My greek friends out there, enough with the FriendFeed obsession already. It seems that these days I get a request every 5 minutes or so – I’m flattered, guys, I really am. But how can you really use this thing?
I’ve tried several FriendFeed applications and widgets in the past and I cringed at the sheer amount of information tidbits coming out from anyone – do you really check all this stuff?
I hear you saying now, hypocrit Sugarenia, why do you have a FriendFeed account in the first place?
Well, I wanted to check the service when it launched last year. And I find the idea of collecting almost all of my online presence in a RSS feed practical.
What I really don’t find practical is the constant stream of bleeps and pings and pongs and comments and likes and whatnot FriendFeed produces. So time-consuming, distracting and scary.
For me, it goes like that:
- I check Twitter all the time. It’s my only so called Web 2.0 obsession – I have been using it since last year and actually found that during those months, it has become a really good way of sharing information, getting informed and having fun. I even check Twitter first thing in the morning. If you contact me there, I’ll be sure to answer.
- Flickr is my second service of choice. I check my contacts’ stream once or twice during the day, when I have time to relax and browse. If you contact me there, I’ll be glad to add you as a friend and comment on your photos.
- RSS feeds come third. I check them once – during my lunch break, and maybe during the evening if I’m really really bored at home. Again, manually, through Google Reader. If you like me to follow your blog, write decent content.
- Facebook, maybe once in a week, when I have time for gossip and silliness. If you contact me there, don’t. I never reply to Facebook.
- YouTube? I never check. Your YouTube URLs? I never check them either. I use it only once in a blue moon, to check a song before downloading it. If you contact me there, you’ll be accidentally discovered in about six months. Be patient.
I’m totally rigid on this scheme and I don’t intend to change this.
You’re free to follow my FriendFeed stream but don’t expect me to do the same.
And stop jumping to bandwagons, already.
14 comments on this post
vrypan #1
19.Nov.08
For me, it goes like this:
1. I check FriendFeed.
OK… I have to be honest.
2. I also have a twitter client open most of the time. But I hate it when I see @replies and I have to spend a couple of minutes to guess/find the original question. That’s why I prefer FF for discussions even if the originate in twitter.
A couple of tips to make your FF life (if you choose to have one) easier:
1. Click “hide” on any item you are not interested in. You will find an option to hide similar items. For example I find little value in wakoopa updates, they’re gone. last.fm, too. You may hide twitter items, if you’re on twitter all the time.
2. Create lists and separate people you follow. I have a “greek” one and a “tech” one. The overlap, but it’s ok. A “friends” one may be useful too.
3. You don’t have to check FF all the time. If you just want to see the most discussed or liked items of the day/week/month, click on “Best of day”.
4. If you just want to see if someone commented on your items, click “Me” and do a quick visual scan.
5. *Very important* In FF you don’t have to look “all the time”. If something gets commented or liked by your friends (choosing friends is important here too
, it will pop to the top of the list each time. It’s easy to use the collective wisdom of your friends to distinguish the items that got attention. If so, please do the same too 
Give it one more chance.
HitMan #2
19.Nov.08
I second that title of yours Sugarenia! Not with such passion but I do…
I’ ve playing around with FriendFeed the last week or so after a small hype that vrypan created at Greek twitterland but I must say that I was feeling stupid inside…
That comes from a guy who doesn’t have an – active – Flickr account… [ but I' m way more addicted to Google Reader than you :p ]
Sugar #3
19.Nov.08
@vrypan
Very useful tips you give there, but everyone has a unique way of handling things – and to me, this sounds like quite a bit of hassle for mere information.
What’s charming about Twitter is that it’s completely anarchic, it’s not a conversational tool per se but conversations are held alright.
I think the whole FriendFeed thing gets too chaotic, too soon – I would not even imagine following in FF the amount of people I follow on Twitter / Flickr / you-name-it.
@HitMan
I was surprised how the whole greek web discovered FriendFeed en masse – now I know. Oh, the bandwagons.
stelabouras #4
19.Nov.08
As I previously tweeted, we can’t compare Twitter to Friendfeed. Friendfeed does incorporate some of Twitter functionality but it’s generally a mashup tool, a tool that people use to keep track of their online presence.
I also think that one can’t be so absolute about hating or loving a service so much. It’s probably the best tool out there that aggregates and groups information so well.
The only thing that irritates me though, not only with FF but with other services too, is the ‘psychology of the mass’.
Once some people join or announce joining a service, other people act likewise without examining whether this kind of service will be useful to them.
vrypan #5
19.Nov.08
@stelabouras: On the other hand, this is exactly what I hope for. Because it’s the kind of tool that’s useless without a “social” environment. The more, the better.
nikan #6
19.Nov.08
@stelabouras: psychology of the mass? How about plain curiosity, like the one that drove Sug to open a Friendfeed account in the first place. Don’t forget that we have 3times as many twitters as a year before and most of the new ones did not have a clue about friendfeed.
@Sugarenia I hear here the same old grudging that was heard when people started -really started- using twitter. Explore where you like, stay where you see fit. The rest is fuss.
Sugar #7
19.Nov.08
@nikan
There’s a huge difference – when Twitter got out, noone really knew what to do with it.
FriendFeed on the other hand is a pretty “defined” tool that does not need explanation. Either it works for you or it doesn’t.
It doesn’t work for me. Because many people ask, I explained why. What’s the fuss?
vrypan #8
19.Nov.08
We are the kind of people that like this fuss
nikan #9
19.Nov.08
@Sugarenia Twitter was VERY defined: “say what you’re doing”. But users chose to ignore it almost completely. Friendfeed on the other hand was very loose, and people started demanding functionality that shaped it as it is today. When I made my first impressions review for Friendfeed, I dumped it. Now, it is a completely new thing.
Also, remember that twitter in Greece really picked up by the beginning of 08, while it was out there for about a year.
Sugar #10
19.Nov.08
@nikan
I meant its purpose was loose. Why inform everyone that you’re putting on your socks? However, Twitter created a new need and found its niche. FF is just a tool.
I’d be interested to know, what changed your mind about FF this time? The service for the most part stayed intact. What clicked for you?
By the way, no. Greeks flooded FF these days. Since Q1 2008 I had maybe a request per week, now they’re flooding.
And FF really got out in October 2007, as far as I remember.
John Tsevdos #11
19.Nov.08
Nice one sugar… I agree with you, except from the twitter thing
For me, first come the feeds (google reader) and then everything else… I also don’t use FriendFeed, but I don’t like twitter as well…
nikan #12
19.Nov.08
@Sugarenia “The service for the most part stayed intact” You are wrong about this. It has changed dramatically. When it first came out it was next to useless. Now you can tailor it to your needs. It is not perfect and it is not for everyone. I made a podcast about it, in case you care. And I think I will make also a screencast if I find the time.
Sugar #13
19.Nov.08
@nikan
Sorry, I still consider it a huge amount of data noise, however custom or tailored.
I’ll check out your podcast though.
lexx #14
19.Nov.08
There is so much information that I really don’t even try to organize or follow it anymore.
I trust chaos. I just read some blogs I like through my reader, or check out some link at delicious. Then, I just follow links and links and link, and that what web is all about. Go with the flow.