Social Networking, Part the Second
(note as I'm posting this: YOU GUYSSSSSSSS! Prop 8 was just ruled unconstitutional! It's not completely the end of the road, but yayyyyyyy!)
Hello my lovelies,
I'm typing this on Tuesday from Terminal Five at Heathrow, because saying so makes me sound ever so much more interesting and well-travelled than I actually am! Also, because I'm going to spend tomorrow recovering from jetlag and being in the jungle-like environs of Philadelphia, instead of nice...rainy...Wales. Hrm.
Anyway, I've got my pint (because dear God, I cannot deal with this place sober anymore I hate everyone how do you all move so slowly?), and the second half of the 'nattering on about social networking' column. (And, hopefully, some writing later if the battery holds out. I visited the Soane's Museum this morning because A) it's amazing and you should all go and B) it plays an integral part in a story I've started. And I've found the most delicious, wonderful plot point totally incidentally, thanks to some Hogarth paintings...)
Anyway!
Formspring
This is one of those cute, newish ones that isn't social networking necessarily so much as it's something to play with. I have an account here, which you are encouraged to use/abuse/ask dirty questions via. Essentially, it's a lovely, very basic and user-friendly setup to ask people questions, and read their answers to yours' and others' questions. Yep, one-trick pony, but it does that trick very elegantly - might be fun to use if you have a blog that makes it tough for people to ask questions?
Tumblr
Tumblr is very stripped-down blogging software, but one with a specific intent, if I recall correctly - it makes it almost painfully easy to post images. (As opposed to LJ, which at various times has made one doubt the existence of deities, quite frankly.) It's also easy to re-post something you see on someone else's tumblr very quickly. All of these are things that you can do with software like Wordpress or Blogger (more or less, anyway), but Tumblr makes them easy. Of course, you can also type entries and post them as well. If you're debating entering the world of blogs, but are terrified...well, don't be. No, honestly. You'll figure out what to do if you just bang around. But I'd also recommend Tumblr, with its very lovely, simple interface.
Podcast
Again, not really a form of social networking (it's a bit low on the interactivity scale), but it's one of those things that keeps reappearing, and there's probably one or two of you out there who are confused as to what it is. Essentially, it's a soundfile that someone recorded, rather like a radio show. (Well, if it's good it is.) You can generally download them individually (probably as an .mp3 file, or .ogg format if it's made by an open-source nerd), or subscribe to an RSS feed, which would automatically deliver them to you. Think of it this way - you can go to a post office to pick up mail (well, in small towns - still, right? I hope?), or you can have it delivered to you. And RSS feed requires a bit of software to act as a postbox which will collect your files/mail, or you can go to the post office/download site yourself. Easy, yeah?
Well, this has been honestly fun to write - is there anything else anyone's curious about?
Ciao, lovelies!
Hello my lovelies,
I'm typing this on Tuesday from Terminal Five at Heathrow, because saying so makes me sound ever so much more interesting and well-travelled than I actually am! Also, because I'm going to spend tomorrow recovering from jetlag and being in the jungle-like environs of Philadelphia, instead of nice...rainy...Wales. Hrm.
Anyway, I've got my pint (because dear God, I cannot deal with this place sober anymore I hate everyone how do you all move so slowly?), and the second half of the 'nattering on about social networking' column. (And, hopefully, some writing later if the battery holds out. I visited the Soane's Museum this morning because A) it's amazing and you should all go and B) it plays an integral part in a story I've started. And I've found the most delicious, wonderful plot point totally incidentally, thanks to some Hogarth paintings...)
Anyway!
Formspring
This is one of those cute, newish ones that isn't social networking necessarily so much as it's something to play with. I have an account here, which you are encouraged to use/abuse/ask dirty questions via. Essentially, it's a lovely, very basic and user-friendly setup to ask people questions, and read their answers to yours' and others' questions. Yep, one-trick pony, but it does that trick very elegantly - might be fun to use if you have a blog that makes it tough for people to ask questions?
Tumblr
Tumblr is very stripped-down blogging software, but one with a specific intent, if I recall correctly - it makes it almost painfully easy to post images. (As opposed to LJ, which at various times has made one doubt the existence of deities, quite frankly.) It's also easy to re-post something you see on someone else's tumblr very quickly. All of these are things that you can do with software like Wordpress or Blogger (more or less, anyway), but Tumblr makes them easy. Of course, you can also type entries and post them as well. If you're debating entering the world of blogs, but are terrified...well, don't be. No, honestly. You'll figure out what to do if you just bang around. But I'd also recommend Tumblr, with its very lovely, simple interface.
Podcast
Again, not really a form of social networking (it's a bit low on the interactivity scale), but it's one of those things that keeps reappearing, and there's probably one or two of you out there who are confused as to what it is. Essentially, it's a soundfile that someone recorded, rather like a radio show. (Well, if it's good it is.) You can generally download them individually (probably as an .mp3 file, or .ogg format if it's made by an open-source nerd), or subscribe to an RSS feed, which would automatically deliver them to you. Think of it this way - you can go to a post office to pick up mail (well, in small towns - still, right? I hope?), or you can have it delivered to you. And RSS feed requires a bit of software to act as a postbox which will collect your files/mail, or you can go to the post office/download site yourself. Easy, yeah?
Well, this has been honestly fun to write - is there anything else anyone's curious about?
Ciao, lovelies!