Dave Lowe’s posterous

Etherpad is a perfect tool for the ever-increasing number of group projects assigned to time-crunched high school and college students. There are no barriers to entry - no invites, logins, or secret codes. Its quick and easy nature make it exactly what students want and need.

All semester I've made Etherpad my group project secret weapon, quietly informing my classmates that this is the way group work should be done. I make a public pad, shorten the link, tell the group, everyone adds content/peer edits, and ultimately we all rejoice as the ceremonial copy and paste into Word is complete. Multiple meetings in the library not required.

When Etherpad closes in March 2010, each project collaborator will need a Google account and a somewhat rare Wave invite. These things make it harder to convince the ever-skeptical college student that this tool is a valuable segway to the ultimate completion of the project. There were no such barriers before, when students could simply visit a unique web address and have at it.

I wish Google the best. Hopefully they can incorporate some of Etherpad's finer points (ease of use, large workspace, mini-chat) into their promising-but-not-quite-there-yet Wave project.

I'm sitting tight until March. After that, unknown.

Mashable has made it clear the new Facebook @mention feature is live and here to stay. Very cool that the interface is so easy to use and brands were included in the action, but I wouldn't expect big things unless a few more big changes are made. Some issues Facebook needs to resolve before getting into the Twitter big show:

Accommodating the increase in update velocity
Because of the velocity increase in updates and the massive flow of information associated, Facebook has to do something with the interface to accommodate the increase in data. If Facebook is making a push to become more Twitter-like, they need to figure out a way for users to effectively cope with more updates flowing faster. Facebook Lite makes an attempt at this, but it really highlights the need for third-party app developers to come up with creative ways to condense and organize greater amounts of information.

Also, unlike Twitter, these apps will be an instant necessity for Facebookers. Tweeps are used to building up their network slowly and graduating to things like Tweetdeck and Seemic once things got too big to handle. Facebook users are thrown into this problem instantly, as many of their networks are already full grown with hundreds of friends and family.

Lack of dedicated @mention feature
As of now, users are notified of mentions by a blurb on their wall. This places the small updates amongst an already cluttered area, highlighting the need for a dedicated feature that will put all mentions together in one area.

No effective monitoring tool
Lexicon serves as Facebook's only broad conversation monitoring tool on the network. As is, Lexicon is a simple graph that only gives the user words and phrases posted on walls. This is dibilitatingly basic, and Lexicon only picks up search terms that are widely used. Users need something robust to effectively and specifically monitor what other people are talking about. Think search.twitter, Facebook.

Making public updates cool
A major component of this improvement will be making public status updates the status quo among the vast majority of Facebook users. This will be a tremendous challenge for Facebook, particularly because many young people use it as a private network of friends and family. Also, Facebook rose to popularity during a trend towards a more private and closed network, and a push towards public updates could alienate the base of Myspacers who jumped ship years ago (including me).

Problems posting to Twitter
Those who autopost Facebook Page updates will soon find a problem porting, as Facebook automatically removes the "@" when you select which person/brand/event to mention. This makes it necessary to re-add the @ after selecting who to mention, potentially making a tweet look awkward.

The @mention function is big, but lots of changes are needed to get it up and running. Twitter, have no fear.

(A quick "how-to" on the new @mention feature here)

Today is my last day at Quantum, marking the conclusion of my first internship.

I had a great start at Quantum, everyone in the office spent a lot of their time teaching me things about the business and the industry. I was given things to do with actual consequences. I remember the first time I emailed a client. I went to meetings, and was later allowed to run them. I was involved in the process. I was listened to and engaged. I was trusted to bring my thoughts about social media to the table. Callie (the other intern) and I did our best in whatever was asked of us. We faxed, we copied, we ran to Kinkos and Jimmy Johns. We interned hard.

We loved every second and found value in the most simple tasks.

Recently, Callie and I were charged with sorting and condensing 13 years worth of samples after the move to our new office (which was awesome on its own). I initially saw this as an impossibly daunting and boring task. Callie and I were not looking forward to hanging out in a hot warehouse going through dozens of boxes of Quantum's various creations.

It was only until we got started that we realized how valuable our task was. Samples are very important in the new business process, illustrating to potential clients what the agency is capable of and how they have been creative in the past. For that reason, it is essential that samples are well organized, easy to find, and plentiful. Callie and I had the great responsibility of making sure that was the case.

We also got the chance to personally see all the amazing things this business has produced in it's history - the creative, the outlandish, and progression this company has experienced. All of this was eye opening and produced an even greater respect for the people around us.

So to Linda, Patty, Jim, Lynne, Matt, Josh, Bill, Callie, clients, partners, movers, landlords, and everyone else: Thank You.

I'll miss this place. I appreciate Quantum and everything you all gave me. I'll never forget what it did for me.

David Lowe

Myself, Linda, Callie (and Gabby, office dog)

In recent months, I've cleared out everything I can on my Blackberry Curve. Memory constraints are more challenging, because the Blackberry lacks the huge internal memory capability of something like the iPhone. Most didn't take me seriously, until the controversial deletion of BrickBreaker. From that point on, a few friends down, I've rabidly downloaded apps like a Mac fan. A recent big step was actually adding another row to my Blackberry desktop screen.

These are a few of my favorite apps for Blackberry:

SocialScope
SocialScope is in day 2 of my standard 7 day test period, so I'm not yet sure if I'll switch. It is surprisingly awesome to have Facebook capability, even if you treat the two networks very differently.

Google Voice
I mean, it's Google Voice. The app functions like the web inbox, allowing you to call and text numbers from within the app. The voice and sms tabs give you the most recent action tied to your Voice number. Also, downloading the app adds Google Voice options to your standard address book contact menu.

Google Maps + Latitude
I am terrible with directions. Before Google Maps I kept a paper map of Louisville and an old Army Corps of Engineers compass in my car. With Maps, even if I'm sure of a route, I check to make sure it is the most efficient. It is also more discreet when I'm looking for directions with someone attractive in the car. On the Latitude end, tying Google Maps in with my device GPS is a great way to stay updated with my personal friends

Google Mobile
Google Sync offers you the ability to wirelessly and seamlessly coordinate your contacts and calendar with Google. This means if you were to lose your smart phone, the lifeblood of your productivity and organization, your data would be safe. This a huge advantage over proprietary syncing, like Blackberry Desktop, because you can do it at any time and the information is also available to use on your Google platforms (Gmail, Google Voice).

Google Docs
It is a strange day if I actually open up Word. My HP laptop has been with me for just under 4 years now, and it is time to say goodbye. Given the transient nature of my computer usage, I rely heavily on storing documents online, in emails, and on flash drives. The ability to access all my documents online, from my phone, is quickly becoming indispensable.

Pandora
An excellent algorithm, professionally selecting music to stream to my phone at any time and (almost) any location. Pandora makes the hard work days easier, and gives you an easy fix to quiet times with friends, or a party soundtrack when someone forgets the iPod.

Ubertwitter
Ubertwitter has been my Blackberry Twitter app of choice for quite some time. With the addition of Ubertwitter 4, the app is becoming increasingly robust and useful, despite the ads controversy. I see myself staying with Ubertwitter for a while, and the icon has a prominent spot on my Blackberry desktop.

What Blackberry apps do you use?

I am a big fan of Ubertwitter, because it continues to innovate and add features while remaining loyal to the Blackberry following. This new update, released amid Ubertwitter's meteoric rise to Twitter on Blackberry dominance, builds on Ubertwitter's success.

Notable Features Added in this Update:

Multiple Accounts
Ubertwitter users now have an excellent multi-account capable platform. Separate accounts can be configured differently, but Ubertwitter will default the settings you've selected for your primary account for any future additions.

Video Integration

Ubertwitter has partnered with Twitvid.com to finally offer video integration on the platform.

URL Shortening Built in
No more going back and forth in the browser to access Bit.ly - it's built right in. Bit.ly integration insures Ubertwitter users have a quick and easy time making those URLs fit, avoiding a lot of headache.

Improved GPS and Uploads
Ubertwitter always allowed users to select when they wanted to share their location. Now, users can further customize, choosing between 4 options that range in accuracy and battery power usage to tweet their location. GPS uses a big chunk of battery, so its cool you are able to dial down the power if needed.

Also, users can select photos and video that is already on their device. The interface, within Ubertwitter, displays the most recent first and offers a preview so users can verify they have selected the correct media.

Goto User
You can now enter Twitter user names and go directly to their timeline, which helps tremendously in follow decisions or to diagnose spammers.

Icon Caching
If you have an SD card in you Blackberry, Ubertwitter now caches avatar icons on the card, streamlining refresh times for timeline displays. Caching also reduces the amount of data transfer and battery usage.

The Ads

Advertisements are present on this update. Ubertwitter is a terrific app for Blackberry, and they have waited to include ads until their popularity exploded. I will remain loyal to the platform, as it's been good to me and I don't know of another option that offers the same level of functionality. In reality, the ad takes up roughly the same space on the screen as one tweet, so the impact on useablility is minimal. They have to eat too.

What are your thoughts on the update?

Noticing a lot of tweets today about the Why Teens Don't Tweet report. The real reason teens don't tweet is very simple: Twitter is boring when you first start out.

Teens leave Twitter for the same reason it's so successful, the straightforward and simple design. Twitter is front-end loaded, meaning the user needs to put forth effort to building their community through the people they follow. This naturally increases interactions and value of the service for that individual. Problem is, that process can take months for a user with a small attention span.

Other services, like Facebook and Myspace, offer users the ability to customize and interact with their network in different ways. On Facebook, you can write on peoples walls, use applications, add photos, write notes, join groups and fan pages, and a host of other time consuming yet engaging options. This customization and interaction is a distraction while their network builds activity and the platform itself becomes more useful to them.

It's really that simple.

I'm a licensed Amateur Radio operator and my Icom T90A and scanner are the first things I turn to when the weather forecast looks rough. The radio offers a guaranteed form of communication, free from power or connectivity constraints. It puts me in contact with my community, and I feel more secure.

Today's events in Louisville illustrate the importance of adding Twitter to this unexpected event toolkit. The news is much like the radio, in that most communication is going to require repeating messages to slowly proliferate information.

Checking Twitter gives you instant, raw information (and the ability to quickly broadcast that information to others) from people all around the world experiencing the event as it happens. Any given user is seconds away from photos and video of an unfolding event. Communicating personal safety status and identifying areas to avoid is simple, quick, and efficient.

So thank you Twitter, for making this weather hiccup, and many like it, more manageable. I hope all affected by the storm are safe.