My summer romance…
Remember when you were a teenager and you experienced something that seemed so once in a lifetime? And you knew, you just knew deep inside, that it would never happen the same way again. It could have been a great vacation, a fun time with new summer friends…or yes, even a summer romance.
Many people in social media talk about “shiny new object syndrome” or my favorite from Scott Monty—GMOOT—you know, when the powers that be demand that you “get me one of those!” But my experience with Plurk is not that.
Anyone who knows me knows that I am a Plurk evangelist. Or was.
I like Plurk A LOT and I actually quite like and enjoy the user interface. But more than anything, I really like the people (well, the people I friend and who friend me) most of all.
Here’s the thing…
I can’t, with a straight face, continue to say I am a Plurk Evangelist because I so rarely use it these days. It’s not that I don’t think it’s a viable social networking tool, heck no! It’s just that I don’t have the time to dive into so many great conversations…and that above all else I miss tremendously.
Jennifer Leggio’s recent post, ‘Plurk dissolves into a social networking ghost town’ hit me like a running start punch right to the gut. I didn’t like what she was saying. I didn’t want to hear it and I wanted to tell her that she’s wrong. Jennifer dissects Plurk like a new shiny object, but it’s her job to be analytical and objective. She wonders how Plurk can be used as a business too and dismisses it as not being sustainable or viable. I can’t do that. Plurk to me is the people, NOT the tool. And through Plurk I have hired three vendors/partners that I might not have known otherwise (last time I checked that is business, is it not?!)
Plurk is my summer romance and I won’t let anyone tarnish the memories I have of the hours (and I mean HOURS) of long conversations, the super smart Plurkshops, the kidding around and silliness and best yet, the truly wonderful friends that I cherish. Those experiences can’t be taken away or forgotten.
I will continue to use Plurk, you bet your bottom dollar. But I just can’t use it like I once did, that’s all.
And because words don’t often times communicate what I really think/feel, here’s a video version (4:44):
[Image: PBase]
Tags: 19 Responses to “My summer romance…”
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Yay! I see you speak in a video! Maybe you’ve done that before, but in my recent following of your blog entries, I’ve never seen you speak beyond your picture.
I thought your video was a tad repetitive, but good stuff. Do more videos, something I’m toying with myself.
@AriHerzog, this is the first vlog for me. I have been thinking about it for a while, but just got a Flip and didn’t want it sitting around collecting dust.
Thanks for the feedback, it’s appreciated. Not sure what you are referring to when you say a “tad repetitive,” perhaps you mean in the video or having a post and a video. If you mean within the video, yes, I do say conversation takes time a bunch. But, there’s a reason for that, right? Just trying to make a point. If you mean the post and the video, there’s a reason for that too. People have disabilities (ex. deaf) and they may find my post. If I only did a video I could potentially exclude them and I never want to do that.
As bloggers who are considering video, we need to keep all people in mind with the way we deliver content on our blogs. Just my two cents.
Very thought provoking post. I am going to check out plurk this weekend and see – maybe your post will help repopulate the “ghost town.” For me, what if Twitter went away? It was my introduction to Social Media, where I jumped into the stream.
I do miss the “feelings” behind the words on a page. I like the idea of a video post. I’ll have to play with that after I revamp my site (my 1st goal for weekend – plurk for desert?).
You did GREAT in your first video post. I think yes, the post could have been shorter. I liked what you said in the second half & if I didn’t know you previously, would I have stayed to listen? I’m not sure, but if you had edited out some of repeated ideas, it would not have been “live” or as real. So no worries.
Glad we met at Podcamp Philly 08. I’ve enjoyed seeing your stuff evolve.
Beth,
Great post and I am behind your thought process. It’s hard to keep up on Plurk when deadlines, etc., are looming. But I don’t think Plurk is a ghost town. I think there will be an ebb and flow as people get caught up in work projects, end-of-year reports, etc. Just the way things work.
You crack me up with your Plurkositiy. Defending it till it’s dying gasp. I love it.
I do agree that you can have more involved conversations on Plurk than on things like Twitter, but in the end, if people aren’t there, there’s no one to talk to.
I think Plurk would have been a viable option if it wouldn’t have positioned itself as a Twitter alternative. If it would have set itself up as a place for conversation, rather than a place to go when Twitter went down, I think it would have done much better.
But you go on keeping the faith! Great post.
@CathyWebSavvyPR, be careful with Plurk, you’ll get sucked in…they are a wonderful community!
The post was meant to be either/or (i.e. watch the video or read the post), maybe I should have mentioned that…next time. Thanks for the feedback! Glad that we meet too. Looking forward to seeing you soon.
@Susan, I hope it’s not a ghost town! I still Plurk and my buddies are still there. I just feel bad about not being able to be on as much as I was over the summer. But, I think you are right…it’s the ebb and flow.
@MattJMcD, glad to have provided a chuckle!
What can I say…I am loyal. I agree with you, it’s not a Twitter alternative and I think that’s what turned a lot of people off. Well, that and the UI. See you in a few weeks!
Plurk is very much alive and well among Asian users (to us, Twitter is the dead one). It’s such a great tool for interaction and allows for threaded conversations. It really is amazing! Hope to see you back soon =)
I like Plurk, but, rightly or wrongly, I’ve always felt it to be, to me, a playground rather than a serious place. I hear Beth saying she’s gotten business from it, and that’s great. It’s just my experience. It’s where I go from time to time, when I have a few minutes spare.
Thing is, I can run Twitter via Tweetdeck on a side screen and reply to my followers or send a tweet from time to time. I can dip in and out of friendfeed. I just feel to make the most of plurk I need to be in there, and not do much else at the same time, and I usually can’t afford to do that.
First, I love how you CRUSHED your first video blog post!
Second, I have wondered about this as well because I’m not using Plurk as much as I used to either. BUT……in my case I think it’s more because you and so many of the people that I connected with on Plurk, are now moving back to Twitter. But at the same time……I can’t quit Plurk (Plurk I can’t quit you!) because some people like OnePinkTee and DebInDenver spend almost all their time there.
So I really think in my case, it’s become more about following people than anything else.
the funny thing about Jennifer’s post is that it’s so biased.
For example, she’s a fan of friendfeed, obviously. But Plurk is almost as, if not more popular than friendfeed in terms of traffic (http://trends.google.com/websites?q=plurk.com%2C+friendfeed.com&geo=all&date=all&sort=0). So if plurk is a ghost town…
Yeah, it’s true. I’m spending more time on Twitter because it is more relevant for business stuff, and the format is more conducive to a drive-by.
But are we giving up something important? Are we neglecting the “social” part of social media in our haste to race through the day and please the people who pay us? Are we not taking the time to fully consider things that need to be threshed out, like we did on Plurk about several questions we were all wrestling with?
I treasure my Plurk friends – I met you on Twitter, but really got to know you on Plurk. Twitter informed me that you were smart and well-read; Plurk’s format showed me what a caring and loving friend you can be.
It’s a little sad we have less time for that now.
Beth – love your points all around.
I think we’ve all cut down a bit from when we first started on Plurk. But there’s definitely no denying the types of relationships we’ve all built and the friends we’ve made through Plurk. It is a time consuming tool. Understand what Frank is saying that it’s the social aspect and Plurk is social x1000 IMO, which is why it does make it difficult to constantly stay afloat with all the conversations while maintaining a balance.
There’s always love for Plurk and I’m sure a lot of us will continue to use it for its worth, even if it may be a bit less than our summer days.
Hi Beth:
I agree with you. I keep using Plurk because I have great friends (thanks Mack! I enjoy hanging out there with you too.) there and I think its communication style really works for me. I do think, however, that it’s not going to grow because there isn’t evangelism going on. Community members were able to promote it while it was growing, but can’t stay engaged if their community is going elsewhere. And a lot of the apps out there like Tweetdeck for twitter along with SMS capabilities make it easier for them to use. If Plurk can branch out into desktop apps and SMS, I think it still has a chance to grow, but, absent that I think it will stagnate. Not that I want it to! I love using it! Thanks for, as always, another insightful post.
“Social networking takes time” is my mantra. Mantra! Great to hear someone say it out loud on video: thank you! And it really doesn’t matter where you found these social online friends: Many of my first social friends are from StumbleUpon and (gasp) Digg! You also mention the trust and that is also key: u meet folks and you can trust them. Beth, so glad you did this *video* post. And look forward to more Plurks (and Tweets…) or gosh: relationship growth!
Plurk smirk… Great vlog Beth. I’m toying with them but I think I might need cue cards. On a serious note, I love threaded conversations but for some reason Twitter just seems more staccato like, especially when using something like twhirl or tweetdeck and I love that.. I knew you would come back over from the dark side…
@MatJMcD ~ Agreed! Plurk is NOT a Twitter alternative IMHO, it is so much different. I’ve never been able to see these 2 in the same space.
@DebRobison ~ You nailed it (for me, at least), as much as I love Plurk – and I DO – I feel guilty and get penalized with lower Karma if I don’t spend significant parts of my day there. I just can’t do it.
What an interesting discussion, thanks Beth for giving Plurk some blog love, faults and all!
Plurk user name: jesssanders
@DarylTay, very interesting indeed! Plurk is a great tool for interaction, no doubt about that. I haven’t given up on Plurk…although @MattJMcD is thinking I should. LOL!
@Eyebee, Plurk is a playground for a lot of people. But if your Plurks aren’t private…you are mixing your professional (business) and personal life anyway. And that’s what led me to select 3 partners/vendors. I could tell they were smart, knew what they were talking about and were passionate. I really thought that Plurk would prove to be a viable place for business, but I can see why some may not think so. Mainly because you have to be there to engage in conversation.
@MackCollier, thank you sir! It’s tough to put yourself out there like that. Of course when I watch it now I am like…ah, maybe shouldn’t have done it that way or said these things. I really miss the LONG convos. with the gang! Maybe we all just had more time in the summer.
@LindaC, agreed. Not only that, but Jennifer has never really given Plurk a chance. A lot of people from Twitter haven’t. But those who use Plurk day-in and day-out know the value of the community.
@FrankMartin, we ARE giving up something important and it is sad! That’s why I felt strongly about posting about it and making my vlog. You are spot on a bunch of us did meet on Twitter but really didn’t get to know each other until we were on Plurk too and there’s a reason for that. But I have tired, unfortunately, of trying to explain that to people. It’s the social in social media. While I am a fan of Twitter now, will NEVER be the community Plurk is. Just my opinion.
@SonnyGill, I haven’t given up on Plurk, make no mistake about that! It’s just that I feel, I don’t know, perhaps rude, just popping in and out when I have time or just to drop off a post and leave. That’s not a conversation to me, it’s broadcasting, so it doesn’t belong on Plurk. Hope that makes sense.
@DebRobison, technology is a major reason too! I can Tweet from my BlackBerry (via SMS or TwitterBerry) all day long. Plurk just doesn’t work for me on my BlackBerry. So, I need to be at a computer and fully engaged and that’s tough.
@BarbaraKB, it’s true though. If anyone or any company out there thinks they can just conjure up a network, they are sorely mistaken and will be disappointed. Glad you liked the vlog…I know I keep saying it, but it is hard to put yourself out there like that and I appreciate the feedback. You know I’ll be seeing you on Plurk and Twitter.
@MarcMeyer, always the funny man, aren’t you?! The dark side… LOL! If your personality comes through in video as much as it does when you type, I think vlogs are the way to go for you, my friend!
@JessSanders, love that you starting a conversation with the folks that left comments! Plurk is working on getting there…I can see that with all the bells and whistles they’ve added. But @DebRobinson is right, they need evangelists and some SMS/APIs/etc.
And just an additional note of my own. I was thinking that anyone who might come across this blog/vlog might think I am a bit off my rocker…especially if they don’t know what Plurk is. Folks, this is what happens when you build a community. Whether it’s a professional or personal community (on-line or off-line). Something to think about that next time you set off on a new social networking platform or join an off-line network.
[...] about to write here, on Seesmic and also know that this vlog supported blog post was inspired by Beth Harte, who got the ball rolling with her vlog. Beth has about as fresh a perspective of all things [...]
[...] My summer romance… by Beth Harte – Beth points to a post (Plurk dissolves into social networking ghost town) that shows dismal traffic for Plurk and gives her thoughts about it, including a pretty passionate video clip. [...]