I’ve written before about how I find it fascinating that country-specific social networks and tools exist. I suppose I shouldn’t be so amazed, given that company-specific and other group/interest-specific networks are springing up all around.

My fellow Pole-espoused friend Chris Dalby pointed out blip.pl, which appears to be a Polish-language Twitter clone / microblogging service. I’m already aware of the massive popularity of Nasza Klasa, which is kind of a cross between Friends Reunited and Facebook. There’s also a Polish IM service called Gadu-Gadu. While I don’t think that everyone should be made to speak English, I do find it intriguing that there are so many of these language-specific networks, and that they appear to be profitable or at least able to continue in the face of consolidation – when you look at the fact that a giant like Facebook has a Polish-language setting, for example, it’s interesting to ponder why Nasza Klasa continues to be successful.

(side-note: I heard the interview with Jeff Yasuda, CEO of blip.fm, on net@night episode 91 – he pointed out that there is no relation between blip.tv and blip.fm – now there’s a third blip in the mix!)

If you are not interested in regional versions of Twitter, please do skip this one. It will be longer, and might seem boring to sceptical readers;)

Recently I was told that I do not really prove to know Polish web quite well, and taking it on board I asked for advice on how to increase my presence in Polish social media. It looks like I made the classical mistake in case of microblogging, assuming I will be able to reach Polish audience there. How stupid of me, who actually signed up for Blip.pl (Polish mirror tool of Twitter) few moths ago!!! Idjut!

Now, as I take creative criticism seriously, using Twitter techniques and customs I have listened, found few fellow bloggers, added few functionalities, looked around for supporting tools. And look what I have found and learned!

The main profile site of Blip looks like this:

Just to explain quickly – main rules apply – post restricted characters (160!), replies, follow, being followed…but you can also:

1. be just viewed and see viewers – window under my profile pix

2. follow (hash)tags, and additionally choose to follow blips (=tweets) including favourite hashtag from your friends (2.1) or anyone (2.2)

3. direct message from your main site (option just under the blip field, left from Blip logo)

4. you can see all the current upcoming blips (bliposhere) on one screen +photos

5. yes, photos, you can embed photos in your blips

6. you have a wide range of Blip apps available (like the widget above) from their wiki.

7. you can see #tags on Blipcast, separate (similar in design to Hashtags) website:

(yes, #kawusia stands for #coffeetalk, )

8. finally – my favourite – you can check out the stats!:) Thanks to this smart guy! I am really impressed!:)

So, I am admitting that I did not do my homework in summer, it’s done now! I am still learning Blip and other Polish scapes/tools!

How about you? If you are not a native English speaker, did you check your own regional social media landscape? Share your links with me!

Update:

9. Blip assistant – tool allowing you to read all your blips after long day of work and not-blipping:D, build by tomasztopa, info about it received from bobiko. Thank you!:)

Anything else?:)

Update 2:

Hungariarian version: http://turulcsirip.hu/ thx planetdamage!:) This one is fully integrated with Twitter, all you need is your Twitter user id and pass to use it.

Alkacja przeprowadziła test Blip.pl. Serwis ten reklamowany jest dość szeroko w sieci. Skrót BLIP oznacza Bardzo Lubię Informować Przyjaciół.
Zalogowała się, stworzyła konto i dodała do obserwowanych parę osób. Reakcje były gówniane, czyli niezbyt przychylne. Jako pierwszy zareagował Ols, który tak oto powitał naszą Alkację, nasze Słoneczko Blogowe:

Ols pracuje w Bloksie, dla Agory S.A., więc na dobrych manierach się zna. Kiedy kobieta dodaje go do “obserwowanych”, rzuca “gównami”. Gratulujemy Bloksowi i Agorze elegancji i wdzięku Olsa. Agorowy dżentelmen w każdym calu.

Następnie zareagowała Siwa, sprzątaczka Forum Agory. Wczoraj nawet nieco się rozmarzyłem na forum “O moderacji”. Niestety Malisa szybko te marzenia przerwała. No, ale trudno się dziwić, Malisa to terminatorka u Siwej. Póki co jest młodszą sprzątaczką, ale znajomi informowali mnie, że ma aspiracje wygryźć Siwą.  I słusznie, bo forum jest o moderowaniu, a nie o Siwej, naczelnej moderatorce. Nie można mówić o PZPN, wtrącając w kontekst nazwisko “Listkiewicz”, bo to już jest nie na temat. I ban.
Siwa przywitała naszą Alkację tak:

No dobra, Siwa ma kompleks sprzątaczki klozetowej. Giwi (Eela) nazywa ją “forumową babcią klozetową”.
Kilka sekund później blipnęła Naczelna Kupa Blipa, Iskanna:

Cała trójka to pracownicy firmy Agora S.A. Czyżby na Czerskiej wszystko wokół kupy się kręciło, że wciąż ich ten kloaczny zapach nęka? Serwisy Agory już wystarczająco zasrali, ludzie stamtąd pouciekali. Przed smrodem, który tam poczynili. Czyżby na Blipa próbowali uczynić jakiś korporacyjny szajs?

Panu Marcinowi Jagodzińskiemu (Reuptake/ linkujmy to nie boli!) gratulujemy elit blipowych. I solidnego, gównianego towarzystwa.  Blipujmy, to nie boli! Najwyżej ktoś rzuci gównem. Blipnięcie jest jak pierdnięcie, u niektórych pozostawia ślady na bieliźnie.

proces7

The listing of the better microblogs at http://microblogs.ning.com starts with this statement:
“This list is a personal choice and based on three criteria: ease of operability, quality of service and experienced functional up-time.”

Nice, we all want this. But the question remains: what makes up a really good microblog ?

For me it are these ten requirements:

1* login with username
2* immediately ready for posting after login
3* 140 characters mininum
4* no title needed
5* standard sending to all people
6* no extra tagging needed
7* respecting commas in urls
8* shortening urls
9* directly ready for reposting
10* presenting your previous postings

This list of requirements is ofcourse strictly personal, but I wanted to be able to discuss about quality so I had to substantiate what I see to be necessary for quality.

These seven microblogs meet all these criteria:

http://twitter.com
http://smspr.ru
http://zuosa.com

http://gozub.com
http://blip.pl
http://feecle.jp

http://beemood.com

Do you know of any other microblog meeting these criteria, let me know it right away !

Pieter Jansegers
http://webosophy.ning.com