Twitter Packs - Group Like-Minded Users

Earlier this week, I brought up Twitter and its uses amongst Higher Ed web developers. Since then, a great discussion has begun in the University Web Developer Ning network. It seems many that have used Twitter have found value in the communication tool.

As more and more people begin to use Twitter, the services around Twitter expand. A wiki, called Twitter Packs, started this week that allows Twitter users to post their username in self-identified groups. This gives you the opportunity to discover more Twitter users that share your interests. It also helps anyone new to Twitter to discover a large amount of users quickly.

From the Twitter pack wiki:

Twitter Packs is a place to get a starting idea of who on Twitter posts about what. Come in, look around, add your name where it makes sense, and help out.

Some packs of interest:

• Higher Education
  http://twitterpacks.pbwiki.com/Education+Pack#HigherEducation
• Usability and User Experience
  http://twitterpacks.pbwiki.com/Technology#UsabilityandUserExperienceUXPack
• Marketing
  http://twitterpacks.pbwiki.com/New+Media,+Social+Media#MarketingPack
  

Iconic Icons for your Interface Designs

As a web developer, I have come across the need to use icon images in many designs. As of lately this design trend has started to explode. Icons are a great way to give visual cues without spelling the action out in words. A good use of icons can really make or break an interface.

I have started a del.icio.us link roll of icon sites. Most all icons I have linked to have a general license allowing their reuse. I'm sure I have missed quite a few, so please let me know.

You can track new links by subscribing to me del.icio.us feed.

Twitter and its use in the Higher Ed Web Dev Community

Late last year I changed my Facebook status to read "Why should I use Twitter?" Within five minutes, Matt Herzberger had a post on my wall with some resources to get me started. So I decided to take the plunge and have been mildly tweeting (twittering ?) ever sense.

Last December, a social media expert and blogger, Jeremiah Owyang, asked all of his readers to connect in Twitter through his blog. Me and hundreds of others took this opportunity to network with other like-minded users.

Since then, the conversations and insight have exploded. I have been able to track the latest and greatest news before it hits the RSS feeds. I have been enriched by everything I have taken in. On the flip side, I have shared a few thoughts but have yet to contribute at a level equal to the value I receive.

One of my complaints so far is the lack of connections I have made with Higher Ed Developers. I have talked and discussed with a few dozen users, but I haven't seen a consistent thread of conversations related to our industry. Do you use Twitter? Would you like to connect with other Twitter users? As the Ning network expands, and the IRC channel grows, is there room for Twitter?

You can follow my tweets at: http://twitter.com/smeranda. If you follow me, I will follow you back. If you would like to connect with more twitter users, leave your twitter ID in the comments. If a list grows, I will add them to this post and the Ning Network.

[Also cross-posted at http://cuwebd.ning.com/profiles/blog/show?id=1763934%3ABlogPost%3A8868]

Leverage the Reach of Many Video Sites from One Page

So you have finally gotten into the video production - either with professionally created or student-generated videos. Now how can you get that video to your audience?

First, take advantage of your own site. Display it there (I recommend using the Flash video capabilities to reach the largest number of users without forcing extra plug-ins). This provides fresh, interactive content; potentially generates viral traffic and increases the coveted time-on-page statistic.

But you are limiting your audience by using only this approach. To enhance your video awareness, utilize the video sharing sites - YouTube, Google, Sclipo, Sumo, Sevenload, Dailymotion, Blip, Metacafe, Yahoo, Facebook, Myspace, Vimeno, Revver, Veoh, Vsocial, Photobucket, and Putfile.

I know what you are thinking, who has the time for this? Fortunately, there is an easy way to do this: use a service that aggregates all the APIs of these sites into one and processes the uploading for you. You provide your login credentials for each site (they'll store these so you don't have to re-enter). You then upload your video, a short description, a title and some tags and they will take care of the rest.

Here are a few possibilities to work with:

1. Hey!Spread: Will upload to all the aforementioned sites from one page. If you are concerned about copyright, they will embed a watermark before uploading (for a price). The current price is $0.05 per video - not bad especially if you only have a few videos.
2. VidMetrix: A free option with better analytics. Supports a few less sites but offers RSS subscription to updated reports. Track number of video views, comments, favorites, rating and links.
   
3. TubeMogul: Another free option. In addition to the reporting from VidMetrix, TubeMogul has a better interface, better charting abilities and the ability to submit to social bookmarking sites. Pay-accounts with more features are also available. However, unless you are doing an extensive, multi-faceted campaign including only video you probably won't need these features.

Google Webmaster Quick Start Guide

In the past, I have discussed Google Webmaster Tools, and how great they can be with site maintenance and SEO optimization.

If you still haven't started using GWT (or you have but haven't explored all the features), then check out their new quick start guide.

HTML 5 Working Draft

It's been 10+ years since we've had a major revision to HTML. The W3c has been working on revisions since 2004, and just released a working draft. Though it will take some time for final Candidate Recommendation stages and browser support, it is nice to know this is evolving. From the document, here are some of the new features that sound promising:

1. audio and video elements for interactive media. - The tag defines the content.
   
2. input element's type attribute has more options: datetime, datetime-local, date, month, week, time, number, range, email, url. This will great for form validation purposes. The generic input box has seen it's days.
3. The a element has a new attribute called ping that specifies a space separated list of URIs which have to be pinged when the hyperlink is followed. - This will be nice for link tracking. Send a ping to a custom script to track user clicks on your site. I can see an easy integration with CRM and Analytics packages.
   

I'm not an alum of Colby College, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express

I recently was introduced to a fantastic site showcasing "a student perspective on LIFE at Colby College." The site, maintained since March 2007, is run by current Colby students. The students contribute blog posts, videos, podcasts, photos and other stories related to their experiences at Colby College. They provide an uncut, real student life view.

In addition to the site, all of the aforementioned have RSS feeds. Contact information for the student contributors is also available to gather more in-depth information.



As trend followers, we know students hesitate with marketing pitches. This site -- though clearly created for recruitment -- does not have noticeable links to the main College site or the Admissions site (a few links on the bottom of the homepage, and email links on the bottom of the other pages). No mention on how to apply, visit campus or who your recruiter is. This strategy is more difficult to track (though it could be done with some stealth tricks), but is more genuine to recruits. Colby College has done a great job with this site.

Check it out for yourself at:
http://www.insidecolby.com

Enhance Flash text for Search Engine Optimization

What has been believed but never proven has been finally revealed. Google does indeed read and index flash text. The level at which this is done is still to be determined, but it never hurts to optimize your text (keywords, descriptive text, etc..) so that it can be read better by the search engines. For instance, start using Flash for dynamic text instead of embedding in videos.

Keep in mind, flash as a whole is not accessible for users with certain disabilities. Even though it can very interactive, I would suggest not creating a whole site in Flash.

Digital Identity 2.0 Explored

Single sign-on is becoming more of a need than trend in today's web 2.0 world. Many campuses are experimenting with different technologies and interfaces. If you're looking to implement an identity mechanism, take a quick look at this video. Dick Hardt delivers a compelling and dynamic introduction on Identity 2.0 and how the concept of digital identity is evolving.