Social Tools in My Toolbox
August 6th, 2008If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
This is a incomplete, random list of tools I use with social networks. Not that I know what I am doing quite yet with social networks. It will take a while. I am just an app, software, and addon junky. So I look for software all the time and usually find something. Be sure and add your own in comments. I will probably try all of them.
First, I would like to invite all of you to Social Median, a different sort of network. It works like Digg, because stories can be "clipped" and commented on. It works like FriendFeed because you follow other "News Makers" and has groups. And it’s new and for some reason I can’t stay away.
Keeping Your Social Profiles Current
- Atomkeep - Yesterday I wrote a post about this one. I really like this service. Keep your profile details in one place and update your social networks and resumes from there. It saves time and helps you avoid multiple personality disorder. I still need to fill out my profile though. Anyone who signs up for the beta gets to keep their account for free.
Streaming Your Social Activities
- Friendfeed - The most popular.
- Profilactic - The most adaptible.
- Swurl - Archive and search your activities.
- OnASwarm - Find friends automatically
- Second Brain - Browse through your content with ease.
What’s News
Sometimes news just does not get around that quick. A story may be popular on a niche social site and may have not made it to StumbleUpon or Digg yet. Most social sites have a an upcoming or new submission page and sometimes this page has feeds. If you are in the right place at the right time, you may spot a story. Sometimes, the daily digests from social networks have stories that you can submit to other networks even a day later. What benefit do you get from this? Possible reciprocation. Getting known as a person who finds great stories and more subscribers to your blog.
Firefox Social Tools
- Shareaholic - Choose from multiple sites to submit to.
- StumbleUpon Toolbar - Self explanatory. One of my favorite sites. So I have a dedicated addon.
- TwitterFox - Not as obtrusive as other addons I have tried.
- ShareThis - Another addon that submits to multiple sites.
- Delicious Bookmarks - A necessity. I only use local bookmarks for logins and the like.
- MySocial 24×7 - For FriendFeed. I wish it would autorefresh
- GreaseMonkey Scripts - Only found these less than a year ago. Look around and search. There are a lot there. You will need this addon to use them.
- The sidebar trick - Screw addons. Do it yourself. The example is for the mobile version of Twitter, but this works for a lot of mobile web sites.
- Bookmarklets - No link. I just add all bookmarklets not covered by one of the tools above into one folder on my bookmark toolbar called "Link". This also has the bookmarklets for posting to my blogs and adding links to their blogrolls.
Wordpress Social Tools
- Alinks - Install this plugin and link all your references to social networks to your profiles in every post so your readers can find you elsewhere.
- Disqus Comment System - Comment in the network
- FriendFeed Widget - A lifestream widget.
- Sezwho - Another commenting network.
- Twitter Tools - Notify your followers about new posts among other things.
- Profilactic Widget - I added mine manually, but here is a plugin.
- FriendFeed Plugin - Allows reader to comment on your post via FriendFeed.
- ShareThis - Allows readers to social bookmark your posts at multiple sites without cluttering your site up with button.
Desktop Social Tools
- Twirl - I like the ability to tweek the interface for FriendFeed and Twitter.
- TweetDeck - The ultimate Twitter listening tool with panels.
- Alert Thingy - Detects duplicates from Twitter and FriendFeed and gives you one.
- FeedDemon - A feed reader, but throw your network feeds into one folder to see them all at once
Online Social Tools
- HelloTxt - Notify multiple sites from one spot
- SocialPoster - Bookmark at multiple sites and choose dofollow sites, if you want.
- Ping.fm - Update all of your social networks at once.
Your Social Inbox
I have yet to move everything to Gmail. I still use Thunderbird. I learned about filters long ago. With filters, I find all the comments from my blog, all my friend requests, and my daily digests into one folder. In Thunderbird, go to Tools->Message Filters. Instead of typing an example out, I made a screenshot of my filters. I keep coming up with new ones as I go, so it is not complete.
Not Done Yet
Like I said, an incomplete list. What are your favorite tools?
Category: Social Media, Web 2.0 | 
Tags: atomkeep, bookmarking, bookmarklet, comments, digg, FeedDemon, Firefox, firefox addons, friendfeed, lifestream, ping.fm, Profilactic, social networks, stumbleupon, swurl, Twitter, wordpress plugins | 
Hello Stephan! I StumbleUpon-ed your blog and was going through your social tools. Seems like you’re covered pretty much everywhere! Wow! I was just about to suggest Strands but then I saw your RSS feed. How do you like it so far? What would you rank it compared to your other social tools and what would you catagorize it as? It’s good to see you on there! :-)Great blog, keep it up.
I’m glad you find the friendfeed wordpress widget useful, it makes one happy seeing people using your work
The more I write about social networks, the more danger I see in spreading one’s self too thin. I like to try one of two networks at a time and then move on if the results are less than expected. For tools I use trillian to manage all my instant messenger feeds, including twitter. Entrecard is the main network I socialize in, but hold acounts in many more, including some of those listed above.
Turnip’s last blog post..Entrecard: Ben Barden Interviewed
Kalong,
I like Strands but don’t get in there too much because it’s closed unless you are logged in. Twine used to be that way also but they recently opened up the site to the outside world to at least browse. The people that are active there are very responsive though. I wish I could get a comment feed from each network so I can mash them and then reply daily, instead of forgetting about a site for a few days. There might be a way but I haven’t gone into full research mode yet with that question.
zetzek,
I need to get it up here on this blog after I trim a few other plugins. Always behind in one way or another. I have about six new plugins I am looking to install.
Turnip,
I know what you are saying. I jumped into social networks thinking I could get a handle on everything going on. But they just keep coming with new features and new concepts. My problem is like seeing how people do things. Some people see art in only art. I see it in everything people create, even software and social networks.
I like FriendFeed and any really getting to like Social Median. Never could really get Digg. Social Median has one feature that pissed me off about Digg also. You have to click too many times to read the original article, but you can comment before then. How can you comment before you have the read the article? That just begs for comment spam and uninformed comments. I really like twitter and I used to make so many jokes about it. Never been an IM’er except with my wife. When I am on my laptop, I am in work mode and have enough to do. Twitter can wait until I have a second. IM demands now. Which pisses me off. LOL
(I still use Thunderbird also)..
Sorry if this is a bit off topic, but..
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I love the list. And boy are you covered on every social network out there. Digg gets my vote.
-Emily
Hi Stephan, I thought I’d come over to give you a shout out. I came upon your site, by way of another blog. I can’t remember who it was for the life of me but I did find you!!! Great post here also read some back ones and love them to…they offered me some hints and tricks. I know one was the author Natalie Goldberg and her book on writing, Writing Down the Bones. I will be purchasing that, because I think you are the second person who recommended it. Thanks alot. JJ
jj-momscashblog’s last blog post..When a Blog Loses Data
Hey Stephan, I also use Plurk as an online social tool :).
By the way thanks for sharing your list, I think I’ll try friendfeed.
Mr. Javo’s last blog post..By: Blog for Beginners
I use Twitter, Plurk, Digg, Twitterfox, Stumbleupon toolbar, EC toolbar, Google Reader, Gmail (with filters), and deli.cio.us when i remember to. Good list. I’m going to have to try some of them.
Jason Boom’s last blog post..Micro-blogging Olympics: Day One
There are definitely a lot of tools out there. I try to trim down and then I find more. It’s a constant changing set of tools. Friendfeed is definitely worth trying. And I do highly recommend Natalie Goldberg. I try to use her tips on writing for blogging whenever I can. My next post is kind of a tribute.
WOW!!! You really covered it all here. Thanks for all the great info.
I’m new to social bookmarking and have become almost addicted to Stumble
Upon. With the use of some of your suggested tools I will be much more
efficient.
jijiji’s last blog post..Build Your Blog Email List
It should help a bit. These tools make it a lot easier.
WOW Stephan,
I have to return to understand about Social Tools more deeper. Now into my 8th. month blogging, this is one area that I have left much untouched.
I have signed up with a few Social Networks but hardly know how to operate them.
Thanks for providing a glossary of Social Tools at this Post. I shall return!
Cheers,
I have just started also. Well, I did enough lurking to find out how things were done and then collected some tools. Now, comes learning how to use the tools effectively and another post later on. There are definitely a lot more than these. Thanks for coming by.
This is a great list of links. I’ll be checking out Social Median - I’d never heard of it but it looks like they are fairly new.
I am still trying to grasp the concept of Twitter. I signed up but realised you actually need friends to get it to work…doh!
Paula’s last blog post..Top 5 Ways to Make Money Online Without Spending Anything
Twitter took me a while also. But then it just clicked.
[...] up for everything like a maniac. Not that that is a bad thing. It is good to stake your claim on a few social networks. In fact, I have heard it said you should, before an imposter pops in and claims your username [...]
Social tools? there are sooo many… I stick to few: twitter, digg, reddit, and stumbleupon.
That’s enough for me…
[...] active in social networks and pay attention to [...]
I thought I knew a lot about social networking but after reading your article I must say I still need to need a learn a lot and may be continue learning for the rest of my life
great!!!
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