Pownce
From LIS 460 Summer 2007
Contents |
What is it?
According to their website, "Pownce is a way to send messages, files, links, and events to your friends." It was created by "four geeks" named Leah Culver, Kevin Rose, Daniel Burka, and Shawn Allen out of frustration from trying to send stuff to each other from cubicle to cubicle. Although at first glance it may sound like every other social networking service available on the web, Pownce has some distinct features that set it apart from the rest and earn the dub, "Twitter on steroids." It's a new site that was launched June 27, 2007 and is now only accepting members through an invite from a friend or from an e-mail request. This soft start is to offset any problems/slowing of the system that could arise from hoards of people joining at once. As they get more confident with the performance of the site, more people will be allowed in.
Special Features
The main feature that is getting all the social networking/IM fans in a tizzy is the ability to send files to one person, everyone, or a group of people. In other sites like Twitter, the ability to send messages/files/links to different groups is restricted: it's everyone or no one. In Pownce, the member is able to send a file to a group of associates, or send a personal message to an individual, or you can send a message to the whole world! This sets it apart from other IM clients. Another useful option is the ability to filter messages. You are able to organize your discussions according to user-controlled categories. This function is particularly useful for work groups, as they are able to organize past discussions/files/messages for future referral. Again, this is not a feature commonly found on other IM clients like Twitter, where it would be quite challenging to find a link that was sent to you weeks ago. Pownce now has an application on Facebook where you or your friends updates are displayed in speech bubbles (or rectangles). Pownce has the ability to pimp your profile with different themes and it does not have a character limit like other IM clients.
How can this be used in the school library setting?
What a great way for teachers and school librarians to share things and communicate! This is an exciting tool since the school librarian could make separate categories (such as "science teachers" or "english teachers", or "primary/intermediate" teachers) and communicate specifically within these different groups. All the school librarians from a district could be one group where ideas, files, links, photos, messages, lesson plans could be shared and commented on via Pownce. It's a wonderful professional tool. Pownce has tons of potential with student groups as well. The school librarian could alert students to new book arrivals... if a student was particularly interested in fantasy, a group could be created where the school librarian sends out a message to all the fantasy lovers when a new book arrives. If a book club meeting was arranged, the school librarian could remind members of the time and date via Pownce. A classroom teacher could set up a classroom group to keep parents posted of events, photos from class that day, or topics they're studying.
Questions still lingering...
Like every social networking tool, I wonder how easy it will be to convince other people to give it a go. It's an organic process like all the other tools we've been looking at: if we can get one other teacher on board, perhaps from there it will grow organically via word of mouth. I'm still waiting for my invite and can't wait to try it out myself. This seems like THE most useful social networking tool so far. It has so much potential in so many applications... sign me up!
