Twitter out, Pownce in
I have to admit, I still don’t really get Twitter. It seems like it is 99% garbage. Twitter is based on the question, “What are you doing?” and in most cases, people are doing rather nothing interesting. I know I certainly am not. Others use it almost as a web based IM client, which I just don’t get when IM works better. On the other hand, I am starting to warm up to Pownce.
Yes, some people use Twitter to answer a different question. Merlin Mann, of 43folders is a good example of this. His twittering is worth following most of the time (sometimes he does just answer the question what are you doing just to throw us). I think the limit of 140 characters suits him well. He is a frequent contributor on MacBreak Weekly as well and I find many times the best part of the netcast. I found several others that are good to follow but bleh, most are not.
So reducing Twitter to a maybe I will look, I decided I needed to still keep involved in something like it. Pownce seemed to me to be Twitter on steroids – it still has the simple text messages but it has a lot more including the ability to post pictures/files, links, and up-coming events. It was developed by the fine folks at Revision3. It also has a couple different nice Adobe Air based clients that makes it easy to see posts as well as create posts. I normally have one running somewhere, on one of my desktops.
Now, it doesn’t necessarily have the easy SMS interface Twitter does, not that I ever used it for Twitter. I am a cranky old geek that has never like SMS, especially when they cost to use. On the other hand, Pownce does have a moble web page for sending stuff from your smartphone. With my iPhone, the web page interface works fine, mobile or normal.
I currently follow primarily those that post photos as I am trying to train my brain to see good photo composition. This is what I see as a strength of Pownce. It encourages creativity and not the inane blathering that Twitter does.
I can also see it becoming a tool for small businesses with its event posting and file sharing. I think it would be interesting for example for the pastor of our church to use Pownce to post quick info, event sharing, or “daily bread” type things. I could also see it as a way to spread prayer requests quickly through a prayer vine – hehe, I can just imagine Kevin Rose pulling his hair out if he ever read this going… “NOOOOO! I didn’t create Pownce to be a religious tool, it was to share my current favorite beer!”
Tools like Pownce and Twitter are certainly becoming mechanisms to provide support. A quick note saying, “I can’t figure this out” seems to result in several great solutions. I see Pownce as a better tool than Twitter to do so. Right now, most of this support is informal, almost accidental but I wouldn’t be surprised if someone isn’t already using it as a primary method to provide some sort of support. My brain is starting to itch – better stop now before it comes up with a good idea.
My Pownce name is wereveal (of course, as is my Twitter account) but I doubt I will post much there until I have something to share in that format. I will primarily be a “follower.” If I find that I am using it more – getting a lot of friends etc, the Pro version could be appealing. At $20 a year, it is not expensive and fits the “benefits” of being a “Pro.”