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Twitter Users Cling to It Like a Safety Blanket

image by Rivka5

I recently wrote a post on Blackweb 2.0 which discussed one of the many services and content management systems that aim to extend the usefulness of Twitter. I briefly touched on something that has been in the back of my mind for a while, so I figured I should elaborate. In the post I explained the reluctance of Twitterers to actually branch out and use other micro-blogging services:

Hardcore Twitter users do not like to leave Twitter. Most of them do not feel like exploring other services. Twitter is just too simple to use, too familiar, and all their followers are there. No matter how awesome another service might be, these people are not moving.

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Why You Should Pownce on Rejaw

Image representing Pownce as depicted in Crunc...
Image by via CrunchBase

Six Apart recently purchased Pownce, shut it down, and scrapped it for parts. Their blog says Welcome Pownce Team, so the users of the Pownce service need to find another place to be accepted. The Pownce service will officially shut down on December 15th, according to The Pownce Blog.

It’s very unfortunate that Pownce users are being left out in the cold, but I offer a solution: Rejaw. There are a million micro-blogging alternatives out there. Let’s review:

  • Twitter – No videos, no photos, no audio, no media at all, period. No threaded conversation.
  • Identi.ca – Same issues as Twitter. It’s just not anywhere near what Pownce is.
  • FriendFeed – A truly awesome service. My home on the web. You can import all types of media, but it will usually only display if imported via RSS. Some people have also found FriendFeed to be a bit overwhelming at first glance.

What is Rejaw?

Rejaw is a new way to communicate in real-time with friends, family, and co-workers. You can shout messages to your followers, or whisper to your friends. Monologue or dialogue, micro-blog or status update, soliloquy or dialectic – how you use Rejaw is up to you.

You can also add links to images and audio within your shouts and they can be automatically embedded within your message. Threads build around each item or Shout posted. The interface updates automatically via AJAX, always showing you the most active discussions. The Whisper feature allows you to send private messages to individuals and groups.

Rejaw Tools

The Rejaw web interface is also the primary client. It provides you access to all features and updates in real time. There are also other tools available to access Rejaw:

Rejaw Radar

Rejaw Radar is a desktop application for Mac that keeps you up-to-date with the latest shouts, whispers and replies on Rejaw.

Rejaw for iPhone

Rejaw for iPhone is a simple, fast iPhone client that allows you to keep up-to-date with the latest shouts, whispers and replies on Rejaw.

There is also a Google Gadget, a Firefox Plugin and more available on Rejaw tools page.

You Can’t Lose

Maybe you lost a good service and I’m sure there isn’t a true replacement out there, but Rejaw may be an excellent substitute. Check it out. You can use it to send stuff to your friends. If you’re looking for people to follow, most of these guys rock.

Rejaw would also like to offer some support in making sure you retain your data from Pownce:

We would like to support Pownce import- if you have a Pownce export file, and you want to help us out, please forward it to support [at] rejaw.com, so that we can decipher the file format. Thanks! –(original shout)

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15 People Who Rock On Rejaw

I signed up for Rejaw a while ago and I was actually taken with it’s interface. Even with all the Web 2.0 stuff out there and everybody jumping on the AJAX bandwagon, there are still only a few sites I’ve come across that actually use these technologies to provide a rich and interactive user experience.

Recently, a bonafide internet celebrity joined the ranks of satisfied Rejaw users and brought with him an army of followers (658, last I checked). There is definitely a community feeling on Rejaw that I don’t see on many other services and, combined with it’s features, I find it a lot of fun there.

I know, Robert. It’s freaking ridiculous. Also, you forgot to mention Kwippy. I am going to guess that people are always looking for something new, especially tech people like us. I’m also guessing that developers can’t help but try and do it better than Twitter did. If these two things were not true, I think we would all be just fine talking on IRC and ICQ, but I digress.

Rejaw allows you to embed your music, movies, and images right into your updates and allows for threaded conversation around those updates. Here are just a few people that I find to be catalysts for conversation on Rejaw. Be sure to check them out if you decide to join us.

Mona – “So, I have a question. There are A LOT of people on Social Networking sites, who complain about Social Networking sites, yet they still participate. Why do they do that?” (Yes, THE Mona)

diozaliciouz18 – “whoa! so princess is back and no one minds my presence?! omg! where’s my hero and my heroine [s] ?!”

Kelly – “A big WELCOME to all the new people that just got here! I would stay and get to know you all, but I have to get back to sleep.”

Chachafance – “It’s funny how people are just now catching on to Rejaw, getting excited & joining. Don’t they realize they’ve been missing out for awhile now? lol”

Wayne Sutton – “Hello everyone, so Leo started a Rejaw Rush? we’ve been here for 2 weeks shouting and whispering. So how do you like Rejaw so far?”

Gwen Sutton – “Side effect of Rejaw, you find nice people.”

Avatar X – “Leo Laporte is here. get ready for the flow of new users.”

Ciro – “My public apologies to my followers…for having to endure my thread replies…me and AvatarX just beat a new Rejaw record…I believe…”

The Rejaw Team (yup, they participate)

Rejaw
Danny Burkes
Chris Boone
Satoshi Nakagawa
Kenn Ejima

Oh, and this guy is supposed to be kind of a big deal: Leo Laporte

You can Shout at me here: http://rejaw.com/rahsheen

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How I Keep Up With Identi.ca, FriendFeed, Twitter, Kwippy, and Rejaw

This is quick video showing how I keep track of multiple micro-blogging services using Pidgin, Launchy, and Ping.fm. I basically send everything via Ping.fm and recieve everything via IM.

One thing I forgot to mention here is that I can also “post” to Twitter from TwitterSpy (which I mentioned in a previous post).

How I Keep Up With the Micro-Blogosphere–>