Identi.ca Is More About What Comes Next
I’m checking out a new platform that’s essentially Twitter-like, called Identi.ca. It has the basics: profile, friending, short messages, etc. There are a few things missing ( it’s not very easy to follow back, for instance). But overall, it’s interesting. I also like that you can build credentials around your OpenID account. I can’t wait for services like OAuth to catch up in popularity, but that’s a digression.
What’s really cool about Identi.ca has nothing to do with the site itself (no offense meant to the team building it. It’s neat, and thanks for doing it). What’s neat is that it’s built on an open source platform called Laconi.ca, which is basically Twitter-in-a-box. That’s the nugget, tough guys. It’s a head start on building your own Twitter inside your business, behind the firewall, and that’s something noteworthy.
I haven’t read the other reviews of the platform from other notables. I’m sure there’s a buzz.
I’m blogging this mostly to raise awareness that it’s out there: an alternative to Twitter that you can pick up and run with. The parts that aren’t there are fairly important: short codes and SMS integration, some of the central nervous system stuff. But is it a neat starting point? I say yes.
I probably won’t use the platform much, so I’ve stopped doing friend connections over there (sorry). I just wanted to dive in and check it out.
But are you using it? Have you tried it out? What’s your take?
I’m still sticking it out with Twitter as my presence/status/micromessaging site of choice. What about you?
Question about OpenID
Falling into the category of “you’re smarter than me,” I have a question for those of you who know anything/much/lots about OpenID. As you can see in the illustration, I’ve chosen to use the Wordpress.com installation of OpenID. I tied it to my Wordpress.com account and have so far used it in only two places. I’m thinking that every time I offer up an OpenID, I’ll point to that one. So far so good, right? ( To get up to speed on OpenID, go here).
What happens if Wordpress.com folds? What happens if they change their mind and start charging me, or I leave them for someone else, or whatever? By choosing Wordpress.com (or Yahoo.com, or anyone.com) as my OpenID host/provider/whatever you call it, what happens to my ID should I choose to move it?
What do you know/think?
