If you follow a large number of people on Twitter, the volume of tweets you have to sift through can quickly become overwhelming. You can organize the list of people you follow on Twitter into groups using many of the third-party Twitter clients, cutting down on some of the chatter, but until now there’s been no way to do it using the service itself. Well, Twitter has finally acknowledged this need, and is currently testing a new feature called “Lists” that will finally build groups into the service itself.
Accompanying the new feature will be a Lists API that developers can then use to integrate the new tool into their client and web-app platforms. Strictly speaking, Twitter Lists appear to be more of a discovery and networking tool, at least as intended by the developer, than something that helps you organize the people you follow, but it should work both ways. Here’s how it works, as described by the official Twitter blog: Read the rest of this entry »
Google is trying to get ahead of the game before Microsoft gives it a real run for its money with Office Online, coming in 2010. One way it’s doing that is by enhancing the collaborative abilities of Docs, and further integrating all of its services. Which is why Google Groups recently got an upgrade that allows for sharing of documents, calendars and sites.
What this really means is that I finally have a decent reason to use Google Groups. In the past, I think I’ve belonged to a maybe one Group, and it didn’t work out all that well. The members generally forgot it existed, and it acted more or less as a glorified mailing list. Now, though, since I already use Docs and Calendar and often want to share content from both with multiple people, Groups has matured to become a full-featured business tool. Read the rest of this entry »
One of the more interesting, and challenging, things about following web apps is how quickly new features and functionality can be added. A review is like a snapshot and represents our impressions for that particular time period. But web apps are almost like living and breathing entities, and the hosted SaaS model allows for rapid-fire updates.
For example, since I last reviewed group collaboration service MemberHub back in April, it has already added some nifty functionality, including Photo Albums and Whiteboards, and has also revamped its pricing model.
The new features bring the same thoughtful implementation but no-nonsense feel that I liked my first go-round. Photos can be grouped together logically, and the upload process allows for multiple file uploads. The albums maintain the same permission-based access that is a big part of the entire product.
I’ve always been a fan of shared document or whiteboard collaboration, so I was glad to see this introduced. While it lacks the powerful comparison features of the whiteboards included with Basecamp or Backpack, it does have versioning functionality and an easy-to-use WYSIWYG editor.
In addition to the new features, MemberHub now offers a tiered pricing model based on number of hubs and unique members. For most groups, I imagine the changes will make MemberHub a more cost-effective option. A free starter hub is still an option to get started or to give things a test run.
I was impressed with MemberHub back in April; these new features make it an even more compelling option.
How do you collaborate with your group?
Sometimes we need to think creatively in order to see value in things that might not be immediately evident. Such is the case when describing my experiences with group management and communication service MemberHub.
I met MemberHub co-founder Matt Harrell through the weekly #sbbuzz Twitter chats and was immediately intrigued by his descriptions of the app.
I saw value in the tools offered but I kept getting stuck at the terms “membership” and “organization.” The groups I participate in are usually small and informal, not the large-scale entities I associate with those terms.
But in chatting further with Matt, I realized that while MemberHub is billed as a tool for churches and non-profits, there is a lot of value here for a group of any sort (or any size) that needs a place to communicate and collaborate.
Read the rest of this entry »
While some people have the luxury of working solely online, with clients dispersed throughout the world, the reality is that most freelancers need to cultivate local clients — those that they can meet in real life — in order to pay the bills. Freelance web developer Matthew Pennell has written a post with four useful tips on making more money from local connections.
Matthew says that you should:
- Make local connections
- Find your neighbors online
- Participate in offline community
- Use search engine optimization to capture local searches
In particular, I think that the advice on getting out there and meeting your local peers (by joining some groups, perhaps) is valuable: you never know what opportunities might come your way through your network.
The advice to localize your SEO efforts is also worth bearing in mind. Localized searches (for example, “web designer in Bridgeport, Conneticut”) are much more valuable from an SEO perspective. As Matthew notes, there is much less competition for a localized phrase than a more generic one. Clients like dealing with local businesses that they can meet in person. It’s also generally true that local searchers are further along the buying cycle, which means that those searches are far more valuable, as the searcher is more qualified and more likely to make a purchase.
How do you make better use of local connections?
I think it’s safe to say that the web working lifestyle — being able to work in the comfort and tranquility of our own inviolate little worlds — is an introvert’s dream come true.
But not all web workers fit that mold, to be sure. In fact, some people hesitate to make the leap to web working because they’re concerned about being isolated. No matter what your personality type, one thing is true for all of us: Every now and then we have to get out and get some human interaction, for our mental health as well as that of our careers. Holing up at home is not the best way to further your professional goals, get new clients, or find partners (of any variety). At any time, but especially in our current economic climate, having a substantial professional network can mean more security for the web worker. Read the rest of this entry »
The web brings with it great opportunities to connect with others centered around just about any common interest, and there are a multitude of tools and services available to help facilitate this. A new player in this area is BlastGroups, which is entering public beta today.
BlastGroups makes it really easy to create your own community site where you can share just about anything with your group. Features include message boards, email blasts, events, pictures, videos, audio and more. The interface is simple and logical without a lot of flash or flair. Toolbar bookmarks make “Sending a Blast” to your groups or contacts remarkably simple. Integrated RSVP functionality make the calendar really useful for event planning.
Read the rest of this entry »
Grou.ps, aims to be a catch-all for teams seeking collaboration. This Swiss army tool of a collaborative site includes ‘Modules’ that enable various degrees of functionality, based on your teams’ needs. Grou.ps currently offers:
- chat
- blogs
- wikis
- mailing lists + forums
- photo albums
- links (centralized bookmarks)
- maps
- subgroups
- personal profiles
- calendaring
Grou.ps has smartly offered these tools in such a way to capitalize on your existing assets on the web. That is, your list of links can be based off links already existent on del.icio.us, your photo gallery can be made up of pictures from Flickr, log entries can come from an exisitng blog on the web, and finally, collaborative member’s updates can come from Twitter, if they wish.
These modules exist on an attractive webpage that contain your own template, absent of any branding. Modules can be customized through extensive preference options. No ads or branding exist on the site, including the emails that are sent out from the service to users. Want to access your Grou.ps site on your mobile phone? No problem – just surf to your site’s mobile address.
Grou.ps’ main advantage to collaboration is they allow you to leverage assets your team already has established on the Internet. Similar to Tumlr, this means you don’t have pictures, links, and other assets existing in multiple places, minimizing maintenance.
Web Work 101: How To Escape The Cubicle
