Microblogging Revisited

In Chapter 8 of Brian Solis's book Engage, discusses what Brian calls "personal broadcast systems (PBSs)"  or networks that are also known as microblogs and microcommunities among other names. Casual social media users may not recognize what those terms actually mean. When describing PBSs Solis says they are a "unique culture of dialogue organized around short bursts of updates and the responses and corresponding voices and personalities behind them." The keywords here that might spark a light blub is the phrase "short bursts of updates". Did you think of Twitter? If you did, good job! That is most definitely a type of microblog, but while it is probably the most popular, its not the only one. In this post I will be discussing 2 of my favorite lesser known microblogging platforms, Dailybooth and Tumblr.  

One microblog social media site I recently found and love is Dailybooth. Are you into photography? have a camera with you at all times? Heard of the 365 project and always wanted to do it? Dailybooth is just for you.

Dailybooth's tagline is "your life in pictures".  The premise is that you take pictures of yourself, your world, whatever you want and post them. People can comment on your picutres, respond to you about them with a picture of their own, and basically just converse usually through the medium of pictures.  Its similar to Twitter in that you can respond using @username, follow people, and have people follow you. Like Facebook you can Like things and message people. The similarities may make it seem like the same old thing, but don't worry the similarities just make figuring the network out very easy and intuitive, while the focus on photography make is one of a kind.

A few DB users showing their love

If my feelings for Dailybooth can be described as love, then in comparison I have developed an obsession with Tumblr. The way I describe Tumblr to others is as something in between blogger and twitter. You have no character limit so you can type as much as you want but unlike blogs you don't really feel the need to sit down and really write a whole lot. Like dailybooth much of tumblr posts are pictures but you can post so much more.

The picture above is of the top of a tumblr "dashboard." Your dashboard is your home page and those buttons are what you click to post things. As shown by the images you can post a whole slew of things. As with Twitter you can follow people and then reblog (twitter term = retweet) things you like. As with facebook you can also "like" posts. A girl I follow on tumblr, thedisneyhipster, really described tumblr pretty in a recent response to a question. She said" Ok best way I can describe tumblr... If you go on Facebook, it's a bunch of people you know in real life talking about things you don't care about. Tumblr is a bunch of people you don't know talking about things you love!"

I can't even begin to explain all of the awesome things that make up Tumblr. You can tag things, track other tags, queue of posts, ask people questions, and many other things. And those are just the features of the site. Tumblr offers the ability to tap into close knit communities and follow things you love. It can be just a fun pastime or just another way to communicate to publics. An example of connecting can be seen in PR briefs by Caron Sjober which is a blog with PR tips and tidbits. 

Tumblr is a really amazing website and I highly recommend it to everyone. Unfortunately by talking about Tumblr here I am breaking Tumblr rule #1. Oops?

-M

Please Scan Here: QR Codes

While reading up on business cards for my Personal Learning Network project I came across the idea of putting QR codes on your business card. I have to confess that as a consequence of not having a smartphone,  I had very little idea as to what a QR code is. All I knew is that you could scan them and you could receive information through them kind of like a barcode. I have researched them much more since I read that initial tip about putting them on your business cards and I must say, I am highly impressed.

If there is anyone else out there who like me doesn't know what a QR code is here is a quick explanation. Basically a QR code, short for Quick Response code, is a square barcode that unlike barcodes can be read from any angle and can contain a whole lot more information. QR codes can encode a variety of information and can direct someone to a website, prompt them to add a vcard (basically a contact information card) to your contacts list, send an email or text message, or simply just display text. QR codes can be scanned by any smartphone or camera phone and read via a QR reader. QR codes are traditionally black and white but people are beginning to create them with colors and designs. One of the best aspects of QR codes and one that makes them much different from barcodes is that they have built in error correction ability. If a code is damaged by dirt or wear and tear it can still be read. That means the QR codes are not only really useful, they are reliable too.

Its probable that even if you have no idea what a QR code is, you have probably seen them before be it in magazines or advertisements. It has great potential for advertisers but I think it has even greater potential as a way for entertainment and lifestyle companies to connect with the public. I even found a recent example of this in Disney and their Star Wars themed attraction Star Tours. Star tours has been undergoing an upgrade for the first time in its history that will change the whole ride and is set to reopen at the end of May. Not surprisingly there is a huge amount of anticipation from both Disney Parks fans as well as the massive and rabid Star Wars fan base. My friend Paul Chadkin, who I have previously blogged about, recently retweeted a picture of a poster about Star Tours 2 which included a QR code. The poster, as you can see in the link, said that the QR code would unlock details about the attraction. The QR code then took you to a special website where you could explore the new aspects of the ride.

To me this is an absolutely excellent example of how QR codes can be used. I am sure there are more examples of QR codes being used in entertainment, but I couldn't think of any. Do you know of any entertainment or lifestyle companies who have used QR codes? If so, please share them with me!

Unfortunately while QR codes are widely used in countries like Japan and South Korea, they have been slow to take off in the west. I hope that they become more widely used because I think they have amazing potential.

Social Media: Friend, Foe, or Both?

Have you ever had the experience of settling into your couch for a nice night of TV, popcorn, and PJs only to have your phone light up with notifications from Twitter and Facebook of what your friends are doing. You see that your friends are out at a concert for a local band or enjoying dinner a a fancy restaurant and you find that your night in doesn't seem quite as awesome as it did before you looked at your phone. That slight feeling of disappointment you may end up feeling is known as "Fear of Missing Out" or  FOMO.

"Feel Like a Wallflower? Maybe It’s Your Facebook Wall" is an article by the New York Times writer Jenna Wortham discussing FOMO and the darker side of social media. The vast majority of people really only think about the good things that come of social media and smart phones that link us to our preferred networks. This article is really interesting because it takes a look at one of the downfalls of social media and our cultures constantly plugged in state.

I will be the first to admit that in the big scheme of things FOMO isn't a huge downfall. Its not really life threatening or a deal breaker for most people. But it is an annoying negative of social media that I think a lot of people experience. Social media allows us a greater degree of access to our friends lives and as a result can lead to feeling that our life is a bit inadequate in comparison. I know that I have seen pictures of friends European vacations and had moments of jealousy and sadness becuase a trip abroad is something I have never been able to do. I have seen status updates from friends who are out together doing something fun and had FOMO moments. If I have had these experiences and I don't even have a smart phone which is constantly with me and updating me all the time about what my friends are doing, I can only imagine what it would be like for someone who does have a smartphone.

While I am sure most people will extol the benefits of social media and smartphones that all instant access to their favored networks, I wonder what negatives people would find if they really took a look at their wired lives. Does social media cheapen our relationships and prolong some relationships that are really empty shells? Does social media provide us with some many options of what to do that it paralyzes us with indecision? Is social media in addition to other technologies making our society a more ADD/ADHD filled place? These are all questions that I do not have answers for and I am not sure that anyone does. But I do think that thinking about these and other questions like them is a important way to take a look at the downside of our hyper connected world.

-M

Dailybooth: Microblogging for the Photographer In Everyone

In Chapter 8 of Brian Solis's book Engage, discusses what Brian calls "personal broadcast systems (PBSs)"  or networks that are also known as microblogs and microcommunities among other names. Casual social media users may not recognize what those terms actually mean. When describing PBSs Solis says they are a "unique culture of dialogue organized around short bursts of updates and the responses and corresponding voices and personalities behind them." The keywords here that might spark a light blub is the phrase "short bursts of updates". Did you think of Twitter? If you did, good job! That is most definitely a type of microblog, but while it is probably the most popular, its not the only one.

One microblog social media site I recently found and love is Dailybooth. Are you into photography? have a camera with you at all times? Heard of the 365 project and always wanted to do it? Dailybooth is just for you.

Dailybooth's tagline is "your life in pictures".  The premise is that you take pictures of yourself, your world, whatever you want and post them. People can comment on your picutres, respond to you about them with a picture of their own, and basically just converse usually through the medium of pictures.  Its similar to Twitter in that you can respond using @username, follow people, and have people follow you. Like Facebook you can Like things and message people. The similarities may make it seem like the same old thing, but don't worry the similarities just make figuring the network out very easy and intuitive, while the focus on photography make is one of a kind.
 

A few DB users showing their love

-M

ThinkGeek Pranksters Strike Again

Everyone loves April Fools Day and so it is no surprise that some of our favorite website joined in on the fun and pulled some pranks of their own. As reported in the article "Shock! Media Actually Comes Up With Decent April Fool’s Jokes" by Adweek some of the websites that jumped in on the fun included Google, Linkedin, Hulu, and Groupon. There are many more websites that attempted to prank visitors that didn't make Adweek's list, including my favorite ThinkGeek.


Since 2001, every April 1st ThinkGeek's front page promotes gag products. This year's round of joke products included a Playmobil Apple Store Playset, Angry Bird pork rinds, am edible Gummy iPhone cover, Minecraft USB Nether Portal, and my personal favorite Star Wars Lightsaber Popsicle. Some of these products are more obviously unreal such as the Minecraft Nether Portal while others such as the Star Wars Lightsaber Popsicles seem completely plausible. The best part about ThinkGeek's April Fools prank is if you really like the product, you can let them know.

Past year's joke products have made it into real production because they were so popular. An example is the Tauntaun Sleeping Bag which is yet another Star Wars product that recreates the scene from The Empire Strikes Back where Luke has to sleep in the belly of a Tauntaun to prevent freezing to death.

Even though joke products are an annual event for ThinkGeek, I personally think they are still quite amusing. Its always fun to see what new wacky things they will come up with. If you want to see all of this year's joke products (as well as some from previous years) visit ThinkGeek.

-M