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MyCube: Private Social Networking

June 10, 2011 — Mrs. Mecomber

I wondered when I’d start seeing something like this: a social network that is a closed loop, so to speak. In case you didn’t know, social networking (Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, even blogging to a certain degree) is VERY social. I mean, everything you say is open to the public. Oh sure, sure, Twitter and Facebook and all the others say they have controls for security, etc, but let’s talk reality– it’s pretty easy to be spied on, to be monitored, to be watched. I am not active on Facebook for this reason.

There’s a new social networking company, called MyCube, that is attempting to change some of the foibles of social networking. Currently, the social network is in private beta, but I did a little digging about the company. Here’s the scoop:

MyCube focuses on giving users more privacy and control over their accounts and information while still maintaining the content exchange that makes social networking so special.
After registration, you can connect with other people in MyCube that share common interests as you (such as pro-blogging or raising kids or selling books online).
MyCube has a virtual currency where users can buy and sell. This is WAY better than using “real” money, as it protects your financial information and allows you to freely interact with people from other countries and currencies.
MyCue is based in Singapore. According to MyCube’s Facebook page, someone complained that Singapore is a human rights violator. MyCube’s response was that Singapore “will not allow the US or any other government to spy because they do not have automatic access like the CIA do to the Facebook database!”

I’m still looking into MyCube. I do agree wholeheartedly about the great lack of privacy and security with the Facebook and Twitter networks. I have been wondering when someone would rise up to challenge the social network behemoths.

If you’re curious, do check out MyCube. The site is in private beta, but you can register for an account using the activation code blog at MyCube private beta. MyCube also has a blog and, according to the Facebook page, has been hiring interns for the new service.

It will be very interesting to see how this site develops!

Posted in networking, Twitter, websites. Tags: Facebook, social networking, Twitter. 1 Comment »

A Review of Seesmic Twitter Desktop App

February 9, 2011 — Mrs. Mecomber

I’m a little surprised how few choices exist for desktop Twitter applications. Seriously. Twitter is wildly popular, yet the only *big* desktop apps I am aware of is TweetDeck and Seesmic. That’s it?! Unless I’m missing something. HootSuite doesn’t even HAVE a desktop app, just a browser app. Someone correct me if I am wrong, because I would love to toodle around with something else besides TweetDeck and Seesmic. Call me old school, but I like my choices.

Tweetdeck and Seesmic perform *OK*. The TweetDeck on my iPhone crashes all the time (sounds like it’s a common problem, too), and the desktop app has some quirks (at least, for my system). Seesmic has been very reliable. I have never had it crash, actually. But Seesmic is a little too big and bloated for a simple Twitter user like me. Seesmic is an app suited for social networking fiends, who want to keep tabs on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Foursquare, Google Buzz (who uses this, I wonder?!), and Ping.fm. I use none of those except Twitter. So Seesmic is a big weighty for me, like using a shovel to sip soup.

Anyway, I like Seemic enough for Twitter, but it has a few annoying quirks that have me looking for another app. For one, you cannot skin the interface. You’re stuck with the black and yellow. UGLY. Looks like a boys school bus! And I greatly dislike black backgrounds. YUK.

Also, you cannot really scroll through the Twitter entries. I can’t, at least. If I do, the column jumps and skips. I have to tediously clickclickclick the small scroll arrow to scroll through the entries. It gets old REAL fast.

There’s no way to shrink the columns or entries. Seemic allows you to add multiple rows of columns– very helpful if you use Twitter lists like I do. Unfortunately, you have to scroll– that is, clickclickclick— the horizontal scroll arrow to see the columns. I love TweetDeck because they have columns that you can flip– you view one column at a time, and it’s so easy to flip from one column to the next. That is THE BEST feature of TweetDeck. I don’t understand why Seesmic and HootSuite don’t do that. Instead, they make you clickclickclick vertically or horizontally, and it’s aggravating after a while. Is there some kind of Twitter app creation school that we can send some of these apps to? TweetDeck leads the best school brigade for intuitiveness, but it constantly crashes. Seesmic is very reliable, but sure could use some lessons from TweetDeck’s columns.

clickclickclick *sigh* clickclickclick

OK, now for the good stuff. Seesmic has some really nice built-ins, like the Klout number feature. Every pal you see has a Klout number (even though I think the whole Klout thing is a little overrated), and instead of going to the Klout website to view them, Seesmic posts them very easily. It even displays the Klout topics of your pals. I know, I know, Klout scores are kind of juvenile, like kids in Boys school 11 – 16 year olds. But some people (especially advertisers) like it, so… whatever. It’s a “fun” measurement, not a boarding school exam, so no complaints here.

There’s much more to Seesmic than what I have mentioned here. Like I said, it’s a meaty app for the social networking monster. I just use Twitter, so it’s a bit overkill.

I give Seesmic a 3 out of 5. It works very well, and is readable. But the ugly skin and the inability to properly scroll through the columns, especially when compared to TweetDeck’s illustrious capability, flattens the score. Seesmic is free, so that’s a plus. If they fixed those two things, it would be a dream.

Note: Seesmic did not compensate me for this review.

Posted in browsers, desktop utilities, free programs, networking, Twitter. Tags: desktop apps, social networking. Comments Off »

Building a Business Social Networking Team

January 27, 2011 — Mrs. Mecomber

Perhaps your eyes crossed at the term “business social networking.” Business is business and social is social, no?

Well, yes and no. There’s a new movement in the business world (small and large business!): it’s social networking FOR the business. Every good business person realizes that a business is not efficient nor consumer-friendly when it is not truly working together as a team. A splintered business not only costs time and money, but it costs customers, too. The business world is extremely competitive, and consumers still want good, speedy service. A good business will meet that need. MSNBC has a great article about the rise of social networking in business environments.

Unfortunately, many businesses become tangled up in bureaucratic tape and managerial fiats. It’s very interesting to see a movement that embraces social networking within the business FOR the business. For example, let’s say a client requests a discount on goods or services. He asks the customer representative for this benefit. The customer representative does not have authority to offer a discount, and must go through the long chain of command to request it. (Anyone who has been “on hold” on the phone knows how long this process can take– often, the customer rep must file requests with accounting, inventory, and managers before obtaining a yay or nay for the client). Social networking within the business connects all these departments using typical social networking tools (such as Seismic or a desktop app) to obtain data very rapidly.

I find this interesting because, in the past and even now in many businesses, social networking is taboo at the office. It’s used for frittering away time, reducing productivity and increasing costs. But through the use of enterprise activity streams and other means, data and ideas flow freely from one department to another. And when a customer has his needs met in a timely and courteous fashion, that customer is much more likely to become a devoted client, even if it means paying a little more for the exceptional service.

Well, there’s certainly much more to business social networking than I mentioned here. Mine is a very simplified, condensed example of the incredible increase and power of social networking. If you want to learn more, or surf around for additional teamwork tips , check out the websites in the links.