Web 2.0
Posted on 17. Jun, 2008 by Pam in internet
I first joined Twitter about a year ago and I deleted my account not long after signing up. It seemed like a silly concept and another website that I would have to keep track of. After joining again a few months ago it has become an addiction. I actually spend more time refreshing Twitterrific than I do on Flickr. I move from one addiction to another. It’s interesting to see what others are doing and a great place to meet new friends. Louisville has even began to have meet-ups for twitter members. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the first one, but apparently they had a huge turn out.
Another website that has become popular among twitter members is BrightKite. BrightKite is a website similar to twitter where you can post notes, your current location, and post photos from your camera to their site. I’m a little hesitant to post too much information at this website. Is it really safe to post your home location? Who knows who will stumble across your page and decide to stalk you. There are settings to only disclose your locations to friends but it’s still a little unsettling. Until I get a fancier phone I doubt I’ll be using BrightKite frequently.
Speaking of fancier phones I’ve been eyeing Blackberries; particularly the Pearl. My birthday is a little less than seven weeks away and I think I’m going to switch over to another provider that actually offers service at my home as a gift to myself. My friends will be happy to know that they can finally reach me when I’m at home! ::gasp:: I’d love to get one of the new iPhones but I can’t justify $60-70/month for service, especially considering I’ll be working less this fall because of more class work. I’ve been wanting a new phone for a long time and these websites are making me want it even more. If I had a fancier phone I could update Twitter and/or BrightKite from my phone as well as my computer. I could really annoy people with updates. Yes! My plan to take over the internet is working. :P
The internet is really changing, in fact, it’s been changing radically the last few years. 10-15 years ago websites like twitter or brightkite would have never taken off. I guess we’ve all become more comfortable with strangers reading about our lives, because it seems like everyone has a blog that they update regularly. I’ve met some great people because of the internet, in fact, a couple of my close friends I’ve met online. I’m grateful for that because I wouldn’t have met them otherwise. Thank you, internet. :)
Related Links
My twitter and brightkite account.
reemixx
Jun 17th, 2008
Much, much better! Now we can all post comments :)
Yep, the web is certainly changing. It’s becoming a very dynamic and interactive place. Web apps are popping up left, right and centre, and yet, the average internet user still doesn’t know of anything other than MySpace and Facebook. But this is all changing, slowly.
As for BrightKite, I’m really not in that boat at all. I don’t see the point. As Chris Pirillo said, it’s a stalker’s dream come true. Check out his article: http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/06/14/dim-flight-for-brightkite/
Resist the crackberry! Maybe even pick up a previous gen iPhone for cheap when the new one’s are out. Luckily in Australia, the iPhone will be available on prepaid, so we don’t have to sign up for a contract. Though how much it will cost remains to be seen (and I don’t have high hopes on it being cheap).
Pam
Jun 18th, 2008
I think the only reason why I joined BrightKite is because some of my friends were using it and it was interesting to see where they were and what they were doing.
Yeah, prepaid probably won’t be very cheap with the iPhone. I currently use prepaid on my cell phone and up until about 6 months ago I only used my cell phone for emergencies. In the long run I would be better off with a plan because I’ll get more minutes for the money. I doubt I’ll get an iPhone just because the local provider doesn’t offer it, Blackberry is all they offer in terms of “smart phones.” Plus it’s more money I have to shell out that I could be putting toward a new lens, traveling, or something else. I’ll get an iPhone eventually it just won’t be now.