Social Networks
Ping.fm
Ping.fm is the best sNetwork manager EVER!
Ok, maybe not ever, but it’s really really good. Ping allows you to take tons of your microblogging, blogging, and status updating service and put them all as 1. This way you can update on Ping, and it will update everywhere (or only on 1 spot) without you actually having to go there.
What’s nice about this is that it has the different types separated, so you don’t end up making a blog post simply saying “I have cake” where as it should have maybe gone to status updating. What is nice about this aside from being able to post in one spot, with the aide of the PingPress.fm wordpress plugin I can now send out a small message to all of those networks telling people to come see my post; or in the cases of the blogging networks it hits, actually posting it (woot for posting on multiple platforms at once!)
Ping.fm is currently in beta, so you’ll need a beta key which is “vivalaping” right now. If it doesn’t work when you read this and it’s still requiring a key, comment on the post and I’ll update it accordingly.
Firef.ly
Firef.ly is a new service currently in beta created by Betaworks that turns any of your sites into a chat room. Before you say that you’ve seen this before listen here: There is no downloads. That’s right, two lines of code thrown into the footer of my coding (totally painless) and my site has now become it’s own chat room.
If you have a look at the bottom right of your screen, you should see a floating box with # Here, # Chatting, Start Chatting. Click start and the screen gets sort of an ‘overlay’ thing going. You can still scroll and look at whatever is on the site, but you can also move your mouse around and start typing. Where ever you type, it will create a little chat bubble that anybody else on the site can see.
Some of the extra features that look to be put in are the choice of pre-loaded cursors (because arrows are boring) and what looks to be the option to use an image of your own choosing (that doesn’t seem to work yet or I can’t figure out). There is also a twitter option to have certain parts of the convo go to twitter (again can’t get it to work). What IS working though is the time line feature. this allows you to scroll along the site’s time line and check out conversations from the past, which are conveniently marked with little white lines, turning the chat room into a nice form of bulletin board as well.
I really hope this service lasts, it seems to hold a lot of promise. What they really need now is to get a forum/blog going so we have some way to help them perfect this. They do have a blog, and it’s even listed at the bottom of the main page, I’m a tard. Thanks Andy. Anyway, check it out because it’s awesome. Remember to leave a message there when you check it out, I’ll be sure to see it. 
ListBums
I got a request earlier this week to review ListBums and the second I looked at the front page said to myself “Wow, this looks like it has something to offer, I’ll leave it until I have time to give it a proper review.” I’m glad I did.
PROs
+ Easy to use: Click and type. Editing is simple, double click on the section (title or description) that you want to edit and correct it without the need to go to another ‘editing’ screen which is useful.
+ RSS feed enabled for user or EACH LIST!
+ You can attach an image/video, related link and description to each list item.
+ Others can add comments to lists as well as add items to the lists you create.
+ ‘Digg’-like system allowing users to add points to lists for rating/popularity purposes.
+ Easy embedding. Just go to the bottom of the list, choose your colors, paste the URL. Sure you could just make a list using HTML on your site, but why? This way they can link back to ListBums to use the comments/additonal features as well.
+ Fun layout/theme. Funky faces, tons of graphical elements and (for the most part) easy to navigate.
- When creating list you have to add the item then add the description after you add it to the list. A field where you can put in both item title and description before adding would save time.
- I can’t for the life of me get the ‘reverse order’ button to work!
- Pain in the ass to figure out where the widget part was. It’s at the bottom of the list you’re viewing. Easy once you know where to look, I was looking for a ‘widget’ button for at least 5 minutes at the top of the screen.
In comparison to Listography (which I reviewed awhile ago here) I think ListBums is in the lead as far as quality goes. Listography seems to have simple ‘ it’s there and it works ‘ look to it, where as ListBums has more of a ‘ look I listed stuff and it’s pretty! ‘. That brings me to think that though both social sites based on lists, the targeted markets would vary. I’d think that Listography would be more for people who want to just get something down and be done with it, where as ListBums is for those who want to have fun with the lists.
ClutterMe
This site was pointed out to me by a comment when I reviewed Pagii by Mark who actually works for ClutterMe. You’re off to a good start when you come to me for a review 
At first glance, ClutterMe looks like a a really simple site. It features webpage building tools as well as the ability to add friends, comments, etc. However, It gives me more of an impression of a site one of your friends might make in their spare time more than a big company site. This has both flaws and benefits. Flaws being that people may not take it as seriously, but the benefit that those who stick to it will likely stay because they feel like part of it.
Now as far as the interface goes, this is where I’m having problems. Unlike other sides that have seperate pages to input information, you put everything down directly on the site you’re editing. This is a good and bad because everything is click-drag-done with this site, but that’s as far as everything is going. I’m finding it hard to come up with anything more than a blocky site. Their widgets are few and I’m finding them to work into a layout. For example the ‘about’ widget allows you to hover over to focus on it, but it doesn’t seem to want to work unless I click once first. But clicking once also changes it to the ‘add info’ mode where you can input information (thus expanding it so you can add info) and it makes it hard to position correctly on the page.
The site also has some nice features though that I have to mention. First off is instant text. Simply click anywhere on your site and start typing and it will appear. This is great because there is no need to add a text block or anything and position it, just type. This feature is good for adding titles or maybe quick links (yes, it seems HTML does work in this feature, yay!) Also since you’re constantly in Edit mode, you might not be seeing the site exactly as it will be seen, so you can click the Edit button in the top right and the site will switch from Edit to Non-Edit mode so you can see it as it is. This is nice because in addition to that the site saves as you’re working, so switching doesn’t require a lot of load time.
The best feature however BY FAR is being able to write on people’s sites. Yahoo’s Mash seems to be trying to do this, but ClutterMe does it better. Click anywhere on a ClutterMe site and start typing. When you’re finished your profile pick will show up with the comment written beside it. I love this idea, using the entire site as a wall, they did a good job on this and need to be commended.
What I’d like to see improved:
- Change the info widgets. If 1 click is used to access the panel (to move) then require a double click to edit the content. Chances are I’m going to be moving it more than editing it, so I don’t need it to display every time.
- Add a widget for a text area. Yes, I can just click and type but if I want to add in some code longer than a link (say adsense for example) it’s easier to be able to see exactly what I’m putting in and be able to click through my text in there after.
- Layering would be nice. When I add a new widget/image it goes to the top left corner. If I have anything else already there, I have to move it so that I can get to the newly added widget, This makes it a real pain if I want to give the site some depth.
Those are really the only problems I have with it, because I see a lot of potential in this site. And yes, I’m a sucker for the little guys and can see myself sticking to the site if it makes improvements (which from what they’re saying, they’re working on it). ClutterMe is one of a few sites that seem to be developing that are using both the ’social networking’ platform and the classic ability to modify a site (without using a predefined template) together. I’m going to watch this site over the next few months to see how it plays out and will most likely do a follow-up review, so keep an eye out for that.
Pagii: Php Powerhouse!
I have to say I almost creamed in my pants at this, I was expecting something that completely sucked. Pagii is classifying itself as a new ’social site’, but I wouldn’t quite call it that just yet. Instead, I’m going to call it a “website designing site on crack hit with a stupid stick”. And I mean this is the best possible way.
First, the interface rocks. It’s all click and drag (or double click) functions from a sliding sidebar. Text, speech bubbles, shapes (with text inside), video and ‘insert html code’ are all included with click and drag functionality. 
No need to remember HTML or screw around with finding the image. You upload, you apply and it’s there. Once the item is there you can drag it around the screen, stretch it by clicking the corners and even rotate it (I love this, takes the blockyness out of sites, yay!). Users can also ‘layer’ content to give it a 3D feel. Content such as images can also be clicked and using PHP shown their full size so users can see the whole image. It’s very easy to set up and I’m sure a child could master it in under 20 minutes.
You’re able to create more pages by simply clicking the ‘Add Page’ button. Users are given a ton of templates depending on what they plan on putting on the page (photo, diary, profile, video, etc) or they can start fresh and just have at it however they like. All pages are linked using a menu that pops down from the top of the page when hovered over, which saves a lot of time for people that are used to creating navigation pages (and most people suck at it, such as myself). This keeps it simple and consistent throughout all Pagii sites.
As far as the ’social site’ part goes. I don’t think it’s prepared for that. All I can tell is that they have a comment widget and a messaging system. Aside from that, the only flaw I find with it is that non-members of the site are unable to view the member’s sites. I hope that fix that soon. Though I love this site for it’s uniqueness in allowing people to create useful sites like this so easily.
Be sure to check out my Pagii page, it’s purdy ^.^
Yahoo! Mash
I’ve been hearing Y! Mash for awhile now, but didn’t really take any interest in it. After seeing that Mashable had invites up, I decided to check it out. Needless to say, I’m not that impressed.
My first thoughts was that it’s very ‘boxy’. By that I mean that…well it’s very boxy. Every module/section is separated into it’s own box. Though this gives it a very simplistic feel, it doesn’t make it very appealing to the eyes. The customization is limited to selecting a background image, font colors and module colors. However, the image section (at the top of the page) is designed like a classic Polaroid, I like that. The catch though is that when adding an image you’re forced to crop it if it’s too large, it doesn’t give you the option of simply resizing it to fit.
The network allows friends to modify each other’s profiles (if the option is selected) which is interesting, but not that great. Given the fact that many people add everybody who requests it to friend lists, many users will end up having their pages ‘violated’. I think right now Y! Mash is giving me more of a ‘Geocities page builder’ vibe than a social network. There just isn’t enough there to actually consider this to be anything more than an extended profile, not a social networking site.
The modules that they give you access to aren’t anything ground breaking (such as including an amazon wish list or Flickr RSS feed) so it’s hard to say if there is going to be something to make it stand out. Right now I’m thinking no. Let’s hope for some improvement by the time they get out of Beta. Also profile ID’s are a pain to remember unless you link it to your Yahoo account, which is a bummer. Oh well.
If you’re looking for invites, feel free to drop a comment and I’ll make sure to ‘hook you up’. While you’re at it, check out my Y! Mash profile
More Yahoo! Mash talk:
The Assumptions That Yahoo Mash And Other Social Networks Make About You @ Publishing 2.0
Yahoo Invites Us Into Mash, Its New Social Network @ TechCrunch
What Is Yahoo Mash? @ The NY Times
AirTalkr: AIR based Instant messenger
I recently came across AirTalkr, a multi-protocol instant messenger that supports MSN, AIM, Yahoo, GTalk, and ICQ. You may be thinking “So? There are a ton of programs that do this.” The catch is that this is created using Adobe AIR. I’m a big fan of Adobe AIR products, they run very smoothly and tend to be very simple (a good example can also be seen in the Pownce application).
The instant messaging portion uses a clean interface allowing you to tab between conversations, keep a history of conversations and view the users AirCard. Aside from instant messaging, AirTalkr also includes embedded Flickr images and Youtube videos access by easily clicking on the icons located at the bottom of the window. One of the most impressive features of this application however is it’s use of ‘AirCards’ These cards allow you to add information on all of your ‘buddies’ including Myspace, Friendster, Flickr, Linkedin and their blog. It’s a great way to get info on friends without having to dig through their profiles (which are rarely updated anyway).
It is still in beta though, so there are a few bugs. I’d like to see it be able to be minimized to the system tray, but I’m sure that will come in due time. Right now the program is available for both windows and mac, and can be downloaded directly HERE. Make sure you also have the Adobe Air Runtime installed before attempting to install this. There is also a web version for those of you who want to try it out without downloading.
.
Why don’t you just marry MySpace then?!
I’m really sick of hearing the name MySpace today. Whenever I see the word community in relation to the online world MySpace is right there. I can understand that, for 90% of the dumb son of a bitches who know fuck all about anything that was their first thing they can actually do online besides check email. Fine. But it’s when they use the word innovation and MySpace I’m going to go fucking berzerk on their ass.
The big argument for idiots is “it brought people together”. Honestly, that’s really the only thing they can say. There have been TONS of sites that have done this before, be it a chat site, forum, MMO or simply another social site. Lets simply take Friendster as an example. They were around quite a long time before MySpace and they did the social thing really well. Being able to add your information in and search people with similar interests is nothing new. Being able to use a TEMPLATE to create a website isn’t new either. So no, you’re not smart because you can change your background and profile image.
If anything, MySpace did a really BAD job at creating the community. They took the basics but then didn’t enforce the fact that it should be about people. Companies, groups, and advertising pretending to be single people in attempts to connect as well as the unjustified spam is pathetic. They may have made it very simple for users to create profiles, but they have never done a good job at maintaining it.
That being said, stop holding MySpace up so high. Idiot.
Zwinky & Self Image
Zwinky
I saw this in a pop-up ad that got through my blocker. I know, this could very well be spammed with adware. In fact, I’m almost certain it is. But I got to create a funky looking dude, so it was worth having to run AdAware after. Woot.
Anyway, check out my Zwinky HERE.
Hehe, ‘Check out my Zwinky‘ sounds so wrong.
Self Image
Anyway, next topic of discussion: Boh3m3 (a user on youtube) & Self Image. He had a video which he talks about self image.
When I think of self image, I think of how you see yourself not how other people see you. How others see you is simply your image. In some cases, you’re presenting yourself as you see yourself. However, more often then not people’s image is only what they’re giving the person. So this usually isn’t personality, it’s looks and how you act firstly. That said, you usually want to show the person what they want to see, true to your self image or not is not even a factor to consider.
So he asked “Can you change other people’s perception of you through a physical change?” Yes and no. You can create a new perception, but not change an existing perception. If you see somebody dressed in a business suit you’re going to perceive them differently then you would were they covered in tattoos wearing leather. That’s barely even a topic of discussion, you’re going to get a first impression of somebody so you can make a judgement of them to figure out how you should relate to them, correct or incorrect all you have to work with is looks and how they act. However, that’s only assuming you don’t know them already. If a friend (or simply somebody you have a general idea of their mind set already) changes their looks, there is little chance that you will change your perception of them, as you already know them as a person, not just a face.
So yeah, if I’m to ask a stranger for the time I’d ask somebody dressed proper and neat over somebody dressed in rags because I would assume a person is a certain way by how they look.
But If a friend were to dye their skin green and grow an orange Mohawk, besides thinking they’ve flown over the co co’s’s nest I’d know they’re still the same person inside and it will go unchanged.
Luupi
“SOCIAL NETWORKING – THE WAY IT SHOULD BE…
Sick of superpoking? Over being a pirate? Why not just be you! From the maker?s of Habbo, Luupi is for the real people behind their virtual lives.”
Luupi is loopy? Nope, they’re completely freaking retarded.
I received an email in one of my ancient alts awhile ago from out good friends at Sulake, makers of Habbo Hotel, saying they came out with a new Facebook clone called Luupi. I pity the world it we’re letting Sulake breed. This site looks really bland (though I do like the colors and logo).
The site lets users upload pictures and videos and put captions under them. There doesn’t seem to be a huge profile option, so I think it would be better to refer to it as a FlickR clone. Aside from uploading images and giving them captions, users are able to join ‘communities’ and leave messages/chat through a ‘comments’ window which most of us know as a message board.
Users also have the option to set mottos/moods as that in facebook; Yippie.
Lets hope they have better management with this than they ended up having on happy. Keep it clean guys. And yeah, I joined just so I can put my name in for the free camera