My list is Hellotxt (web-based), Netvibes (web-based), Yoono(web-based or add-in), Brizzly (web-based), RockMelt(web-browser), Seesmic(web-based, PC-based), Digsby(PC-based), TweetDeck (web-based, PC-based) & HootSuite (web-based).
There are also phone tools for iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Palm and in some cases, others. I will not be reviewing the phone tools.
In this article I will cover HootSuite (web-based) & Digsby(PC-based). Please remember this is a general overview plus my opinions. Don't consider this a "full review". I just don't have the time to go into that much detail. I will give you a general idea how the dashboard functions and highlight points I find important.
HootSuite (hootsuite.com)
This is the last of the web-based services I am looking at. If you Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Ping, WordPress, MySpace (does anyone MySpace anymore?), Foursquare or mixi then Hootsuite is the service for you. If you blog and like to publish your blog, Hootsuite is also an excellent service. Setup is dead simple, layout is clean and easy to read. You can run everything on one "tab" (it will scroll left/right if it gets too big) or you can run multiple "tabs" and keep everything really organized. Twitter, for example has columns for the home feed (timeline), mentions, direct messages & pending tweets (I'll talk about "pending" in a sec). LinkedIn lets you look at network updates and "pending" status updates. What is "pending" you ask? or perhaps you have a really good idea already? yep, it's stuff that hasn't happened yet. How does this work? You can schedule status updates. Set a date & time, type a message, pick the profile(s) to update to and BAM it happens exactly when you told it too. (For what its worth, did you know one of the best times to get re-tweeted is 4PM EST on a Friday? That's what I have heard. I haven't tested it yet but it's a logical theory.) This is where Hootsuite really stands out from other services I have reviewed so far. Hootsuite is about business, and they mean it. Hootsuite has a free service or more advance services that you can get for an extra fee. For free you get sight analytics, URL shortening, tracking of who is clicking those shorter links and a whole bunch of other stuff. For pay, you get longer duration data trending (free is 30 days, pay is forever). Either one will let you send status updates to one, a combination or all of your social profiles that Hootsuite is handling for you. I REALLY like the 'update-all-at-one-time' feature. Very handy. If you blog and feed that blog as RSS (easy to do) you can push your blog through Hootsuite to your social profiles almost automatically. Also, the pay service will let you add additional users. If you are running SEO/ORM for a business and there is more than one person in your group, Hootsuite really becomes powerful because multiple users can access the same social profile accounts. You can also access multiple 'same-type' accounts. Have more than one Twitter account? Hootsuite is just for you. the free version can access 5 and the pay can go unlimited.
To wrap up, you have to check out Hootsuite if you are investing serious time into your online presence. I follow (twitter) that uses is and it appears to be very popular for a good reason.
Additional note, I checked out the Scheduled Updates, it works like a charm.
Digsby (digsby.com)
If you are young and really into IM services, then Digsby is the one for you. If not, then forget it. It installed "Gamesbar 2.0.1.73", "Shop to Win 2", "Surf Canyon Search Engine Assistant", Yontoo layers Client" & "WeatherBug" onto my PC when in installed. it also closed my browser windows during install. Then it closed them AGAIN during un-install. Very annoying install/un-install process. (At this moment, I'm very glad to be running Win 7 and using System Restore.I then realize (perhaps I should have read the webpage more?) it's an IM client! O well, nothing ventured, nothing gained. As IM clients go, it is AWESOME. works very well with Twitter, GMail, & LinkedIn; imagine getting LI updates from an Im client? Kinda weird but unobtrusive. Lets you go about your work and notice the updates as they happen.
I wish it had an interface other than an IM bar. I really like its update system. It even installs icons to the taskbar. I can hover over my GMail icon and see my email in a flash. It's nice but doesn't fit my style. In my opinion you wouldn't like it unless you have fond memories of the IM days of old.
I REALLY like the notifications though. That email/LI popup is just incredible.
As always, I hope this article helped you in your search or in your daily "What I do", whatever that may be. You can help me by posting something in the comments. Requests for new subjects you want me to write about, additional information you want on something I have written about, your thoughts about my writing. If you like what you are reading and want there to me more to read in the future, put something in the comments.
(Remember to ignore this, it's just all my tags. No need to read this, its just SEO. Employeer, internet, Job, Jobseeker, Lifehacker, Online Reputation Management, ORM, Recruiter, Social media, Wikipedia, chester, chester paul, chester paul lohman, paul, paul lohman, lohman, trainer, manager, Landing page, internet, internet tools, blog, blogging, bookmark, bookmarking, email, IM, shopping, social network, social networking, social news)
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
notes on Social Dashboards
(Note, I'm still getting the hang of this blogging thing down, please forgive my variable fonts. I'm looking for something that works well.)
In order to manage less than 375 different sites you need a social dashboard. A dashboard is either a web-based (web-page, with a URL), PC based (install it on your computer) or (Web)browser designed to help you manage multiple social media sites at the same time Some of these also work as a browser add-in (it's like a tool you can add to your browser. I will only review those that work for the Google Chrome browser). I plan to review the ones I have found, Lifehacker has an excellent review here as well (it's a list of top 5 based on reader input).
My list is Hellotxt (web-based), Netvibes (web-based), Yoono(web-based or add-in), Brizzly (web-based), RockMelt(web-browser), Seesmic(web-based, PC-based), Digsby(PC-based), TweetDeck (web-based, PC-based) & HootSuite (web-based).
There are also phone tools for iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Palm and in some cases, others. I will not be reviewing the phone tools.
Today I will cover Hellotxt (web-based), Netvibes (web-based), Yoono(web-based or add-in), Brizzly (web-based), RockMelt(web-browser). Please remember this is a general overview plus my opinions. Don't consider this a "full review". I just don't have the time to go into that much detail. I will give you a general idea how the dashboard functions and highlight points I find important.
Hellotxt (hellotxt.com) This one is web-based, go to a URL and your at your dashboard.
I don't like the configuration. How the page places information is not comfortable for me. Sometimes it's hard to tell what the source behind the information is; is this a Tweet? LI update? Too much time wasted checking. Bonus, it looks like you can update your status on all your networks at once (I never tried). Nice feature.
Setup was very simple. Easy to follow instructions. I did have trouble finding my page after setup though. It left me on a blank page ("Lifestream"). I expected this to be my information page but it's not. Where is my data? O, it's at 'home'! If I click the 'Hellotxt' link in the top left I see my data! Not intuitive enough. Hellotxt does not auto-update, a boon for some but a bane for me. Auto-update everything and just highlight what I haven't read yet. Remember your job Mr. Social Dashboard, is to make my life easier.
Netvibes (netvibes.com) This one is web-based, go to a URL and your at your dashboard.
I like this one. Nice, appealing layout, fairly easy to read. You can have tabs to separate major categories. I have a tab for RSS feeds and one for everything else. You can chance themes to affect the background image (kinda like GMail). This works on a 'widget' theory. Every information source in a widget, widget for Twitter, widget for LI, widget for Facebook, you get the idea. I don't like that each individual RSS feed has to have it's own widget. I want to read them all at once, like I can in Google reader. Lots of customization for layout, because you can put a widget almost anywhere. I really like the 'quick close' (my words) feature. There is a pointing down triangle at the top right of your page, this "minimizes" all your widgets at once (you can do each one individually if you want). It's a really handy feature to see at-a-glance which widgets have new information to read. LOTS of widgets, Netvibes runs an open attitude to widgets so anyone can create a widget (think iPhone or Android app store) and this means A LOT OF WIDGETS. Options are a good thing.
Big negative; you cant update your status on all your networks at the same time. They make it very easy to do one at a time though.
I like this one. It has a nice layout. I like the tabs which allow you to separate stuff. you can change themes which affect the background image, nice feature. i don't like that my RSS each has to have its own widget tho. that's a bad thing.
also needs the ability to send a status update to everything at once. Very good LI widget, nice stuff
Yoono (yoono.com) This one is a browser add-in
This handy sidebar only shows the 'everything' column (and the quick buttons toolbar) but remember you can always switch the 'everything' column to only show you one feed.
There are quick buttons at the far left for 'Popout' (gives you that handy side bar instead of running in a tab on your browser.), "Configuration" (settings), close all individual columns and 'share'. 'Share' lets you share any web-page.
The negative is my fault and blame does not go to the folks at Yoono at all. I'm having trouble with RSS feeds. I can't import RSS directly but I can import my Google Buzz. Google Buzz should grab all my RSS but it isn't. As soon as I can figure this part out, I may go to using Yoono all the time. I'm very impressed. In my opinion, Yoono is the best so far.
Brizzzly (brizzly.com) This one is web-based, go to a URL and your at your dashboard.
I'm not even going to try this one. Only works with Facebook and Twitter.
RockMelt (rockmelt.com) This one is it's own web-browser.
Rockmelt is pretty awesome. You must have a Facebook account, this is an absolute. They verify real people (as opposed to bots) through Facebook so you just cant get it w/out Facebook. It integrates with Facebook, twitter and (at least) news feeds.
Rockmelt is not a website, it is not a program you download to your PC (sort-of), RockMelt is a modified version of Google's Chrome web browser. You download this modified browser and it has columns on the left & right side for your information and friends. I've seen the video and it looks very productive.
RockMelt is in beta right now but that is not a bad thing. If I ever hear of them offering options outside of Facebook, I really want to try this out. I have heard a lot of good things about RockMelt. Some Gizmodo & Lifehacker readers swear by it and won't surf the web with anything else.
I hope this helped you. If it did or you think it will help someone else, please share this with them.
(Remember to ignore this, it's just all my tags. No need to read this, its just SEO. Employeer, internet, Job, Jobseeker, Lifehacker, Online Reputation Management, ORM, Recruiter, Social media, Wikipedia, chester, chester paul, chester paul lohman, paul, paul lohman, lohman, trainer, manager, Landing page, internet, internet tools, blog, blogging, bookmark, bookmarking, email, IM, shopping, social network, social networking, social news)
In order to manage less than 375 different sites you need a social dashboard. A dashboard is either a web-based (web-page, with a URL), PC based (install it on your computer) or (Web)browser designed to help you manage multiple social media sites at the same time Some of these also work as a browser add-in (it's like a tool you can add to your browser. I will only review those that work for the Google Chrome browser). I plan to review the ones I have found, Lifehacker has an excellent review here as well (it's a list of top 5 based on reader input).
My list is Hellotxt (web-based), Netvibes (web-based), Yoono(web-based or add-in), Brizzly (web-based), RockMelt(web-browser), Seesmic(web-based, PC-based), Digsby(PC-based), TweetDeck (web-based, PC-based) & HootSuite (web-based).
There are also phone tools for iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Palm and in some cases, others. I will not be reviewing the phone tools.
Today I will cover Hellotxt (web-based), Netvibes (web-based), Yoono(web-based or add-in), Brizzly (web-based), RockMelt(web-browser). Please remember this is a general overview plus my opinions. Don't consider this a "full review". I just don't have the time to go into that much detail. I will give you a general idea how the dashboard functions and highlight points I find important.
Hellotxt (hellotxt.com) This one is web-based, go to a URL and your at your dashboard.
I don't like the configuration. How the page places information is not comfortable for me. Sometimes it's hard to tell what the source behind the information is; is this a Tweet? LI update? Too much time wasted checking. Bonus, it looks like you can update your status on all your networks at once (I never tried). Nice feature.
Setup was very simple. Easy to follow instructions. I did have trouble finding my page after setup though. It left me on a blank page ("Lifestream"). I expected this to be my information page but it's not. Where is my data? O, it's at 'home'! If I click the 'Hellotxt' link in the top left I see my data! Not intuitive enough. Hellotxt does not auto-update, a boon for some but a bane for me. Auto-update everything and just highlight what I haven't read yet. Remember your job Mr. Social Dashboard, is to make my life easier.
Netvibes (netvibes.com) This one is web-based, go to a URL and your at your dashboard.
I like this one. Nice, appealing layout, fairly easy to read. You can have tabs to separate major categories. I have a tab for RSS feeds and one for everything else. You can chance themes to affect the background image (kinda like GMail). This works on a 'widget' theory. Every information source in a widget, widget for Twitter, widget for LI, widget for Facebook, you get the idea. I don't like that each individual RSS feed has to have it's own widget. I want to read them all at once, like I can in Google reader. Lots of customization for layout, because you can put a widget almost anywhere. I really like the 'quick close' (my words) feature. There is a pointing down triangle at the top right of your page, this "minimizes" all your widgets at once (you can do each one individually if you want). It's a really handy feature to see at-a-glance which widgets have new information to read. LOTS of widgets, Netvibes runs an open attitude to widgets so anyone can create a widget (think iPhone or Android app store) and this means A LOT OF WIDGETS. Options are a good thing.
Big negative; you cant update your status on all your networks at the same time. They make it very easy to do one at a time though.
I like this one. It has a nice layout. I like the tabs which allow you to separate stuff. you can change themes which affect the background image, nice feature. i don't like that my RSS each has to have its own widget tho. that's a bad thing.
also needs the ability to send a status update to everything at once. Very good LI widget, nice stuff
Yoono (yoono.com) This one is a browser add-in
This handy sidebar only shows the 'everything' column (and the quick buttons toolbar) but remember you can always switch the 'everything' column to only show you one feed.
There are quick buttons at the far left for 'Popout' (gives you that handy side bar instead of running in a tab on your browser.), "Configuration" (settings), close all individual columns and 'share'. 'Share' lets you share any web-page.
The negative is my fault and blame does not go to the folks at Yoono at all. I'm having trouble with RSS feeds. I can't import RSS directly but I can import my Google Buzz. Google Buzz should grab all my RSS but it isn't. As soon as I can figure this part out, I may go to using Yoono all the time. I'm very impressed. In my opinion, Yoono is the best so far.
Brizzzly (brizzly.com) This one is web-based, go to a URL and your at your dashboard.
I'm not even going to try this one. Only works with Facebook and Twitter.
RockMelt (rockmelt.com) This one is it's own web-browser.
Rockmelt is pretty awesome. You must have a Facebook account, this is an absolute. They verify real people (as opposed to bots) through Facebook so you just cant get it w/out Facebook. It integrates with Facebook, twitter and (at least) news feeds.
Rockmelt is not a website, it is not a program you download to your PC (sort-of), RockMelt is a modified version of Google's Chrome web browser. You download this modified browser and it has columns on the left & right side for your information and friends. I've seen the video and it looks very productive.
RockMelt is in beta right now but that is not a bad thing. If I ever hear of them offering options outside of Facebook, I really want to try this out. I have heard a lot of good things about RockMelt. Some Gizmodo & Lifehacker readers swear by it and won't surf the web with anything else.
I hope this helped you. If it did or you think it will help someone else, please share this with them.
(Remember to ignore this, it's just all my tags. No need to read this, its just SEO. Employeer, internet, Job, Jobseeker, Lifehacker, Online Reputation Management, ORM, Recruiter, Social media, Wikipedia, chester, chester paul, chester paul lohman, paul, paul lohman, lohman, trainer, manager, Landing page, internet, internet tools, blog, blogging, bookmark, bookmarking, email, IM, shopping, social network, social networking, social news)
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Are you comfortable in your own skin?
This morning I was thinking about a networking event that is coming up soon. A friend invited me to this event and I hear that there will be over 500 people at this event. I've been really excited about going and seeing my friend and meeting new people.
I recently learned that my friend is not going to make it to this event. I was really disappointed when I got the news and considered not going. (In my friends defense, he has an excellent reason for not making it.) As I was thinking this morning about the event and considering skipping it I remembered something. I'm comfortable in my own skin. I like myself. I have the self-confidence to walk into a room of 500+ strangers and not only be OK with it but to expect to see someone that already knows me. I'm a likable fella and I know it.
When I was young (very young), some wise adult told me "Son, you have to learn to like yourself before other people will like you. If YOU don't like you, and you know YOU better than anyone else on this earth, why should other people like you?" That hit me, I mean it really sunk into my brain, right down to the parts of it that work most of the time. I worked on it and never forgot the advice. I don't remember the source (thank you, wise adult, whomever you were) but I have always remembered to like myself. If someone asked me to name 10 things about me that I like I could rattle them off pretty quick {1) I'm a nice guy, I'll help you if i can. 2)I try not to break the law, I'm a good citizen. 3) I'm a good dad, I know because my kids love me. 4) I'm a good husband, I know because my wife loves me. 5)I'm worth something, I know because god loves me. 6)I'm a good son/brother, I know because my siblings and parents love me. 7) I'm a good worker, I know because my boss {all of 'em} have told me. 8)I'm smart, I can learn things {I learned to like myself didnt I?} 9)I'm a good cook, when I try. 10)I love my eyes, I have great eyes. (When I got contacts the first time, I asked the very pretty assistant if I should get colored contacts. She took one look into my eyes and said "no way".)} That was really 11 because #6 is actually two things. I timed myself, it took me less than 5 minutes to come up with those things and type them here.
My question for you today is: Are you comfortable in your own skin? Do you like yourself? If you don't, (and really think about it, don't just snap off the obvious answer.) then you need to work on it. Find a book on self-esteem or a book on how to make friends or maybe you realize you need more help than can come from a book. Find a local church or Google for local self-help groups.
(Quick edit, could I rattle off 10 things I don't like about myself just as fast? yep. Do I? nope. I focus on the positive. I realize my shortcomings and work to improve them but I don't 'sweat' them enough to get me down!)
My point is, you have to like yourself. Who you are, what value you bring to a conversation, your family, your job or whatever. If YOU don't like you, and you know YOU better than anyone else on this earth, why should other people like you?
As always, I hope reading this helped you, or at least made you think a little.
I recently learned that my friend is not going to make it to this event. I was really disappointed when I got the news and considered not going. (In my friends defense, he has an excellent reason for not making it.) As I was thinking this morning about the event and considering skipping it I remembered something. I'm comfortable in my own skin. I like myself. I have the self-confidence to walk into a room of 500+ strangers and not only be OK with it but to expect to see someone that already knows me. I'm a likable fella and I know it.
When I was young (very young), some wise adult told me "Son, you have to learn to like yourself before other people will like you. If YOU don't like you, and you know YOU better than anyone else on this earth, why should other people like you?" That hit me, I mean it really sunk into my brain, right down to the parts of it that work most of the time. I worked on it and never forgot the advice. I don't remember the source (thank you, wise adult, whomever you were) but I have always remembered to like myself. If someone asked me to name 10 things about me that I like I could rattle them off pretty quick {1) I'm a nice guy, I'll help you if i can. 2)I try not to break the law, I'm a good citizen. 3) I'm a good dad, I know because my kids love me. 4) I'm a good husband, I know because my wife loves me. 5)I'm worth something, I know because god loves me. 6)I'm a good son/brother, I know because my siblings and parents love me. 7) I'm a good worker, I know because my boss {all of 'em} have told me. 8)I'm smart, I can learn things {I learned to like myself didnt I?} 9)I'm a good cook, when I try. 10)I love my eyes, I have great eyes. (When I got contacts the first time, I asked the very pretty assistant if I should get colored contacts. She took one look into my eyes and said "no way".)} That was really 11 because #6 is actually two things. I timed myself, it took me less than 5 minutes to come up with those things and type them here.
My question for you today is: Are you comfortable in your own skin? Do you like yourself? If you don't, (and really think about it, don't just snap off the obvious answer.) then you need to work on it. Find a book on self-esteem or a book on how to make friends or maybe you realize you need more help than can come from a book. Find a local church or Google for local self-help groups.
(Quick edit, could I rattle off 10 things I don't like about myself just as fast? yep. Do I? nope. I focus on the positive. I realize my shortcomings and work to improve them but I don't 'sweat' them enough to get me down!)
My point is, you have to like yourself. Who you are, what value you bring to a conversation, your family, your job or whatever. If YOU don't like you, and you know YOU better than anyone else on this earth, why should other people like you?
As always, I hope reading this helped you, or at least made you think a little.
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