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Lycos Announces Webon, The First User-Extensible Publishing Platform

Wednesday 16. July 2008 - Rich Internet Application Supports OpenSocial API, Lets Anyone Create Dynamic, Interactive Social Websites

Lycos, Inc., a leading provider of social publishing, media and search services, announces its new Webon publishing platform. With Webon, users can easily create dynamic, stylish, interactive websites using an intuitive drag-and-drop interface with familiar word processor-like text editing. Webon is also the first platform allowing users to customize and extend publishing options by creating styles and social gadgets other builders can use.

Built with network-awareness in mind, Webon’s use of open standards enables users to take advantage of existing social networks, blogs and other web services. Sites built with Webon automatically include support for the following:

– OpenSocial-compatible add-ons and gadgets, including those created by other users

– Profiles with Activity Streams that let visitors track site updates

– OpenID for blog and photo album comments, allowing visitors to interact using the identities they’ve worked hard to establish

– Participation in the blogosphere through RSS, Pinging and Trackback

Webon is the latest example of Lycos’s continued push into community- focused innovation, following on the heels of the newly relaunched Lycos Cinema and Gamesville communities.

“Webon is designed for mass market consumers, giving them the ability to create dynamic, social sites that can be extended by the community, adding value to their existing social space,” said Don Kosak, Chief Technology Officer for Lycos, Inc. “People don’t want to abandon the investment they’ve made establishing their identity and network of friends, and Webon’s use of open standards preserves that investment and adds depth to their web presence.”

Webon automatically manages the most difficult aspects of dynamic site building, putting builders back in charge, giving them full control of their content without the need for HTML.

Webon features allow builders to:
– create a site without registering
– jump-start the site creation process with kits for many common uses
– flip between styles and see the effect on content immediately
– fully integrate blogs and photo albums
– easily add widgets from other sites


– save changes automatically and back-ups are taken whenever sites are published

– create multiple sites with the same account, and hosted without ads

Additionally, Webon’s drag-and-drop editor supports resizable photos and rich text. Builders can easily add photos from their computer or input from familiar photo sites and drag-and-drop with ease.

The new Webon service is advertising-free and free to publish. Builders are only asked to register once they elect to publish their sites. Additionally, Webon offers a monthly subscription plan which includes a domain name, unlimited photo storage and upcoming benefits including video support.