Voicethread works with the idea that each picture is worth a thousand words. User can view slideshows, zoom and pan through images, and leave comments through voice, text, audio file, video, or even via telephone). With Voicethread, viewers are encouraged to actively engage in discussions using these commenting tools. All group discussions (or voicethreads) happen on one simple page.

Voicethreads are more organized than the usual live web conferencing interfaces since each comment are posted one at a time and stored in the thread so that future viewers can see them.

The features are designed to work well for educators in a distance learning environment. Students can create digital stories and reports, and teachers can demonstrate their research or prepare remote lectures.

Voicethread demo video:

Features:

• Start group conversations around images, documents, and videos.
• Embed and share voicethreads from your website.
• Comment in one of five ways: voice, text, audio file, video, or telephone.
• Free for educators.
• Draw doodles on top of images and videos.
• Moderator options for voicethread comments.

Check Out Voicethread @ www.voicethread.com

• New: Follow MakeUseOf on Twitter. Recommended!
• MakeUseOf 'Geeky Fun' - Hillarious Geeky Pics and Videos from different parts of web.

• WordSift: Visualize Text & Related Information
• WatchKnow: 1000s of Educational Videos
• TalkShoe: Live Talk Shows and Conference Calls
• Plagium: Online Plagiarism Tracker
• Lectr: Educational Video Sharing Website

You can keep conversations publicly open to everyone or keep them private to a group of friends or colleagues. The privacy settings of each conversation can be easily controlled according to you needs.

Using the site is easy, just sign up for an account, type in your message, add emails of participants and click send. Nurphy will then deliver a link of your conversation to people you’ve selected. They can reply to your messages through Nurphy website, using their iPhone or directly from their email.

Demo video:

Features:

• Easily start group conversations and share with others.
• Create as many conversations as you want.
• Clean design and user friendly interface.
• Keep you conversations open to public or private to a group of people.
• Privacy settings of each conversation can be easily controlled according to you needs.
• Free, registration required.
• Similar tools: Tgethr, Re:Subj and Phuser.

Check out Nurphy @ www.nurphy.com

• New: Follow MakeUseOf on Twitter. Recommended!
• MakeUseOf 'Geeky Fun' - Hillarious Geeky Pics and Videos from different parts of web.

• Re:Subj – Easy Online Group Discussion Tool
• tgethr: Simple Email Collaboration Tool
• ShareFlow: Online Group Messaging and Collaboration
• Chatterous : Reach your Friends Everywhere (IM, eMail and Mobile)
• CC:Betty: Easily Organize Your Email Attachments Online

RiledUp! features a fluid design that makes engaging into long debates easy. Users can start a debate by posting the debate title and a brief description (including rules and guidelines). Then, the user specifies two opposing positions to create the basis for discussions.

Once a new debate is posted, others can join and choose a position. Users are required to write their points supporting their position and other users can defend and attack each argument by replying to points given. Users can also vote up and vote down each comment.

Debates topics range from the serious to the humorous and silly. All in all, RiledUp! is a fun way to, well…. get Riled Up!

Features:

• Popular debate categories include books, games, history, politics, religion, and sports.
• Add each user as your friend or enemy.
• Automatically keep track of your enemies and allies.
• Users can vote your profile up/down for your authority score.
• See how you rank in the community.
• Search debates by tags.
• Vote on specific positions within a debate.
• Similar tools: ChinSwing and TalkShoe.

Check out RiledUp @ www.riledup.com

• New: Follow MakeUseOf on Twitter. Recommended!
• MakeUseOf 'Geeky Fun' - Hillarious Geeky Pics and Videos from different parts of web.

• Zapproved: Web based Decision Making Tool
• wwwitter: See Twitter Discussions For Any Webpage
• Wis.dm: Ask Fun Questions and Get Quick Answers
• Voicethread: Create Powerful Multimedia Slideshows
• TalkShoe: Live Talk Shows and Conference Calls

The most standard function is on the homepage is to post your dreams, as you can see in the screenshot above. This is then recorded on your profile if you have one (you can post dreams anonymously if you like). You can also use your dream blog to blog about your dreams on you profile.

The community on SawLogs is a good one. The ‘Discussion’ section acts as a kind of forum area where people’s dreams are posted and then the community analyses them and comments on your dream. From reading through the comments there are definitely some experts on there who know what they’re talking about.

Also, the dictionary section acts as an index of dreams and informs you as to what certain themes or events in dreams could mean. This is a little sparse on content at the moment but as it’s user-generated I’m sure it will soon grow.

If Sawlogs doesn’t help you then make sure to check out another MakeUseOf article covering best websites to analyze dreams.

Check out SawLogs @ www.sawlogs.net (by Dean Sherwin)

• New: Follow MakeUseOf on Twitter. Recommended!
• MakeUseOf 'Geeky Fun' - Hillarious Geeky Pics and Videos from different parts of web.

• Zapproved: Web based Decision Making Tool
• YawnLog: Online Sleep Tracker
• wwwitter: See Twitter Discussions For Any Webpage
• Wis.dm: Ask Fun Questions and Get Quick Answers
• Voicethread: Create Powerful Multimedia Slideshows

It works by the user (i.e. you) asking the community a question. Then, people will read your question which is displayed on the homepage and in a series of categories. They will then vote as to whether it is normal with the real-time result being displayed at the top of the questions page.

People can also comment on a question that doesn’t have a straight forward yes/no answer to give advice or to convince you that there’s nothing wrong. The community is active and buzzing with witty remarks and sound advice.

Submitting a question is easy once you’re registered. Other than that, there is no need to register if you just want to see what’s normal/abnormal with other people and vote on questions. A great website to seek help and it’s addicting!

Features:

• Vote on people’s questions.
• Search and browse site.
• Submit a question yourself.
• Add and receive comments.
• Vibrant community.

Check out IsItNormal @ www.isitnormal.com (by Dean Sherwin)

• New: Follow MakeUseOf on Twitter. Recommended!
• MakeUseOf 'Geeky Fun' - Hillarious Geeky Pics and Videos from different parts of web.

• Wis.dm: Ask Fun Questions and Get Quick Answers
• GetSatisfaction: Universal Tech Support
• Yedda : Ask Questions. Get Answers.
• Yahoo Answers: Biggest Q&A Community on The Web
• Omgili: Search Forums & Discussion Boards

The site lets you search for a company by name, browse the companies with the best or worst customer service ratings and also read user comments.

If you would like to share some of your own experiences you may also submit your comments and ratings for any company.

Features:

• Customer service ratings for over 150 top US companies.
• Ratings are based on user feedback submitted online.
• Browse companies with the best and worst customer service.
• View customer hotline number for any listed company.
• View relevant company news.
• Boycott a particular company and all of its products.
• Rate and submit comments for any listed company, no registration needed.
• Similar sites ContactHelp and GetSatisfaction.

Check out Customer Service Scoreboard @ www.CustomerServiceScoreboard.com (via GeekSugar)

• New: Follow MakeUseOf on Twitter. Recommended!
• MakeUseOf 'Geeky Fun' - Hillarious Geeky Pics and Videos from different parts of web.

• GetSatisfaction: Universal Tech Support
• Yahoo Answers: Biggest Q&A Community on The Web
• Wis.dm: Ask Fun Questions and Get Quick Answers
• WireWize : “How To Connect” Guides for Home Electronics
• SueEasy: Join a Class Action Lawsuit Against Corporates

Features :

• Easily start group discussion online.
• No sign up, only emails required.
• Add or reply to messages through your email.
• Cool features like threaded comments and private inboxes.
• No need to go through the old emails to reply to a comment. Keep a track of the whole discussion.
• Similar website: Phuser.

Check out Re:Subj @ www.resubj.com (by Abhijeet from Jeet Blog)

• New: Follow MakeUseOf on Twitter. Recommended!
• MakeUseOf 'Geeky Fun' - Hillarious Geeky Pics and Videos from different parts of web.

• Nurphy: Group Conversations Made Easy
• Zapproved: Web based Decision Making Tool
• wwwitter: See Twitter Discussions For Any Webpage
• Wis.dm: Ask Fun Questions and Get Quick Answers
• Voxli: Group Voice Chatting Made Really Simple

Enter CC:Betty. It is a web service which can automatically organize your emails and photo and file attachments online. All you have to do is to cc: betty@ccbetty.com every time you send or forward someone a message with an attachment and CCBetty takes care of the rest. It automatically creates albums from attached photos, organizes attached files for easy sharing and tracks who said what and when.

To get started, cc an email to betty@ccbetty.com and you will get a unique URL to your MailSpace with a password.

MailSpace is your personal page, which is constantly updated together with your ongoing email conversations.

Features:

• Lets you automatically organize emails and attachments online.
• Makes it easy to follow email discussions from your personal online MailSpace.
• View albums and slideshows from attached photos.
• Watch attached videos online.
• Automatically creates albums and slideshows from your attached photos.
• Makes documents easy to view, share and comment on.
• To get started send a message to betty@ccbetty.com.