Wabi Sabi Me Technology

Microblogging with BrightKite Part II

May 22nd, 2008

So why do I find BrightKite so useful?

I like to use Twitter when I am traveling, so that family and friends on both ends of the journey can keep an eye on us. It is a small thing, but surprisingly, I take comfort in knowing that if the worst happens, at least there will be a last tweet from which to send out a search party.

With BrightKite, my roadtrip updates look like this:

and this:

I also like BrightKite’s mapping capability, especially when using BK via SMS on the iPhone. Once you check-in to a city text @City, State, you can then search for local businesses text ?Business Name. You will then receive a list of addresses and you can select which one you want. Don’t tell BK, but I use this SMS option frequently, even when I’m not updating, as it is faster than waiting for my iPhone’s Google Map to load.

So does BrightKite make Twitter obsolete?
No, ~~Twitter’s frequent downtime makes Twitter obsolete~~ not by any means. If I just want to share a random thought that isn’t specific to my location, I still use Twitter.

I’m also careful not to perturb my TwitterBuds with boring check-ins. Unless I’m using BK to post a note or a picture, my basic check-ins stay on the BK platform. I have witnessed other users send their check-ins to Twitter and it quickly becomes spam-like. How interesting is it to just see an address?

BK does have a few areas that need tweaking:

It would really add to the sense of community if users were able to comment on each note or photo directly. I’m hoping this is another goody that BK has in the works, as it will make their microblogging platform more like a true blog, in that each note or photo can become a conversation with comments from other users.

Last but not least, ocasionally BK’s mapping fails, which can be pretty darn irritating. Twice I have tried checking in to Never, Neverland but BK’s map just can’t seem to find it. Again, BK is only in the Beta, so I’m sure that when they work out all the bugs, it will have no problem locating Never, Neverland, Point of No Return, or Denial.

Posted in Twitter, Technology, Travel, How to Blog, iPhone | 3 Comments »

Microblogging with BrightKite Part I

May 21st, 2008

I’ve been testing out BrightKite’s geo-social networking tool for a couple of weeks and I heart it. BrightKite is the “Where Are You?” compliment to Twitter’s “What are You Doing?” and integrates into the regular Twitter Feed. Both Twitter and BK allow you to answer their questions online and via SMS, but BK has the better iPhone interface, making it my first choice for mobile microblogging.

With BK, you check-in at an actual physical address or general geographic location, such as 123 Main Street, Cost Plus World Market or Denver, Colorado. In addition you can see who else is visiting the location or has visited the location and how long ago. Various security settings allow you to limit who sees your exact location (which is a relief :-), but the shared history of notes and photos tied to a particular location give an instant sense of community.

After checking in, you can post notes on the location (with 140 characters or less, of course):

Or even a photo:

My first friend request came from a stranger while I was posting and traveling out of state. My initial reaction was “Eeekk! Stranger Danger!” but I quickly realized that it was no different than the numerous strangers I follow and follow me on Twitter. Usually, I select my TwitterBuds based on superficial things such as common interests, life experiences or hobbies. My new BK friend and I had a geographic location in common, no doubt a solid foundation upon which to build a lasting friendship.

Various third-party applications make it quite easy to identify potential TwitterBuds who tweet about things that interest me. BK has a tagging feature, but until the search is enabled, it’s just a tease and untapped potential. In fairness, BK is still in Beta, and so far it is more stable then Twitter (ahem) and no doubt the search capabilities will come, along with cute desk top clients and lots-o-third-party-applications. When that happens, BK will have the potential to be the biggest time suck known to humankind. Trust me, Twittervision will have nothing on this.

If you would like to try out BrightKite, leave a comment and I’ll send an invite to your email address. If you are already there and you’d like to add me as a friend, here’s my profile page

BK Beta

Originally uploaded by Wabi Sabi Me

Posted in Twitter, Technology, How to Blog, iPhone | 3 Comments »

Jelly. Now if only we had some peanut butter…

February 22nd, 2008

I was thrilled to learn about casual coworking and Jelly.

I would love to start my own semi-weekly work together for parents.

Imagine a relaxed, creative space offering the opportunity to work side by side with other entrepreneurs and freelancers — camaraderie, networking and brainstorming — all in a family-friendly environment, with everyone from nursing babies to teenagers in tow.

Granted, this would not appeal to all working parents. Not everyone is adept at switching from coding to changing diapers to IMing a client to retrieving a toy from under the couch and then back to coding. Nor is everyone comfortable working next to a mother nursing a toddler while typing on her laptop. But then again, I don’t have room for every working parent in my living room…

What is Jelly? from Amit Gupta on Vimeo.

Seems I’m not the only one thinking about coworking. The New York Times , The San Francisco Chronicler and USA Today have featured coworking stories this week. Learn more and find a site near you at the Coworking Wiki.