This is a response article to Jessica E. Vascellaro’s article, Why Email No Longer Rules.

For years I have been hearing over and over, "Email is dead." This is absolutely not true and probably never will be. The reason is because there has been absolutely nothing introduced to messaging which works better than email.

Jessica cites Twitter and Facebook several times. Both of these are cloud-based, and are therefore stupid because there is no way to save your messages locally and back them up. And when the cloud goes down, guess what? So does all your messaging. Nobody in their right mind would use Twitter, Facebook or any other cloud-base as their primary messaging system. Do so and you’d be a fool.

She did not mention anything about the cloud whatsoever (it’s mention nowhere in her article,) or how unbelievably dangerous it is to use. I think the debacle with T-Mobile Sidekick exemplifies in grand fashion why cloud-based messaging just plain sucks.

There is absolutely no way business can run without email. It is a messaging system that is proven to work. Twitter is plagued with outages. Facebook is plagued with social media "badness" in the form of phishing. Business has enough issues dealing with spam, and you want to tack on cloud outages and phishing on top of that?

I can say with utmost certainty that social media style messaging absolutely will not replace email, nor "dethrone" it, as it were.

Something eventually will replace email, but it certainly won’t be Facebook or Twitter. Not by a long shot. Email is still king of the mountain.

Some people may be under the impression that if a web site loads slowly and/or causes your browser to crash that it might be your computer’s fault it happened.

Not necessarily.

There are several things that people interpret as a fault with their computer when in fact it isn’t.

Things that are not your fault when problems happen loading web sites

Web site server issues

PCMech even suffers from this periodically (it is a largely visited site). It happened yesterday. When sites go slow due to server issues, that has nothing to do with your internet connection whatsoever.

The best way to find out if a site is having problems is to perform a Twitter search. This does not require a Twitter account at all. For example, if your were having a problem with Gmail, search Twitter for that term. If you see a bunch of other people having similar issues, then you know it’s not your fault.

And yes, Twitter itself has another site that checks this.

Flash

Many people hate Flash with a passion. Flash will crash any browser. It will even crash your OS at times. Most of us use Flash when we view video content on the internet. Even if you have a brand new multi-thousand dollar Mac Pro with 32GB of RAM in it, Flash will at times cause OS X to have a kernel panic, forcing a restart of the OS. Not even a BSD-based UNIX is immune to this (and you can’t get any more stable than UNIX).

Flash has never had an in-program way of disabling it. Either it’s installed and on-demand whenever a request from a web site is made, or you have it uninstalled completely as there is no "off" option. Fortunately there are add-ons like Flashblock for Firefox that can temporarily disable Flash. This allows the option of having it enabled only when you want it to be. It’s sad that an add-on like that needs to exist when there should be an in-program way of doing it, but it’s better than nothing.

Slashdotting/Digg Effect

If a particular article on a web site triggers a massive response from the internet as a whole, an onslaught of requests hit the web server and will at times temporarily take it offline due to the sheer amount of incoming traffic. The original phrase for this effect was called Slashdotting, but it is also known as Digg effect. Either means the same thing in general conversation.

When this happens, the site you’re trying to get to will either load very slowly or not at all until the traffic goes back down to normal levels.

OS/Browser limitations

Certain web sites will make too many network requests. This in combination with an OS limitation either by bug or design will render your internet connectivity unusable for a minute or two.

The best example of this is Google Maps using the Windows operating system. That web site uses many different servers in order to display map data in your browser. If you zoom very quickly around the map, this makes so many network requests that Windows will literally lock any further requests and make it appear that your internet connection isn’t working. This is incorrect. It is working, but Windows is specifically designed to limit network requests for security purposes. The solution is to close the browser, wait 60 to 90 seconds, and your internet connection will start working again.

To date, I have only been able to replicate this rare instance using the Google Maps web site. And yes, it still happens.

Is this a fault of Windows? No. It’s a fault of Google Maps. Other mapping web sites never have this issue. Only on Google Maps (and not Google Earth) does this occur.

The browser itself is also purposely designed to only accept a limited amount of network (as in http) requests at any given time.

In Internet Explorer 8, the maximum concurrent connections to a single host allowed is 6. This is an improvement over previous editions of IE where the setting is 4. This is yet another reason to use the most current version of IE, should you use that browser.

In Firefox 3.5.3 (the latest version at the time of this writing), the maximum concurrent connections to a single host is also 6. However it should be noted that the maximum total http connections in Firefox is 30, with a per-server of 15. The 6 applies to the persistent connections per server (which is what matters the most).

You can see these settings by typing about:config and searching for the term connection, like this:

I strongly recommend against modifying these settings. Increasing the maximum connections or other "max" values for other connection settings ordinarily will not increase your transfer speeds at all.

Webmaster error

This mainly happens on personal web sites. If a the owner of a web site is using WordPress for example, and installs a WP plugin that doesn’t exactly work correctly which causes "weird" things to happen to the site, this is obviously not your fault.

"Showpiece" web sites

These are web sites that are so full of Flash (of course) that there’s actually a pretty good chance it will crash your browser unless you have a fairly fast computer.

A classic example of this is the Transformers Movie web site.

This web site is absolutely horrible. It will bring your web browser to its knees. When you click "Enter Site" it will purposely force full screen. Horrible, horrible, horrible. You will hate this web site in very short order. The only thing that will save your browser from crashing is if it’s the current version of IE or Firefox (both have well-written code to accommodate for super-bloat sites with craptastic Flash).

Web sites like these are showpieces and nothing more. They serve no purpose other than to be glitzy and have plenty of "wow" factor. Said another way, useless.

If the site hoses your browser, I sincerely apologize in advance.

Here is an interesting and clever use of Twitter: remotely controlling your computer. In a couple of articles recently posted on Lifehacker, you can use TweetMyPC and TweetMyMac (respectively) to send commands to your computer from anywhere you have Internet access.

The commands are limited (obviously) but you are able to do useful things like send a shutdown command or create your own custom commands which can do anything you like such as launch automated tasks. Of course there are dangers with using something like this as you will want to protect your account so not just anyone can send your computer commands.

Personally, I do not use Twitter so I am curious if any of our readers out there would try something like this.

Twitter, the service you either love or hate, will be offering a geo-location service soon. This is something other web sites like BrightKite have tried to get other people to start using. You go somewhere then announce where you are by means of GPS coordinates.

Consumer location-aware tech is still something that’s relatively new. There are certain things you should practice so the tech is used to your best advantage.

1. Don’t mark a location in front of your house.

Most people test the technology on a smartphone right from their own home. The tech is designed to be 100% public with the option of making it private. Most people forget about that option. When performing your test, do so at another location else everybody knows where you live – including the people you don’t want knowing this information.

2. Be wary of auto-updating features.

Several location-aware services have the option of auto-updating. This is convenient, but you may forget you have it on, thereby having it serve to your disadvantage.

Example: You’re a husband that decides to surprise your wife by going to get her flowers that day. If your wife sees that you went to the flower shop by means of a web site showing your location, the surprise is ruined.

3. If it’s public, your boss is tracking you.

Many companies today routinely scan the internet for any scrap of information about you, especially if you’re an employed by them. Heck, it almost saves them from having to do periodic background checks! If you’re on the clock and sending out location data, chances are high the boss will be following your movements.

4. Thieves can easily know when you’re not at home.

Years ago it made news that when you set your email signature to a vacation response that said, "I won’t be home from dates X to Y, but will be checking my mail as soon as I get back", thieves would purposely email people just to get this information so they knew certain homes were free and clear to rob from.

If a thief is following your movements via your location broadcasts, it can lead to the same disastrous results for you. This is especially true if you broadcasted your location from your house (see point 1 above). The thief knows where you live, knows when you’re not at home and knows exactly when to go and break into your house – even in broad daylight. In fact he can even study your location patterns to determine the best time to "do the job", so to speak.

5. Know all options for private location broadcasting.

This is the best piece of advice on the list. Don’t just start broadcasting without knowing how to protect your location information, should the need arise.

Location-aware? Good? Bad? Useful? Worthless? Dangerous?

Let us know what you think.

There have been more than a few that have likened Twitter as to being a "slow instant messenger." Yes, the term is an oxymoron, but it fits in this context. Some liken it as turn based messaging of sorts.

See, the deal is that Twitter doesn’t act like IM, nor does it act like email. It’s somewhere in between.

The best way to use Twitter as a messenger is to use a client. There are many to choose from. You could use the web-based way of doing it, but there’s a bit of manual involvement (i.e. clicking the @ for your username).

There are three types of messages that can be posted.

1. Public, addressed to nobody in particular (ex: a generic status update such as, "I’m watching television.")
2. Public reply, where your message includes one or more Twitter users prefixed by the @ symbol (ex: @PCMech I like your site!)
3. Direct message, which is private user-to-user only. This is done by starting your message with a d, then the username of the user you want the message to go to. It doesn’t require the @ symbol (ex: d PCMech example message here). It should be noted that for direct messages, the recipient is also notified via email.

How to use Twitter as a "slow" instant messenger?

The people you follow who follow you back is your "buddy list" of sorts. Send a public reply or direct. Just remember that it’s not real-time like IM is.

How to integrate Twitter with Facebook?

Use this Facebook application. Public status updates to your Twitter account will be posted in your Facebook as well (but not replies or direct messages).

Does PCMech have a Twitter account?

Yes. If you couldn’t tell by the above, our Twitter account is @PCMech. Note that you don’t need the @ symbol to follow. Whenever you’re writing about other people’s Twitter accounts, the standard procedure is to include the @ when linking it. Why this is I have no idea, but that’s how it’s done. I’m guessing that you do it because it’s easy to tell what it is just by the visual.

Do PCMech people have Twitter accounts?

Absolutely.

David Risley: @DavidRisley
Rich Menga: @RichMenga
Lisa Morosky: @LisaMorosky

Why are people gravitating towards "slow" instant messaging in this fashion?

Here’s five good reasons.

1. Operates by username.

Over the course of internet history, one universal truth is that people just plain forget other people’s email addresses all the time. Not so with usernames.

If you want to know why people forget addresses constantly, it’s due to the domain and TLD. For example, if you say to someone, "My email address is example@yahoo.com", chances are high it will be remembered because the yahoo.com domain is widely known. But if you said, "My email address is example@example.org", chances are low it will be remembered. Not only does it use a domain people don’t know, but also uses a TLD (the dot-org) that is sure to be forgotten.

With Twitter, all I have to say is "RichMenga". That’s it. No domain. No TLD. I don’t have to email them first so they can add me to their address book. I don’t have to correct anybody and say, "No, no.. it’s dot-ORG, not dot-COM.." The username way of doing it is far better and easier.

2. Eliminates the need to hide.

Some people simply do not want others to know when they’re online. This is the reason why instant messengers all have "stealth" and "invisible" features. But then comes the point where you want some to know when you’re on and others not. In the Yahoo! Messenger this is called a "stealth" feature. It is decidedly annoying to use.

Twitter has no ability, nor will it ever (I hope) to let anybody know if you’re actually sitting in front of your computer or not.

This is a huge sigh of relief for many. You can message to your heart’s content without anybody keeping tabs on you (other than what you post).

3. The "slow" nature makes for a much better messaging experience.

Instant messaging is and always has been a very in-your-face thing. For many this is the exact reason why they don’t use it. There are lots of folks that absolutely do not want message windows jumping at them (which all IM apps do by default unless you configure otherwise), nor do they want messages such as, "Hello? Hello? HELLOOOOO ARE YOU THERE?" It can get very annoying quickly.

You avoid all the worst parts of instant messaging by using Twitter.

4. Plain text was always the best way to communicate.

In Twitter there aren’t any emoticons, sound effects, rich text, colored text, bold/italic/underline, backgrounds, file transfers or anything else like that. Nothing but beautiful raw text.

Never will you see some jackass using the Comic Sans font in Twitter, because yes, Comic Sans sucks that much. Instead you can view Twitter updates in whatever font you want in a client. That’s a huge score for usability.

5. Extremely portable

Messaging of this type works anywhere. In the browser, in the app, in the cell phone. Only very recently has IM graduated to the browser in a way that’s usable (ex: within web-based mail), but it’s too little too late. On cell phones IM still isn’t as easy as Twitter. IM is best suited using a program specifically designed for the protocol. But as of late more people are drawing away from that since all IM major-player programs for the protocols are so unbelievably bloated, whereas Twitter is very slim and trim.

The Big Question: Is Twitter the new instant messenger?

I say yes.

What do you think?

A universal truth about the internet is that if there’s anything, and I mean anything, that gains popularity as a communications medium, it will be spammed mercilessly.

Such is the case with Twitter. Currently it’s being bombarded with spam. And it’s set to get worse.

I have to admit that I’ve been drawing away from the service for that very reason. Originally I would post a few messages to the service daily. But then I kept getting "followers" there were nothing but spam and it’s outright irritating.

It’s so irritating in fact that I don’t even recommend it now. I used to say, "Hey, try this out. It’s better than Facebook and easier to use once you get a client like Twhirl or Tweetdeck." But I don’t do that anymore. Not unless you set your account to "protected". But there’s no fun in that because you’re supposed to use it as a social medium, i.e. it’s meant to be public.

Hate to say it, but the guys and girls in the PCMech Forums were right. Twitter is useless. Being the spam farm that it is now and has been proven so, that confirms it.

If you are a Twitter user and are looking to gather some metrics regarding your “relevance”  on the micro-blog site, take a look at Twitalyzer.

Twitalyzer is a unique tool to evaluate the activity of any Twitter user and report on relative influence, signal-to-noise ratio, generosity, velocity, clout, and other useful measures of success in social media.

Usage is simple as there is no registration required. Just enter your Twitter account name, click the button and that’s it. Depending, processing can take some time so be patient.

Much like web site rating sites, the word relevance is used loosely (hence why I put it in quotes) as your Twitter account is evaluated against the rules and algorithm defined by Twitalyzer. Regardless, this can be a fun way to view some stats about your Twitter account.

Ask anyone who invests in tech stocks for a description of what they’re like and the answer you’ll most likely receive is that they’re volatile, meaning to vary often or widely.

One of Yahoo’s oldest web sites, Yahoo! Finance (YHOO), is a good place to check on how tech stocks are doing. You can also perform quick stock searches by searching for the symbol on Google, ex. searching for GOOG.

Side note: Speaking of the GOOG, they might be purchasing Twitter, so that will be an interesting one to follow.

To those interested in tech stocks, or any stocks for that matter, but have no idea how they would perform or how to go about investing, I always suggest playing fantasy stock market. This is fun, easy and most of the time free so it requires no investment on your part.

Here’s a few suggestions if you want to play the market fantasy-style:

• FantasyStockMarket.com – Simple site, easy to navigate and get started.
• Virtual Stock Exchange – This is run by MarketWatch, a well-known finance site.
• Wall Street Survivor – This one has an interesting twist because you can actually win real cash and prizes here, so the game itself can actually be profitable.

Why play fantasy with tech stocks instead of doing the real thing?

The answer is to gain experience before taking the plunge, so to speak. Some people say tech stocks are totally worth it while others say it’s a complete waste of time and money, and far too unstable. However with the experience gained from fantasy playing, you can answer the question for yourself whether or not they’re worth it – free.

What’s your take? Would you or do you invest in tech stocks?

Does it sound like a boom or bust? Let us know in the comments.

When someone posts on Twitter, the popular microblogging service, they are said to be "tweeting".

Possibly the best tweet to date is one that came across that said,

I wasbjust in a plane crash!

Typo aside, yes, that really happened.

I mean, seriously, how can you top that.

Not possible.

The rest of the story is nothing short of pure awesome.

Internets FTW.

I just want to tell you, good luck, we’re all counting on you.

Most of you have probably heard the term ‘domain squatter’ which is someone who registers a domain with the sole intent of selling to someone else who has a legitimate need for it (at a substantially increased price). Well, domain names are not the only thing being targeted by squatters as social networking names are being quickly gobbled up.

This day and age, anything which has the perception of being valuable online is going to be sucked up quickly, so you have to act fast. Even if you do not currently make use of the popular social networking sites (MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) but see yourself doing so in the future you should go ahead and register the name you want… now.

Continued

Remember the days when the the Internet was new and when we were all spellbound at the idea of having our own desktop computer? Learning the workings of the computer was of prime importance. You had this piece of powerful equipment on your desk and you wanted to explore all the possibilities it presented.

Fast forward to today. Things have most certainly changed. My question is: has everybody realized that it has indeed changed?

Continued

Twitter has been the subject of a LOT of tech talk. It results in three different camps of people: (1) people who get it and participate, (2) people who tried it and found it stupid, (3) people who don’t even try it.

In our recent reader survey here at PCMech, we had some interesting results…

Continued

Dave has been using Twitter (twitter.com/davidrisley) for a while now. For a time I used it (twitter.com/frostedside) but stopped citing it as useless. I tried FriendFeed but more or less hated it so stopped using microblogging services altogether.

During this time Dave said to me over and over to twhirl because it works really well. I was dead set against this for a few reasons:

1. It’s an Adobe Air app.

To use twhirl you must install Adobe Air. Fortunately the software prompts you to do this without initiating a separate download and install. However the point is that I absolutely did not yet another "thing" (like Java, Flash, SilverLight, etc.) on my box.

2. I did not see the need to have a dedicated application just for microblogging.

I try to run as few "resident" apps as possible and it bugs me whenever I have to have one sitting in the system tray.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After being asked (read: begged) by a few PCMech regulars to get back on Twitter I said "Okay fine.. I’ll try it and even give the twhirl client a go."

It turns out I actually like twhirl and can honestly say that yes, it’s a solid application that’s easy, stays out of your way, doesn’t crash and moreover takes only a bare minimum of system resources (i.e. not a memory hog whatsoever).

What makes twhirl fun is that it’s stupidly easy to use. This nice’n'neat little application makes for posting updates simple. Simple is good. In addition it makes the Twitter system more "connected" so to speak. For example, to reply to a "tweet" you can just hover over a contact and click the @ icon, type and send. To insert a shortened web link, click the little chain link icon. It’s things like this that allow you to do things faster – and moreover easier – with Twitter.

If you’re one of those people who is baffled by microblogging and can’t make heads or tails of it, I’d suggest using twhirl. It not only does Twitter but a few other microblogger-style networks as well. I’ll put it to you this way – it got me using microblogging again.

Get a Twitter account

Download twhirl

Talking about using social media for business purposes practically walks on the third rail of the Internet. A lot of people who are using social media sites like Twitter or Facebook are particularly sensitive when it appears they are being marketed to.

In my opinion, the fact that Twitter users get nervous when they see a “internet marketer” use Twitter is testament to the fact that many use it incorrectly. Twitter and any other social media platform is inherently a community. And that community is made up of real people.

And just like when people get annoyed when you walk up and knock on the door to sell you something during dinner time, people are going to resent you if you start marketing to them in their social settings online.

This is not to say that, as a business person, that you should steer clear of using such sites. Absolutely not. These sites are used by a LOT of people. And with a large group of people, it is inevitable that some of your potential clientele are using these social media sites.

The trick (if you want to call it that) is to treat people with respect. You need to actually participate as a person first, and a business second. You need to be a part of the community. Offer things of value. You might even just “shoot the crap” with people about things which have absolutely nothing to do with your business. If you build a reputation on these sites as a PERSON and not as a business, then when you send in the random plug every now and then for your business, people won’t really mind it.

These sites are called social media, and you need to place emphasis on the SOCIAL part of it.

If you find the social part of these sites to be a waste of your time, then do yourself a favor and don’t even start using these sites to begin with. You will do your business more harm than good by joining a site like Twitter for the purposes of building up a big follow list and then spamming them with your links.