Self-denial: I am not into social networking

Filed under: Tech

Posted 1 year, 1 month ago at 11:50 pm. 3 comments

I wrote this post last Sunday, and on the same day Dred242 blogged about something really similar with the title, “I guess I’m just a social networking whore.”.

Wait a second, joining every Web 2.0-ish website does not make one a social networking whore. Sites powered with community-driven content != Social networks, according to my book. A social networking whore is someone who has 300+ friends on myspace, posts half-nude emo photos, and write to other people’s myspace with messages like, “I WANA HAVE YOUR BABY. XOXOX. ZOMG LOLz”.

Now, look at my myspace.

Read on to find out about my recent social networking adventures.
(Warning: I bored myself writing this, so here’ s an unrelated photo.)

Twitter / Jaiku / Tumblr / Pownce

Recently there is a new form of social networks called “micro-blogging”, and it is more or less same as your IM status. I use it when I have *thoughts* that are not coherent enough to form a post. Eventually, it became a tree hole where I yell into. Here is a mini review of all the ones I have tried.

Twitter
I joined it late, because I didn’t really understand what the hype was about, and I still don’t. Its selling point is email and SMS support, so you can update and receive updates from your cellphone or PDA. The SMS support is quite useless to people like me, who think paying 12 bucks a month for the cellphone bill is too much. The 140 characters limit per message imposed by SMS makes everyone twit in broken English. What I like about it though, is its IM client support. I can post from Google Talk directly.

Jaiku
It is a Twitter rip-off with a few additional features, period. The lack of originality makes me disappointed. I don’t think it would have received so much attention, if Leo Laporte didn’t yell “Goodbye Twitter. Hello Jaiku.” out loud.

Tumblr
Another startup that received Laporte’ s stamp of approval. It is just like Twitter/Jaiku, except you can post different kinds of notes: text, photo, quote, link, chat, video, and it will provide the embedded formatting accordingly. I don’t really need another scrapbook for my internet findings. Google Reader’s sharing feature is good enough.

Pownce

This is my #1 favorite and I have been using it a lot lately. Pownce is founded by Kevin Rose (Digg’ s founder) and it is still in private beta. Kevin Rose has a lot of followers, so getting an invite is somewhat difficult. It has a great web UI and desktop client. You can post messages and links, upload files..etc. I like it a lot more than the other ones because it is less “public”. You can divide friends into groups and send messages to specific friend or group. Friends and fans are also separated, so people who follow you don’t necessarily become your friends. I only post in public when I have questions to ask (i.e., “What app do you use to do this or that?”).

It is hard to describe why it is so attractive. UI wise, it is more like an IM client. Imagine Google Talk, but replace your contact list with posts and threaded replies from you and your friends.

The only complain I have is when you give an invite to someone, that person automatically becomes your friend. I have invites, but I don’t want everyone to be my friend.