I have been sharing a few articles with my Twitter following about Google Me, a social network that is in development by Google. The rumors have been confirmed, Google has a large staff working on it.
The lead user experience researcher for Google, Paul Adams has recently published a very interesting presentation (embedded below post) that points out the fundamental flaws of Facebook’s social network experience.
Instead of one mass list of friends, our true social networks are segmented into various groups of people.
Social groups sounds like an excellent idea that would be widely adopted.
A little competition will do the social industry good and spur innovation that much faster.
There isn’t anyone better suited to take on Facebook than Google. However, I don’t see what is to stop Facebook from implementing similar grouping features and moving on.
Microsoft has introduced WebMatrix Beta. It looks to be an overhauled imagining of Frontpage, updated for today’s standards.
Website management is starting to get a bit overwhelming for beginners. There are many different CMS options available and an huge array of plugins for common features and functions.
WebMatrix runs from your Windows desktop. The software allows a user to manage, edit and publish HTML, CSS, JavaScript and other site files. A new “Razor” syntax supposedly makes ASP.NET coding simple.
Apps and open source software like WordPress can be installed and managed using WebMatrix.
WebMatrix seems like it will be a good option for new web developers to learn the ropes and save a lot of time.
I’ve just received word from the PHPLD team that a new version is nearing completion. I may do a formal announcement on DotSauce when it is officially released and I get a chance to take a look at new features and updates.
The latest word from PHPLD:
The next version of phpLD is just about ready. We’ll be making some formal announcements soon, but if you are interested in learning a little about it beforehand, we have some threads going in the supporters forum, and also it is possible to test the beta. Feel free to stop by the supporters forum if you want to find out more.
We also want to remind you that Google approves of directory submissions as a method for building links to a website. They don’t care for directories that lack quality, and accept anything, but if you are taking care to produce a quality directory, Google approves!
Last but not least, we have a new product coming out soon called Link Blocks. It complements phpLD. It’s a CMS that uses phpLD widgets, with full drag and drop capabilities, and allows users to have their own pages. It’s just about ready, and we’ll send you the information soon. We’ll be sure to make it very affordable for new users.
There are a couple of other product announcements and enhancements coming soon as well. We’ve been working continuously all year, and things are really starting to pickup pace. We continue to make phpLD more valuable to you as time passes, so that your purchase with us will be something that always has value. We hope you will find that phpLD is a product that keeps on giving, and we have much more to give this year!
Best Wishes,
phpLD Team
Little has been revealed, but it sounds very promising. I am always pleased to see solid business solutions and applications innovating. Drag and drop CMS? Yes please!
It’s important for PHPLD to stay on top of the latest design and usability standards. It’s also great to see when they take advantage of social networking integration which can provide a needed boost in site traffic.
Socialrific - Unique directory powered by PHPLD
Stay tuned for the future of web directories.
I’m a big fan of Delicious.com for both saving my own favorite links and discovering the latest and most popular content on the web.
I have tried using FriendFeed and have lately been using Ping.fm to automatically save all the links I share on Twitter (@DotSauce) to my Delicious account (and several other networks).
This process hasn’t worked out exactly how I would like it to, until now.
A new Twitter app has launched called Packrati.us that passively saves the links you share on Twitter to your Delicious account. It also has more functionality than has previously been available.
Some key features I have been looking forward to!
- Expand short URLs and save the original URL
- Add tags to your bookmarks by using hashtags
- Selectively save links using a specific hashtag
Now if I could only get everyone who tweets my articles to start using Packrati.us I’ll be featured on the coveted popular links page in no time!
Wishful thinking aside, I definitely recommend you start using Packrati.us if you share links on Twitter. It’s great to have that personal archive and peace of mind knowing your links are stored permanently.
I’ve decided to publish the completed presentation on DotSauce.
I’ve been working on expanding the TweetSocial community site lately and have just released what I think will be an invaluable resource for lots of Twitter users.
A fully featured Twitter Directory!
The goal of the TweetSocial Twitter Directory is to index all of the best Twitter web apps and tools, mashups, Twitter clients, resources and more all in one location.
Users can search and browse the many Twitter related categories, select individual favorites, rate, comment, review and share links to the best Twitter tools and resources.
It’s free to submit links to your favorite apps!
Simply register a username at TweetSocial.
I’ve personally submitted the best apps and Twitter tools that I’ve found. My latest project, FollowLists.com is included in the Twitter Apps category. It is a newer app that has a few features not yet live, check it out as well.
Stay tuned to the blog for occasional updates on the directory project, TweetSocial and FollowLists!
What do you think of the resources on the Twitter Directory so far?
Your feedback and submissions to the directory are greatly appreciated! 
The initial launch of FollowLists.com has been great! Follow Lists is a free Twitter tool where users can create lists of their favorite people on Twitter and easily share those lists with others.
We’ve received positive feedback and lots of suggestions, many of which we will implement soon.
You can follow @FollowLists on Twitter to stay up-to-date and message us with any feedback or questions.
Here are some live example Follow Lists that have been created already…
- 15 Great Designers on Twitter
- Cool Eco People
- 19 Google Services on Twitter – Official Profiles
- Active Domainers on Twitter
- Money Makers
- Top 20 SEO Gurus on Twitter
- 10 Inspiring Women Entrepreneurs
- Blevdog’s Friends
Nice lists people!
Tip: You can Re-Tweet any list by clicking on the Tweet It! link at the bottom!
Thanks for everyone who has tried out Follow Lists and shared it with their followers. We appreciate your help spreading the word!
A couple weeks ago I hooked up with an old college mate of mine; remi Taylor, code hacker extraordinaire.
We are proud to present the launch of FollowLists.com as we feel this may have a great impact on the way people share follow love on Twitter.
This free Twitter tool could revolutionize the #FollowFriday movement by allowing you to store a (larger) list of profiles and share it with ease. It’s also much easier to re-tweet a FollowLists link than a traditional list of @profiles.
Here’s some example list ideas you could create…
- My Follow Friday Picks
- Top 10 Web Designers on Twitter
- List of Best Businesses on Twitter
- My Family on Twitter
- Top 20 Tweeters in North Carolina
- My Favorite Tweeple
Anyway, I’ll let you check it out and discover new uses for it! Head to FollowLists.com now and create your list and then you can tweet it with one click!
Many more features are already on the drawing board, but we wanted to open the flood gates now! Stay tuned for updates and please post any comments, suggestions or questions below!
