wheresitworking?

DimDim Versus GoToMeeting and WebEx

Chances are you’ve attended lots of online meetings that used WebEx (Cisco) or GoToMeeting, or Microsoft Live Meeting.  Chances are you probably think they all are less than optimal, but basically adequate in what they offer you.  If you’ve ever had to foot the bill for these services, you probably think they seem to be overpriced, considering some of the functionality other web based applications (e.g. Skype) give you at a low cost.  It’s no surprise that someone has finally stepped to the plate and is going to attempt to provide better-or-equal functionality at a lower price, and still feels like they can make a decent margin.  That somebody is DimDim.  Better than low-cost is free, and DimDim also has a free offering; and not a trial, a straight-up free offering.  DimDim has a very “contemporary” interface that has everything you need in a web meeting application, including video conferencing capabilities.  I found the application pretty easy to learn; I only spent about 10 minutes using it before I felt like I knew how to “find” everything.

Additionally, I’ve been really impresseed with their customer service.  After Tweeting about problems I was having sharing an all Flash site on DimDim, Kevin reached out to me and helped me realize I merely needed to change how I was sharing the site.  The response from Kevin shows DimDim’s dedication to providing a product that is better than the current offerings.

Maybe the biggest compliment I can give DimDim is this.  I have never been involuntarily disconnected from a meeting in DimDim while on my MacBook; I have been on every Cisco Unified MeetingPlace meeting I have attended in the last several months.  Likewise, I have been booted off  GoToMeeting and WebEx meetings numerous times over the years.  I hope I didn’t just jinx DimDim, because nothing can be more detrimental to the flow of a good meeting like disruptions in the call or online meeting application.

If you ever have to conduct online meetings, definitely give DimDim a try.  You’ll enjoy the experience, and you’ll likely save yourself some money.

Tags: GoToMeeting, Microsoft Live Meeting, online meeting applications, online meetings, WebEx

Diigo Bookmarks Better

Recently we had to find a bookmarking application for everyone to collaboratively use at SwellPath.  We wanted a “mind share” for all of us to be able to put bookmarked articles and whatnot into.  We wanted to be able to keep some bookmarks private, but most public so our clients, partners and friends could benefit from them also.  I use delicious so I wasn’t really into using it for this, because switching back and forth between identities is not really feasible.  I would have had to give up being logged into my wheresitworking account to switch to this new identity for SwellPath.  If ma.gnolia still functioned, it probably would have been the solution, but it isn’t functioning.

I hunted around a bit, and played around with many of the bookmarking apps I’ve tried out in the past.  Nothing really seemed to work for what we wanted, until I revisted Furl.  Furl had a message about how it had been bought and was being rolled into Diigo.  Obviously this gave me some confidence in Diigo’s ability to survive in this somewhat crowded space, so I decided to give it a serious try.  I was very satisfied.

Diigo allows you to do everything you can basically do on delicious: bookmark, tag, friend others, search, etc.  However, there are some additional features that I feel make Diigo really nice to use.  Here are my thoughts after a few days of use:

• You can organize your bookmarks into lists.  Seems redundant with tags right?  But it really isn’t: lists allow you to group your bookmarks into larger buckets that can be quickly glanced at.
• Diigo has groups.  Not necessarily a feature we were looking for, but it shows an intent to organize the social aspect of bookmarking a little more than most other bookmarking sites do.
• Highlighting, commenting, and “sticky notes” as you add a bookmark.  Added content that you customize and associate with your bookmark.  User-generated content beyond just the bookmark and basic info.
• The interface is clean, yet incorporates the lists, groups, and other additional features.  It feels easier to navigate and work with than delicious; most of this sentiment is valid, but some of it may be because I’m so used to delicious, and Diigo is something different.

Overall, I’d definitely suggest checking out Diigo, even if you’re a hardcore delicious (or other bookmarking app) user.  If you do, friend SwellPath.

Tags: applications, communities, social networks

Analytics App for iPhone – Mobile Google Analytics

My first review of an iPhone application has to be Analytics App.  Just last week I was sitting in a meeting and a client was asking about historical analytics data.  I had only been engaged with the client for a short time, so I wasn’t sure about some conclusions they were drawing from the data.  We were at a location where wifi wasn’t available, so there was no way to access the data.  It was frustrating to say the least.  Had I access to Analytics App on the iPhone, I could have pulled up the client’s account and had access to the data within about 30 seconds.  This application is a must have for any analytics consultant with Google Analytics accounts to manage; if you’re a real analytics freak, it truly gives you reason alone to have an iPhone.

The interface itself is simple but highly effective.  You have access to all your accounts and profiles from the introscreen.  Switching between profiles that belong to multiple account is actually easier than it is in the GA interface.  Once you are in a profile you see a menu of options.  The first is Today which is really handy for just quickly checking in on account to get a read on traffic.  Below that are the rest of the reports you’re used to seeing in the Google Analytics interface.  You can navigate quickly between sections to see the data that’s important to you.

Once you’re in a specific area, you can the basic data from those respective sections in Google Analytics.  If you want to modfiy the date range, this is another feature that is actually faster and easier in Analytics App then it is in the GA interface.  You have access to the same slot-machine-like date interface that is used in the iPhone calendar application.

Without a doubt, you’ll quickly get to a point where you want to dig deeper into the data, and you’ll be unable to in Analytics App.  However, the application isn’t for hardcore analysis, but rather for exactly what it does: offering you a very quick and easy way to monitor your basic analytics data from anywhere.

The one thing that would make this application way more effective is if GA had real-time data: but that is obviously in the hands of Google, and not Michael D. Jensen (@mdjensen) the creator of Analytics App.  Pulling in data from an application like Clicky or Woopra that has real-time data would be really cool.

Overall, pretty impressive and well worth the $5 it costs.  Thanks to Michael for creating such a great app.

Tags: Analytics App, Google Analytics, iPhone Applicaitions

Google Finds Location Based Social Networking (LBS)

About 6 weeks ago Google launched Latitude, a location based social networking (LBS, though apparently that can stand for “location based service” also) application (even if Google refers to it as something else).  I’ve been paying close attention to this space, even though I’m not the most active participant, for several reasons.  One being the growth of local Portland startup Shizzow.  The space is filling up with a variety of competitors, so it was interesting and a bit disappointing to see Google jump into the fray.   No one wants to see Google jump in and knock out a bunch of these companies just because of their available resources and massive user base.  Nonetheless, companies like Shizzow still have a chance to thrive, if they choose their partners wisely and keep their users happy.

Location based social networking applications generally all work the same: I am somewhere, and I either decide to let others in the network know where I am, or they can automatically see where I am on a map.  This is generally done from a smartphone, but not exclusively.  I won’t waste a lot of time discussing privacy concerns; obviously some of us don’t want people to know where we are at all times, so there are generally “opt-out” or “turn off” options with the applications that just show all your connections where you are on a map (like Latitude does).  Shizzow doesn’t have this type of mapping capability; and it may or may not be in development, but it seems to be a necessity for survival in this space.

It probably goes without saying that many of these applications integrate with your Twitter account, so that you don’t need to double your efforts to announce to your Tweeps where you’re at.  Likewise, photographs are integrated into some apps.  Brightkite may be the biggest player in the space, and functions like a Twitter, with location, and the ability to put a picture in your update.

I have few hunches about who is going to end up the dominate player in this space.  One of them being: whoever partners with Yelp is going to have a significant advantage.  Another being: whoever Facebook buys will probably have a bigger advantage.  Now, I realize there are a lot of assumptions there, but it seems like Shizzow and Yelp are a natural fit, and it seems like Facebook could pick someone up and have a much easier path to critical mass. Regardless, this will be an interesting space to watch in the next year or so.

Tags: brightkite, Facebook, mobile phones, shizzow, Twitter, yelp

Update All Your Social Network Statuses with HelloTxt

Statuses is the correct plural form of status, and you likely have more than one status (or microblog) that you update on a regular basis.  Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Identi.ca, etcetera.  You may also now be yapping away into your webcam for regular updates on Seesmic, 12seconds.tv, or the other video-oriented networks, adding to the number of sites you need to visit, or tabs you need open in your browser.  HelloTxt (HelloTxt.com) is an app I’ve been using for a year or so.

There are a number of aggregators out there, some web-based and some installed, so the concept isn’t anything new.  However, I really like the simplicity and ease-of-use of the HelloTxt interface, and I’m really impressed with how quickly they add new networks and functionality to the application.  I have been using it for a year or so now, and it just keeps getting better.  The CEO, Fabrizio, is a bit more soft-spoken and does less self-promotion than some other network heads (he’s no Loic Le Meur); unfortunately this probably hampers the adoption of HelloTxt a bit.  However, Fabrizio is incredibly responsive to support emails, and definitely in touch with end-users’ needs.

I honestly don’t use HelloTxt too much for my personal account, but I find it the most useful app for marketing outreach.  As a personal application, it doesn’t allow for the back-and-forth that comes with working directly in a network – responding to others’ updates, and reading their responses to yours.   However, the “Friends Status” page on HelloTxt hints that this is coming, and truthfully, it remains to be seen if any aggregator really can achive this in a single tab or window.  However, for business accounts, where you may be just announcing offers and tidbits of news about your brand or product a few times a day or week, HelloTxt is perfect.  Likewise, whenever I want to update all my statuses simultaneously, I use HelloTxt.

One thing that may change use of HelloTxt dramatically is the recent changes to Facebook’s API that are designed to really expand users communication through statuses in Facebook.  I imagine Fabrizio and his team will be quick to integrate some changes into HelloTxt to take advantage of this.

The integration of media sources like YouTube and Flickr is great in HelloTxt is something that many other aggregators fail to accomplish.  As you can see in the screen shot, I can easily add a Flickr photo from my account (or anyone’s Flickr account) into my update.  Likewise, Fabrizio has support for Seesmic now, allowing you to capture your video and update all from HelloTxt.  I imagine 12seconds and the other video networks will be available on HelloTxt soon as well.

Finally, HelloTxt updates aren’t restricted to the web interface; updating from email, SMS, mobile apps, and a Facebook app are are all options also.

Check out HelloTxt and let Fabrizio and his team know what you think; as I said, they listen to users and strive to meet their needs.

Tags: social media marketing, social networking aggregators, status aggregators, status update applications