Wednesday, May 28, 2014

State.com- the new social network on the block


Just like the mind boggling number of TV channels, there are enough social networks to choke anyone’s bandwidth. Depending on your personality, you can be as social or unsocial as you want.

When you want to be in a social bubble, there’s Facebook. Twitter’s there if you want to learn about new things from strangers. State’s akin to Twitter. It frees you of the 140 character limit though.

Still, there’s no need to be wordy. You can state your opinion in three words. As the world speeds up, that could be enough. The social network version of the elevator pitch.

User interface
State looks stylish. It visualizes trending topics, according to categories. That makes it easier for a category of our interest to jump out at you.

Ease of Accessibility

I signed up using Twitter, so I was quite happy I didn’t have to fill out a lengthy form.

The share your sign up to your social networks option could have been clearer though. I clicked yes, but it didn’t get shared on Facebook or Twitter. Another prompt saying Click on the network you want to share with would have made things clearer.

Ease of sharing and finding content
Although State, like Asimov’s Univac has an encyclopediac list of topics that come up as soon as you search for something you have in mind, creating a new topic isn’t so easy.

You have to go to the red State button at the top middle of the webpage. I didn’t even know it was clickable! From then on, it’s pretty easy.

Stating your opinion on existing topics is a breeze. Since you are likely to be normal, what’s on your mind is likely to be on the mind of others too.  So whether it’s the UK dropping To Kill a Mockingbird from its curriculum, or the classic Friends, you’re likely to find someone who has already voiced an opinion on the topic.

Features

Trending Topics
These are category wise, so you can go straight to the category that interests you. Whether its Books, Tech, Sport,  you’re sure to learn something new.

Tuning In
You can tune in to categories you want to follow and also people. I picked the categories I was keen on, but I often found something of interest even in the categories I hadn’t picked. I though Technology would be well, technical, but it wasn’t. Instagram was a topic on the radar there, so I felt right at home.

Tuning in to people State suggested didn’t seem to work well for me. They weren’t my kind of people. One was into music, and I’m not too aware of what’s hot in that.

I did tune in to someone who commented on one of my opinions though. I was so happy someone had reached out! But again, the person didn’t seem like my kind of person, so I didn’t consciously click to see his opinions later.

Tuning in sounds miles better than following :)

Sentiment Range
Once you jump in with your take, if enough people have stated opinions on that topic, State will show you where you stand on the normal bell curve. Did most people think positively about feminism? What did the top opinion staters say? I came out normal on all my opinions.

Top Word Groups
When you state an opinion, popular words people have used to describe their opinion are suggested. Frankly, I found that distracting. It was too easy to just go with the flow and not think of the right word myself.

State Clip
You can drag State in your bookmarks, so that it’s there when you want to react to something online. The other day I was in the library and came across something that made me say to myself, “I must share my opinion on that on State.”

Verdict

I guess State is becoming part of me. Twitter’s getting too full of chatter. State’s a good place to go for the thinking person to hang out online. Long may it last.



This review is a product review programme by Blogadda.com and State.com

Friday, May 09, 2014

The Liebster Award

When I saw I have comments to moderate I thought they would be spam. When I saw the one that said I have been nominated for an award I still thought it was spam. Be still, my beating heart! Think this by bloggers award is a great idea :) Thank you Pages from Serendipity for nominating me!

The Rules of the Liebster Award
The Liebster Award is given to bloggers by other bloggers. It is a great way to connect with new bloggers, and to welcome them to the blogosphere. Here are the rules:
1. Link back to the blogger who nominated you.
2. Answer the 11 questions given to you by the blogger who nominated you.
3. Nominate 11 other bloggers with less than 200 followers.
4. Go to the blogs you nominated and notify them of your nomination.
5. Give your nominees 11 questions to answer.
The Liebster AwardHere are my answers to Pages from Serendipity's questions.
1. What is it that you would have missed if you hadn't started your blog?
Great question! Can't imagine life without my blog, although I have been neglecting the poor thng for life lately. Would have missed the lovely comments from strangers that I can still remember when I think of old posts.

2.How do you connect with other bloggers? And how frequently?
I read blogs of old friends, I get notifications about new posts. I post when I write something new, on blogging networks. I look up the bloggers who like my posts and add them to my network if they're interesting :)

3. When was the last time you wrote a letter to somebody?
I remember writing to a friend in France in 2008?

4. Do you think man will build houses on the moon in the future?
Necessity will lead to that, I guess. Would be fun to bounce around up there though! Sure wish I boomerang as a moonling :)

5. What do you think about this award?
Great idea. Stumbling on interestingness is ironically getting tougher under the avalanche of uselessness, so this stands out.

6. Do you earn through your blog?
Nope. Maybe some cents, but they haven't added up to the amount Google will fork out. Maybe when I'm about to kick the bucket, they'll fill it with coins :-P

7. How do you want to spend the last days of your life?
Do you see how my last answer segues in this question? I swear I didn't read the question before. Serendipity, you live up to thy name :) I want to spend the last days of my life- hope they're not soon- travelling through Europe.

8. How much love and how much hatred is your heart made of?
Lot of love and a little bit of hatred. Just to keep life interesting. Your questions are deep, Serendipity!

9. If you are playing with sand now, what are you building?
Balls. I dunno why, it just popped in my head. How would I make them was my second thought. Wet, was the answer. And now I'll stop because I realise this is getting ickier...

10. What would be the fate of your blog after you die?
Death preoccupies you, Serendipity. It would still be there, I'd like to think, still useful to those who stumble on it, looking for play reviews and other random ravings of mine. Sorry, I HAVE to share this PJ I thought of- I'd ghostwrite it!

11. How are you going to choose your set of 11 bloggers now?
That's the first question that popped in my head. Will check whether that friend I read makes the criteria. Another friend I just remembered has started blogging, so will pick her too. Had come across good blogs recently via work, so will dig some of those up. Look at my networks, do some random hunting...

Kairos was nominated from http://pagesfromserendipity.wordpress.com/2014/04/07/the-liebster-award/

These are the blogs I nominate

http://blueglassvase.wordpress.com/
http://www.discoveringhappinessnow.com
http://mytakeoneverything9.wordpress.com/
http://www.janakinair.in/
http://karmicsoliloquy.blogspot.in/
http://chaitanyavs.wordpress.com/
http://www.womanatics.com
http://talkalittledo.wordpress.com/
http://bookwormetc.wordpress.com/
http://noenthuda.com/blog/
http://thousandoceansinside.blogspot.in/

Phew! I had a tough time finding some of you :) Glad I did, though.

Here are my 11 questions.

1. How do you find time for blogging?
2. Do you self censor in case someone will get offended?
3. Who do you support in the election?
4. Do you think writing is related to loneliness?
5. Are you a perfectionist?
6. Do you write to be read or do you write to write?
7. Tell us a secret about your city.
8. What's your favourite way to commute?
9. What do you feel about housework?
10. How do you keep yourself interested at work?
11. The TV show you like was watchable until...