This is a test of the emergency FlockCast system

If this were a real emergency, you would not have had a chance to read this bulletin, because at least one of us would have been busy running for our lives.

In case you were wondering was FlockCast does, it allows you to send a link to Facebook for just about anything you are posting somewhere else with Flock.

Sometimes this is extremely handy, but might have a tendency to get very annoying as time goes on.  Please use at your own discretion. 

Blogged with the Flock Browser

E-Tools evolved: Flock 2.0 Beta after Firefox 3

This is my first blog entry after installing Flock 2.0 Beta almost a week ago. It has been very interesting. There are good and bad parts. Most of the bad parts have to do with added security that was part of Firefox 3. I have many useful add-ons installed, but because many did not have secure updates they were disabled. I really hope the capable folks who put these extensions together can make the necessary changes to allow me to continue using their products. Some keyboard shortcuts are not working properly yet. Ctrl-Shift-B should open the blog editor, but instead opens the Bookmark manager.

The good news is that Flock is now much faster to load, even on my laptop (hmmm... is that because my add-ons were too bloaty?). It also benefits from Firefox 3's revamped address bar.

As my usage of facebook has continued, I've become even more greatful for Flock's People Bar (not exactly new). I can see all of my friends' updates on twitter and facebook at once from the sidebar. It really is rather convenient.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Facebook: Initial Pros & Cons

I just started auditioning Facebook this last weekend, and while I like the simple elegance of the interface's layout, I haven't completely bought in to what it can do for me. Allison has jumped in wholeheartedly, so I am relying on her enthusiasm to carry me forward. She's been enjoying Twitter for it's social uses, but wished that she could use it for uploading pictures as well, so Facebook answers that need nicely. There are many other social networking comforts she is able to soothe with it as well.

I have a different usage model in mind, I guess. I would rather use Facebook as a way to let my friends and family access the other content I already have online. My phone has Blogger support built in, so I use that to post a few pictures. If I want to post more, I have Picasa web albums for that as well. I want to keep each of my blogs active, and have updates appear on Facebook. Except for the occasional game or movie question, I want to make my Facebook persona into something where I can set it and forget it, and not have to worry about the information becoming stale.

Cons:

• Some Apps that I'm interested in are not quite functional.
• Adding multiple news feeds is problematic at best.
  

Pros:

• It is almost impossible to make your page painful to look at. It can be cluttered, but not ugly.
• Playing games with your friends is simple to do, and fun.

I'm optimistic, but I'm not going to hold my breath. I've been hesitant to join such social networks in the past, but I'm willing to give it a go now.

Blogged with the Flock Browser