Q: Are there any examples of polling widgets?

Yes!

http://www.widgetbox.com/widget/quimble-poll

http://www.widgetbox.com/widget/buzzdash-live-polls-on-everything

Also, search for "poll" on Widgetbox.com or for widgets tagged with the keyword poll.

Q: What is Widgetbox's business model?

Our business model is to make our community successful. We mean it! We currently have our DevShare program live on Facebook, and we will be extending DevShare to other places on the web in the future.

Q: How does one monetize widgets -- is there an ad delivery mechanism and network being built for widgets specifically?

There is not currently an ad delivery mechanism specifically built for widgets, although there are a lot of people experimenting with widgets as ads. Currently you can monetize widgets with Widgetbox through DevShare, which will be extended to other places on the web in the future.

Q: What do widget developers get for participating in Widgetbox ("give data, to get data")?

Widget developers get their widgets published in our gallery, their widgets individually SEO optimized, a metrics dashboard for their widgets, the ability to quickly and easily turn their widgets into full, stand-alone Facebook and Bebo apps, OpenSocial support, one-click install options to a myriad of destinations, MySpace soft keys for link out abilities, access to our millions of users, the ability to make money through DevShare, and participation in our global developer community.

We're always adding more features and benefits, so let us know if there is something in particular you'd like to see.

Q: I have a widget that uses page content - can I read content from the hosting page?

Certainly! Have you read about our Tag Aware feature?

http://docs.widgetbox.com/help/smartblogs/using-tag-aware-widgets/

Q: I have Javascript that adds links to content - can I add links (write) to the hosting page?

Unfortunately, no. Widgets run inside an IFrame. Content in an IFrame (whether it's a widget or not) can not write data back to the main page in the way you are describing.

Q: Hi, question about MySpace. Has anything changed in regards to links going out of MySpace?

There have been a number of updates! We've recently upgraded the "wrapper" we place around Flash widgets when they're installed on MySpace. This wrapper enables users to access in-widget links to external URLs via "soft keys".  

http://blog.widgetbox.com/2008/02/new-improved-in.html

You'll notice that we've also added ActionScript 3 support. If you'd like to make your AS3-based Flash widget compatible with the "soft keys", there's some example code you can download from here:

http://docs.widgetbox.com/developers/guide/flash/

Additionally, has MySpace a new "you're leaving our site" warning page that appears from time to time when users click on a link that takes them away from MySpace. As you may know, MySpace is supporting Google's new OpenSocial initiative. As a result, widgets that are compatible with MySpace's OpenSocial implementation may be able to link to external URLs without using a "wrapper" that's similar to the one Widgetbox provides. We're actively monitoring MySpace's OpenSocial beta implementation and hoping for the best, just like you!

Q: Is there any difference in the end result if you use Widgetbox's Facebook app accelerator vs build a Facebook app from scratch in terms of what it can do, the info it can access, etc.?

The App Accelerator provides an easy way to make your existing Widgetbox widget to a Facebook app without writing or knowing the Facebook APIs. If you're in a situation where you need direct access to Facebook APIs, then it may be better for you to write a native Facebook app. However, do keep in mind that we provide an excellent means to make use of FBML and the Notifications API in your "app accelerated" widget:

http://docs.widgetbox.com/developers/app-accelerator/guide/

Q: For Web Page based widget creation, does the web page have to conform to certain dimensions or do we need to recreate the page in smaller dimensions before we can run the Widgetbox tools to widgetize it?

Widgets are placed on other web pages, meaning that their size needs to be smaller than a full size web page. In this case, it sounds best to re-create the page in smaller dimensions. We've discovered that users of widgets are unlikely to install a widget that's a full size web page or not optimized for placement within their existing pages.

Also, be aware of the Widgetbox gallery requirements.

Q: For the Blidget, is it possible to change the default dimensions for landscape and and potrait orientations?

Thank you for your suggestion. We're actively working on ways to improve the blidget.

Q: So can you make a widget of a submission tool on your own website, which submits information to your MySQL database?

Certainly. You could create a widget-sized web page on your server that talks to your MySQL database. Then, create a Web Page widget on Widgetbox. Simply tell our Make a Widget tool the URL to your widget-sized web page.

Q: Can you convert all widgets to Flash?

From a technical perspective, it's not possible to automatically convert non-Flash content (i.e. HTML) to Flash - whether it's a widget or not.

Q: Do you have an API-driven setup or some other way to widgetize, say, a few hundred feeds from one site?

Not at the moment. However, if you'd like to register a large amount of widget content with Widgetbox, contact our business development team via email: partnerships at widgetbox dot com.

Q: What about more colors for the Blidget?

Thank you for your suggestion to improve the blidget. We're always looking to improve our products and will take your suggestion into account.

Q: I made a blog widget, how can I find out who has published the widget on their sites?

Access your Widget Dashboard and click the "View more details" link within the Analytics panel. The "Hits by Domain" panel will show you the list of domains where your widget has been installed to.

Q: How do I track the activity from my widget? Did I miss that info?

The new Widget Dashboard displays your widget's analytics. Click the "View more details" link in the lower right hand corner of the Widget Analytics box to see more activity data.

Q: How would i make a Google or Yahoo map map widget?

It's simple - just make a Google or Yahoo map as you would ordinarily, taking into account that it should be size-optimized to be placed on another webpage.  

Google Maps - http://code.google.com/apis/maps/

Yahoo Maps - http://developer.yahoo.com/maps/

Q: Do you still have just two widths (170px and 400px)?

Are you talking about the Blidget? We're always looking to enhance our existing products and will take your suggestion into account.

Q: Are widgetbox's widgets suitable to run on a very busy welcome page?

It's all up to you! There are plenty of widgets in our gallery that you can use to complement your existing welcome page.

Q: I use a custom input form on a dynamic web site. What is best tool to use to convert the form into a widget?

The best way to convert the form into a widget is to reduce its size (i.e. 320 x 240) and then make a Web Page widget that points to the form's URL.

Q: If you're totally new to creating widgets, will you have more training in the future?

Definitely. Please let us know what type of topics you would like to discuss. We're always looking for great suggestions.

Q: Are there any known issues with the metrics reporting? I noticed recently that my numbers hadn't updated for almost a week and a half.

Our metrics system was behind in its processing of data. However, it's caught up right now and the data presented should be up to date.

Q: Can I take contributions through a widget?

Certainly! Take a look at the ChipIn widget:

http://www.widgetbox.com/widget/chipin

Q: Hello, I would like to allow my users to create a widget on the fly from my site that incorporates the RSS feed on their profile page. It would ideally use a template that I created but just fill in the address of their specific feed.

You could use our Tag Aware feature to accomplish this:

http://docs.widgetbox.com/help/smartblogs/using-tag-aware-widgets/

Q: I hope to take a widget and then add it to NetVibes directory, can we expect that soon?

Currently we enable developers to publish in the Facebook and Bebo galleries through our AppAccelerators. Any of our widgets can be posted to Netvibes, but we do not currently publish them in the Netvibes gallery.

Q: Also, are there any plans on expanding the tracking to show the full path to the page that users are viewing rather than just domain? I'd like to be able to see what kind of pages my widget is being used on.

Thanks for your suggestion. We're working hard to improve our metrics and will take your idea into account.

Q: You've demonstrated some simple widgets. What are some of the more sophisticated ones able to do?

The Widgetbox gallery contains a number of sophisticated widgets. Here are just a few:

http://www.widgetbox.com/widget/march-madness-2008

http://www.widgetbox.com/widget/phozi

http://www.widgetbox.com/widget/ski-bonk

Q: Last "webinar" you mentioned improvements to your analytics system. What is the progress on this initiative?

We're actively working on it! We know how important analytics are in measuring your widget's success.

Q: As my company (a casual game site) is moving beyond a destination site to widgets, we're trying to decide which widget platform to bet on. Is it possible to have a conversation with someone in your team to discuss the Widgetbox platform?

Of course. Please contact us via email: partnerships at widgetbox dot com.

Q: Can we do Blidgets with a personalized size? I mean, I don't want to have to choose between some pre-defined sizes... thnx

Thank you for your suggestion.

Q: Is there an API that we can use to publish a large number of similar widgets? We have thousands of topical widgets (e.g. France, Astronomy, Albert Einstein etc.), but we need a way to publish them automatically, in batch mode.

Not at the moment. However, if you'd like to register a large amount of widget content with Widgetbox, contact our business development team: partnerships at widgetbox dot com.

Q: Can easily I use a widget as an e-mail sign-up tool -- how?

Certainly. We suggest you create a Flash or Web Page widget that stores e-mail addresses submitted by users into a database. Just tell our Make a Widget tool the URL to your widget!

Q: Can you parametrize the feed url for blidgets?

Not at the moment. However, thank you for your suggestion.

Q: Can you extend this to enabling widgets on something like the iPhone? Creating either a WebApp for iPhone or a true iPhone App - Basically an iPhone accelerator?

We're all fans of the iPhone and iPod Touch and how both devices can display web content meant for desktop web browsers. Have you ever accessed Widgetbox.com on either device and noticed how HTML / JS and Web Page widgets work unaltered?

Q: Any plans for Microsoft Healthvault?

Thanks for the suggestion! We will look into it.

Q: Can you place a number of clickable links inside a widget?

Certainly. Take a look at our recommendations for placing links to external sites within a widget:

http://docs.widgetbox.com/developers/guide/#links

Q: Any widgets available for LinkedIn or other specific job/professional sites? Can I use a widget to post a job from, for ex, a job list to my website?

That sounds like a great widget! We definitely have widgets that show relevant job listings, like these two:

http://www.widgetbox.com/widget/jobthread

http://www.widgetbox.com/widget/b2c14202-ab8b-4604-874f-0c85c39c40b1

But we'd love to see a widget like the one you describe. Hopefully our new tools will help you make it!

Q: I have a question that might be dumb. Can you can you email someone a widget the same way you send an MP3?

It's easy to let a friend know about a Widgetbox widget though email. Click the Get Widget button and then the large button on the bottom middle of the Get Widget menu labelled "Share". There's a link that will allow you to send an email about the widget to your friend.

Q: Will or is there a way to customize the 'get widget' button, and what types of platforms display?

The list of platforms displayed when a user clicks Get Widget is filtered based on the widget's type and the platforms that support that widget type. Here's more information on this topic:

http://docs.widgetbox.com/developers/guide/where-widgets-work/

Currently, we don't offer a way to customize the Get Widget button at the moment.

Q: Do you make sample code available for your Blidget for us to work from?

Thanks for the suggestion. We're looking at providing more sample code in the future (like our "Hello World" HTML / JS widget) and know how popular RSS feeds are.