Simon Scullion

Some interesting developments bringing together social networking and virtual worlds:

Active Worlds announced today that they had launched the “Active Worlds 3D Avatar and World Explorer” application, allowing companies and developers to build virtual worlds on the Facebook platform. The company says the application is based on Internet Explorer and ActiveX from Microsoft to build on existing standards and to allow certain elements of the virtual worlds to interact with more traditional websites and Web 2.0 applications. “Since our Active Worlds technology continues to be standards driven, we feel this release sets a new milestone on 3D Internet implementation,” said JP McCormick, chairman of Active Worlds, “The push is on for interoperability and a set of standards which will drive Virtual World technology into the future. We believe that many of these already exist. By continuing to enhance our already standards driven application we greatly increase our value to e- commerce, education, entertainment, and social networking sites, as well as our core business with Fortune 500 companies.”

I’m not so sure I agree with the idea that Internet Explorer and ActiveX can be considered a true standard, widely used yes, but not a standard!

Which somewhat goes against the grain with what comes next:

Active Worlds was present at the IBM standards meeting last month and confirmed its commitment there towards building out standards for virtual worlds.

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I’ve been wanting to write a post on a few of the tools I’ve been using recently for a little while now, so here goes! Hopefully one of my two readers will find it useful interesting!

Windows Live Writer

Back up and running with WLW, though with an older beta copy. The current version uses one of those awful web install routines, and apart from trying to install a load of other stuff rather than what I wanted, it failed. Every time. Why do they have to make it so difficult?

Luckily I had a previous version which was just the standard exe, so back up and running.

Still, like Glen, I need to find a decent Linux blogging client though.

Link: Windows Live Writer download

Facebook

I’ve been signed up to Facebook for a little while now, and finally uploaded a profile pic! I’m happy to have some friends, and I’ve added a few applications. So far so good!

I do have a few issues with the layout though. For me, it doesn’t make good use of the screen estate with its centered fixed width, but other than that I’m finding it easy enough to use.

I Also added the Facebook extension for Firefox, which lets me login and follow status updates from a toolbar.

Overall Facebook seems like a bit of fun, but I’m not sure how useful it really will be for me over time. I certainly don’t see myself getting “addicted” like it seems others have!

One thing I will say though, I can see this being great within the enterprise, I honestly think I’d get more out of a tool like this at work than I envisage for me personally right now. Thoughts for the Lotus Connections developers maybe!?

Interesting, I’ll keep playing.

Links: Facebook, my profile

Twitter

I had also signed up to Twitter a while back, but a little like with Facebook, I honestly didn’t really “get” it. I understand what it does, its just didn’t see myself getting anything out of it. Again, like with Facebook, I’m making a bit more of an effort, I added my phone and IM details, and we’ll see how we get on. Though I am already finding the SMS messages to my phone when I’m not online a little intrusive! How would I cope with a Blackberry!?

I do actually quite like the Twitter app for Facebook that shows my “tweets” over there, its easier than updating my Facebook status. And I can see it being more fun if some of my family were also twitterers. You listening bro’s!?

Links: Twitter, my tweets

coComment

I have resisted up until now to talk about these guys. I signed up just before they released a fairly major “upgrade”, which got a lot of coverage on the blogosphere, but I didn’t want to wade in as a newbie user.

I was able to use their former interface right of the bat, it was easy, and seemed to do “what it said on the tin”. Not so with the new incarnation! They had some serious issues when they rolled out the changes, and to be perfectly honest, the new interface is harder to get around. Worst of all though, and thouroughly frustrating, is that it doesn’t seem to be picking up most of my comments!

These problems are mostly why I have put off implementing it natively here on the blog. Oh, and lack of time!

Lets hope they keep working at it, and things get better.

Link: coComment

Jing

I checked this out after seeing a tweet from Luis Suarez, and thought I’d give it a go. It looks promising, I can see it helping get hold of screenshots easier for some blog posts.

Just a shame there is no Linux version

Link: Jing

Disclaimer: This is all my own opinion, and my thoughts are not to be considered recommendations!

Phew, I feel better now!

Technorati tags: WindowsLiveWriter, WLW, Facebook, Twitter, coComment, Jing

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