Online Social Optimization
July 3rd, 2011

Constantly Updating Workflow

One of the most frustrating, and exciting, problems of social media is that nothing remains stable for long, and every several days an ‘exciting, new’ product launches that requires research, testing, and evaluation.

Currently I’m waiting for Google+ to open up again – I’ve likely got about five or six pending invites, and have been added to circles and posts already (I know this because I keep getting email notifications) but I’ve yet to actually engage with the new service.

That said, I still have an Orkut profile – proof that just because it’s Google, it doesn’t mean it’s useful. I also have a Google Wave account – remember those?

It is this constant process of assessing buzz, hype, and functionality that precedes the distilling of a module for the Online Social Optimization course – currently I’m at a point where I think I can offer a valuable insight into crowdfunding as an approach to online promotion for independent media developers, but as always my writing and work is perpetually subject to change (and occasionally entropy).

More to come..

September 5th, 2010

so about my android phone..

I love this thing.  It’s not perfect. I’m running an htc incredible on verizon and it’s got some flaws: battery life (especially since recent upgrade). Verizon insists I must have skype, and no matter how much I try to kill it with advanced task killer free, Skype mobile™ pops right back up and keeps on running.  This alone is enough to leave me perpetually irritated, although I can’t exactly say why.  But other than crapware that won’t go away, this phone does kick some ass, and I’ve found myself relying on some apps over the last month since I”ve gotten this phone. I’ve been very interested in Android as a development platform, and it’s very interesting to see apps such as Luach for Android which aren’t even available within the Android Marketplace still having a presence on the phone’s platform through alternate distribution methods.  That alone is a reason to be excited  by what the Android platform represents – a decentralized development space will create some amazing tools very, very quickly.  (& yes I know this list will age just as quickly.)

One application I do not think will be disappearing any time soon is ‘Layar‘ – a kind of augmented reality browser that overlays the video camera display in real time.  I downloaded it specifically to have access to the TweepsAround layar, which superimposes all nearby geographically tagged public tweets onto the video display of my phone.  Absolutely fascinating, although a pretty big battery suck – I feel very strongly that this kind of interface is only going to become more popular.

Speaking of twitter, I played with a number of twitter apps on android.  I actually continue to use all of them, to greater and lesser degrees, including TweepsAround, I also have Twitter’s official android application, Seesmic for Android, and Twidroyd, which I purchased.  Of these, I use twidroyd for multiple accounts and seesmic for my main account on twitter, and I’ve been fairly happy with that arrangement.

I mentioned Zenonia above, I’ve also purchased Radiant, and both of those two games were worth the couple of bucks I spent on them, in terms of time I’ve spent actually playing them.  I won’t bother listing any of the games I haven’t played more than once.  Somewhat connected to that, I’ve also become quite fond of the tarot for android application Tarotbot I’ve been able to be part of the beta test on, and which is now in full release.  (Here is an interesting interview with the developer of Tarotbot and his call for additional tarot deck artwork.)

I also incorporate both wordpress’s app and tumblr’s app into my daily blogging, and – being the political geek I am – I also use the Congress application every couple of days out of a kind of need for over-saturation.  I do take in a lot of news through the phone, both through google news (usually just through the aforementioned Dolphin browser) or through the NPR app.  And of course, twitter itself..  and I’m also linked in to YouTube directly with another app.

What is missing from my phone, by choice, is Facebook.  I’m sure there’s great facebook apps, I just don’t care to use them.  I do, however, have ACV, DieDroid, and a Star Trek Sounds and Ringtones app plus a Combadge app.  I purchased an Hours application and Delux Moon, both to get a feel for how useful this phone might be as a “magickal” tool.  I even found a app called Magick, but, beyond the magical compass, I haven’t found it to be of much use.

What I do find myself playing with thought is Retro Camera, FXCamera, and Sketcher, often just uploading the results directly to Flickr accounts.  I can also upload to my server, thanks to AndFTP, easily one of the most valuable of the apps I am using, and ASTRO, which gives me a much better look at the files on my htc incredible.  Finally, I love Gmote - an app that turns my phone into a way to browse media on my computer and run a presentation or just turn my phone into a touchpad – pure genius.  Again, my phone isn’t perfect, but these apps are very much worth exploring if you’ve got an android phone of your own.

September 2nd, 2010

Why bother constructing identity online?

I asked the following question on twitter, and I’ll share the responses:

“if your twitter name isn’t your real name, why did you choose it?”

I was curious what kind of answers I would get. One was a single word, or should I say hashtag, @Brainwise’s ‘#Anagram’…

Another response led me to an entry where someone else had asked this same question regarding screen names.

Other great responses:

“..first name is what my dad wanted to call me, second name is a nickname I acquired about 20 years ago..”

“..My last name is Moon, and the obverse of a coin is the front, or “heads”, side. So Lunar Obverse is my public face…”

“cuz I didn’t want the whole world to know who I am…”

“it was mike_mccoy79. i thought notgroundlevel sounded cooler. also, it make me “feel” smarter then others…”

“I chose my twittername because it sounded “cute” to me at the time. Regret it now, sounds stupid & slightly sexual.”

I have to say, of the responses, the one I most identify with personally is Nysidra’s: “Nysidra is my Internet name. That’s almost the same as a “real” name, ja?”

Rocketjam takes it to another level, having spent a lot of time developing a kind of personal brand around his online presence slash “..twitter name…online identity thing” provided a link to his FAQ detailing where his name arose and what he does online.

So I titled this post, why bother constructing identity online? I think the answer is first, that it is fun – identity tourism is a kind of theatrical performance, and speaking through a mask provides a kind of empowerment. However, quickly that mask becomes an extension of the ego, a kind of armament of the id even. That is possibly the most important secondary reason – it provides a kind of personal narrative for internal dialogue – and a way to accrue presence in a social space without the physical restrictions that govern meatspace. I don’t dare attempt to tie any sort of trends to this kind of anecdotal sampling, but I do think the way that identity is deliberately constructed an endlessly fascinating area of research.

September 12th, 2009

Memetics, Social Media Optimization – Further Reading

  • What Is a Meme and What Can It Really Do for Your Blog? – Bloggers know: playing your part in a meme brings links, increases traffic to your site and it’s fun. They don’t need special definitions to understand the meaning of “tag, you’re it.” When that Technorati statistic says so, …
  • Virus of the Mind by Richard Brodie Errant Dreams Reviews – There is a theory that memes ( units of information in a mind whose existence influences events such that more copies of itself get created in other minds ) , like viruses, exist to replicate themselves and so must infect as many people as possible. This idea draws from ideas in the fields of psychology, biology, and anthropology, and Richard Brodie’s book is based on the work of several scientists including Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, and Douglas Hofstadter. He explores not only what memes are (from the perspective of various fields) but why they are so effective at replicating and infecting us.
  • KickApps- Social Media Applications – KickApps is not new to the web but it’s new to me so I thought I would share it with you. KickApps is community building platform that is incredibly easy to use. I am getting ready to create a community for one of my sites and I think I …
  • 8 Rules For Social Media Optimization | Internet Marketing Tips – Increasing the linkability of your site is one of the first and most important steps of social media optimization and SEO. The easiest way to get started with this is by adding a blog to your site and updating it regularly. …
  • Use of social media by Department of Homeland Security – Use of social media tools by government agencies to engage various audiences figures into the news frequently these days. Of particular interest is the recently expanded new social media tools the US Department of Homeland Security …
  • Social Media – Under the Microscope – There has been a stir in the SEO community; the buzz this past year has been all about social media. Getting your site listed on Digg, StumbleUpon, Netscape, whatever the flavor, it’s all getting to be the same. …
  • SEO copywriting candy: March 4, 2009 – Happy hump day again! Spring is in the air, can you feel it? The sun keeps shining and the snow is melting. And the temp is even up above zero — that’sa big deal here. Short of my daily weather report, things are rather quiet up here in …
  • Social Media is Creeping Further and Further – As a social media fan examples like this are so much fun to see, but imagine if you’d never ventured into Facebook or LinkedIn? How would you feel about seeing it creep in everywhere? Would you feel anxiety that you’re missing the boat …
  • 21st Century Outbreak – To date, millions of people have accessed CDC’s H1N1 information and updates through social media channels — including YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, widgets, and through their mobile browser at m.cdc.gov — which has increased the …
  • How to display your social media profile widget on your blog … – You have multiples social media profiles, which you want your readers to be your friend, or part of your community. To shows what you have, you want to put your.
  • Blogging vs. Social Media – Edgy Mama – So is blogging still relevant? Or do you now spend more time on FaceBook/Twitter than you do reading blogs? I’ve been spending more and more time with social.
  • NCR 026: Twitter, social media in politics, and listener feedback … – Twitter, social media in politics, and listener feedback galore. Hosted by Bryan Person. Recorded from historic Boston, Massachusetts, USA and published for Monday, February 19, 2007. iTunes logo Subscribe to the New Comm Road podcast. …
  • KickApps- Social Media Applications – Members can upload videos, photos, and audio; All common media formats are transcoded and displayed in a custom Flash viewer; No 3rd party player or client-side software required; Strategically integrate your user-generated content …













Powered by Wordpress using the theme bbv1