Opinions are like assholes—everyone has one, and they all stink.
In addition to thousands of apps, the Google Play and iTunes App Stores are full of opinions. Those opinions constitute reviews. And those reviews can be very important to the businesses that invest millions of dollars in the design and development of mobile and desktop applications.
OK, I said it, I fucking hate Pinterest.
I know it’s all the rage and it’s growing like a weed, but what is the point? How many photos of adorable babies in adorable outfits, women contorting themselves into artistic yoga poses, Pottery Barn living rooms, inspirational quotes crafted in gorgeous typography, and food porn do we really need, after all? Apparently, a lot.
A recent change to Facebook’s mobile application has social media, and location-based check-in pundits crowing today.
The mobile ‘Places’ feature is being phased out, although similar functionality will be available from the new version of the mobile app. You can add your location through a normal status update.
Some are even claiming this as a victory for location check-in services like Foursquare, Gowalla and (to a lesser degree) Yelp. Not so fast…
I’ve been clear about my affection for the social bookmarking service Delicious, but I’m afraid that the site’s days are numbered. It has nothing to do with Yahoo! selling it off—honestly, I’m happy that they did. It has everything to do with the ubiquity of two little buttons (seen on this blog) that are powered by two of the largest Internet companies in the world.
I admit it… I’m kind of anal retentive. I’m not a germophobe or a neat freak per se. I’ve never been diagnosed with OCD. But I do have this thing about organization. I like things in their place—organized in such a way that I (or someone else) will intuitively be able to find them. This is an attribute of many people in my profession (user experience design, information architecture); we do our best to make content online easier to find and consume.
Remember, you can add accounts to multiple Circles…
Enter, Google+ and their nifty new Circles feature. Circles are a very useful means of segmenting people within your online social graph. Google is wisely making it easier for people to selectively share content online within their new social network offering. Users may place people within audience segments (Circles) in order to make sure they’re sharing and consuming content that is more relevant to their relationships. In other words, only your closest friends get to see the pictures from your ski trip to Vail, while a broader audience may get to check out that article you contributed to A List Apart.
I’m flattered to appear on this list (currently coming in at #63 #57), powered by PeerIndex—a social influence mapping application—and curated by UK experience design consultancy Foolproof.
