AOL says that Warner Bros. Television Group (WBTVG) will launch Socialthing, a new online platform for socializing websites across WBTVG’s digital destination businesses, such as CWTV.com, TheWB.com, KidsWB.com, DCHeroZone.com, Essence.com, and Momlogic.com.

Socialthing will use community tools to enable social networking publishers to attract new users and keep them engaged on their site. The announcement was made Tuesday by Joanna Shields, president of AOL People Networks, and Craig Hunegs, executive vice president, Business Management, WBTVG.

The Socialthing pact will allow WBTVG and its digital entertainment destinations access to AOL’s global messaging network of AIM and ICQ users. WBTVG will embed the Socialthing platform – free to users and requiring no installation or download – on its sites.

AOL and WBTVG will support the Socialthing launch with cross-promotion and anticipate launching the application on CWTV.com, on WBTVG’s digital entertainment destinations, and on AOL properties.

While Socialthing delivers users a high degree of interactivity and visibility, users remain in full control of their publishing activity, says AOL. They may choose to “always share activity,” “never share it” or “always be asked before sharing,” and can select which privacy option best suits their individual needs.

A site has been created at http://socialthing.com/forwebsites allowing publishers, interested in enabling Socialthing on their sites, to get more information about the platform.

Article courtesy: My Funbox

In a long piece on plans by Warner Bros. to launch an Essence Magazine branded web presence I read this:

“Although the letters “TV” make up the Warner Bros. unit’s name, WBTVG president Bruce Rosenblum said that the group has a wider mission these days. “For the last several years, we haven’t considered ourselves as simply being in the TV business. We view ourselves as being in the content business, and whether that content is delivered over the television screen or for the cell phone or a computer, that distinction doesn’t matter.”

This is the sort of platform-agnostic approach I have been making for the past year.  My only addendum is that all content does not work on all platforms.  I still see far more repurposing of existing content for emerging mediums than the creation of content organic to the new platforms.

Does that mean one can be platform-agnostic and still serve multiple needs?  Sure, but it is a lot harder than making “Extra on Essence” – the first big move by WB.  Really?  Yup.  They’re taking the TV entertainment “news” show “Extra”, cutting it down to only a few minutes an episode, giving it black hosts and an urban twist and calling it “Extra on Essence.”

If this is forward thinking, I’m gonna cry.