Last week I read about Newshype, a new German aggregator for news and hot topics discussed in the blogosphere. These guys would like to follow Frank Westphal’s steps with Rivva, another great aggregation project of a similar kind. So I am very curious about checking out the service and getting an own picture of it, especially since there are (as usual) already some skeptical voices around. On the other hand the question of “Rivva is dead, what now” got definitely answered. And without even having looked at Newshype yet, I think it takes great courage and enthusiasm to start another service like Rivva, and we already know there is a need for such a service.

I was hoping to get an invite from Newshype at re:publica after having read on Twitter that they will be giving out some there – and I got lucky after having been at the conference for less than half an hour. There were too nice guys passing by while I was still rummaging in my bag for stuff and getting settled, and they slipped this card into my hand. I said thanks without even looking at it, and when I did it was like “oh! Cool!” And fun really with them using German bloggers as lead figures on their invite-cards, among them Sascha Lobo (to the right) and if I am not wrong Johnny Häussler, one of the re:publica-founders, to the very far left. Which I had the honour to shake hands with today for the first time. I still remember that his blog Spreeblick was one of the first German blogs I ever looked at, and I was impressed by his style of writing.  Since I was new to Twitter at that time, too, I couldn’t resist letting him know my enthusiasm by tweeting something like “Really nice blog you have” and a thanks with smiley face came back. Without even knowing really who he was. That’s me, I just start chatting… Well, I still like reading Spreeblick, even if I don’t look at it regularly.  It is a really good and nicely presented mixture of longer reflective stories and short posts with stuff he just came across and wants to share. Inspiring, and therefore to me one of the best German speaking personal blogs around. That much for a little discourse into the past with the title “@anmara discovers the big wide world of blogs” ;).

Anyway, I didn’t get the time to test Newshype yet, but I will do during the weekend, and a review will follow in this blog. Shame only I didn’t find these two lads again, would have been a pleasure to talk to them about their project. But there is still tomorrow, so if you two read this and would be interested in a chat, don’t hesitate and grab me when you see me!

Then later this afternoon I finally took a closer look at the board with information material at the entrance of Friedrichsstadtpalast – and what did I spot? A few cool additions to my sticker collection! And I also allowed myself to add some from Twingly for YOUR collection. These are removable stickers, in case you wondered why they don’t stick to your t-shirts. They will hold on to your laptop, phone, mug, fridge, mousepad, screen etc. – and you will be able to (re)move them.

So these are the additions to my collection:

(To my colleague @forsgren: I secured one with “We Zombies” especially for you…)

Otherwise I had some really enjoyable talks and meetings, and I even managed to look at some sessions. I missed the one about flattr , though, and therefore hope that it will be available online later, especially since I heard that Peter Sunde (alias @brokep) appeared bare foot on scene. Just hope this wasn’t too much of fulfilling the stereotype of Swedes in the line of “they are dancing naked with the polar bears on the streets” 😉 . So I hope to catch this session later! At the same time as he was on scene, I talked Swedish with a German fellow over a cup of coffee. Berlin really offers nice and unique experiences!

The session I enjoyed most was the one of Gunter Dueck about “How to apply the internet as the operating system for society”. Learn more about him on his own page  , follow him on Twitter under @wilddueck and try to see him live some time. I rarely saw a good speaker like him, who manages to draw people into his speech (no chance to sleep!), makes them laugh but then again holds a mirror in front of them making them see themselves, which stops them laughing, gets them thinking – and laughing again. About themselves, yet realising the truth they just have been presented with is undeniable.

Right. Over for today’s #rp11 rants. Thanks for reading, in case you made it all the way to this last line. Good night!