Inspiration is a feeling that can arrive in an endless variety of packages…from neatly wrapped parcels to boxes bursting at the seams to explode. Being at a computer for a large part of the day, I find inspiration in many nooks and crannies online. There are a few websites that I visit regularly that I find to be great sources of knowledge and information, in addition to offline activities that spark inspiration. Below is a list of a few websites that create inspiration, as well as a bit of fun reading for after the inspiration boost has subsided. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Social Media
HOW TO: Track the sports score using Twitter
Here’s an interesting paradox. Sports (lively, active, outdoor, sweaty) and Twitter (prodominantly indoor, digital, non-verbal, ‘geeky’). Who ever thought that ‘geeks’ liked sport? It seems that many do.
Since the cricket started a few weeks ago, I’ve seen streams of tweets coming in from avid cricket fans, commentating on virtually every play and sharing their thoughts. This is a great way to get the score and the latest info on what’s going on with the game currently being played. Just the other day (before, during and after the Manchester United vs Chelsea soccer game) I saw a tweet congratulating Manchester United and, almost straight after in the same stream, a tweet from another user cheering on Chelsea. What is the common denominator here?
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What does your Twitter web look like?
Twitter, the revolutionary micro-blogging startup, has taken the web by storm, introducing a vast array of users to the concept of blogging, turning social media marketing strategies on their heads, and creating a new way for users to interact with one another. With it’s 140 character limit on updates (or “tweets”) the character count allows for ease of update via a variety of devices, be it the web interface, a desktop client, your Apple iPhone or a generic mobile device (via SMS or web client).
With so many Twitter clients and update services popping up on the web today, we have such a myriad of options at our disposal. A list of popular Twitter clients, compiled by @michielb and posted by @problogger, has got me thinking about my journey on Twitter and the various clients and update facilities I’ve used. I went from web updates, to mobile web and TweetDeck updates, to TwitterFox and now to my (current) staple of a web that looks like this:
Web Interface (web) <–> Twibble (mobile) <–> FriendFeed (aggregation of services onto Twitter) <–> TweetDeck (desktop client)
So, My question today is;
What does your Twitter web look like?
Please share your web and thoughts & experiences in the comments below.
Fail Whale spotted off the coast of Twitter
So, I just had my first viewing (I think) of the Fail Whale. Very cool.
I’ve heard plenty stories about the Twitter Fail Whale and have now seen it for myself. A rare sighting (like any whale, ofcourse) the Twitter Fail Whale arrives when Twitter’s servers are at capacity with the number of tweets passing through. TFW (The Fail Whale) has grown into an internationally known craze, sporting a merchandise range and many various articles discussing it’s sightings and general habits. Continue reading
5+ Must-see websites for the web 2.0 chef
I have always enjoyed cooking and food in general. I welcome to thought of experimenting with flavours and trying something new and different…but not too out there. I remember, many years ago, watching my mother pull out all kinds of recipe books from a cupboard, and scuffling through them at break-neck speeds, trying to find the recipe she was looking for. This happened several times a year, when any old recipe just wouldn’t cut it.
In today’s world of technology and inter-connectedness, I set out on a quest to find some new recipes to try out while on holiday. This search, naturally online, opened up a world I had, for some unknown reason, never considered; the web 2.0 cooking world. After finding some great recipes to try out, I started looking deeper and found a world of great social media websites, linking chefs, both professional and self-taught, from around the world, allowing them to share thoughts, tips and recipes with one another.
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Design Dosage – Daily Inspiration
“Inspiration! Get your inspiration here! Step right up! Step right up!”
Designers and developers alike are always searching the web for the latest trends in design and code. There are many websites offering tutorials, tips and commentary on the latest innovations in the web fabric. Design Dosage is a recent addition to that list.
A new-comer on the scene, Design Dosage offers a different category for each day of the week, covering a range of popular design and development search terms. A week at Design Dosage looks like this:
- Icon Monday
- Typography Tuesday
- Wallpaper Wednesday
- Illustration Thursday
- Logo Friday
- CSS Saturday
- Print Sunday
Designers are also able to submit their work to Design Dosage for feature in a particular category. Only the very best work is featured, keeping a high standard of work on the gallery.
This project is, in my opinion, a great display of what South Africans are up to on the web. The base theme used for the gallery is the free ‘Snapshot‘ theme, created by Woothemes, and the project itself was started and is maintained by a South African web designer. Keep up the inspiration guys! 
For a daily dose of design inspiration, visit http://www.designdosage.com.
What are your thoughts on Design Dosage? Got anything to say to the creator? Share in the comments below.
TwitterLeague – The follower count showdown
Many approaches have been taken to using Twitter (the popular micro-blogging service). Some choose a minimalistic approach, following only users of interest and keeping their “tweets” simple and effective, or choosing rather to listen more than to tweet.
Others, however, take a more, shall we say, active stance on Twitter, following as many people as possible, in the hopes that those many people will follow them in return, creating a larger network of users that may view their tweets.
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