocketed as people spread the word about something cool and innovative (‘talk-worthy’) to real world friends, e-friends, and community co-members.

I just received my invite (from weeks ago), which prompted this post, and I have 3 more that I will give out to the first 3 comments requesting one.  I ask that in the sake of community spirit, if you receive an invite, please check back with this post to see if there are others after you who want one too!

Question Period:

This is an example of the first wave of web-based software that is replacing PC-based software. Increasingly we are seeing innovative web-solutions that are built on the Web 2.0 model. What do you think about this?

• What is the argument for, and against, web based software being a convenient solution?
• What are your thoughts on potential Intellectual Property issues related to Aviary’s media storing, peer-collaboration, etc.
• How do you think competing companies like Adobe will respond?