Identi.ca Adds Features, Gets Into Twhirl

After the initial rush to try out Identi.ca, not everyone stuck around. Why? Maybe it’s because Twitter started stabilizing and no longer was Identi.ca needed as a backup to Twitter. Or maybe it was a shiny new thing for some, but after playing with it, the shininess wore off. Whatever the reason, it seemed that the land rush was over. But then, Identi.ca was integrated with Twhirl and all of a sudden, it was happening again. It’s great to see. 

The identi.ca community is active, friendly, and fun. They’re quick to answer each other’s questions and they enjoy tech-related conversations. And don’t worry, identi.ca is still far from the mainstream if that’s what you’re looking for – you won’t see Obama posting “dents” here anytime soon. (Well, there is a user, but he’s not active). 

But why identi.ca and not Twitter? When I asked identi.ca users why they were here, for a lot of them it was about supporting the fact that identi.ca is open source (and federated):

(Of course, Evan said it’s because I’m there, but I’m pretty sure he was just sucking up.)

David asked why even bother with Identi.ca earlier today, so I guess that’s your answer.

Also, for me personally, I have to add that the Twitter community has gotten so large that being on Identi.ca just feels smaller and more intimate. I’m sure this is partly my fault for following so many people on Twitter, but there you have it. 

What’s New

A lot of people were discussing the recent changes on Identi.ca today. It goes without saying that the community is thrilled for the Identi.ca/Twhirl integration, but there were a few other updates too, including:

• Auto-follow your followers: a checkbox in your settings –> profile tab lets you automatically follow those that follow you. It’s recommended for “non-humans,” but I’m giving it a go.
• SMS: Another tab in your settings lets you get your dents via SMS. Just enter your phone number and carrier.
• IM Replies Update: Although you could get IM updates via Jabber/GTalk before, there appears to be a new checkbox that lets you select whether or not you want replies from those you aren’t subscribed to. (Is that new? Or did I miss that before?)
• Greasemonkey Fun: If you haven’t already added “Identica Reply” to give each dent a reply option, do so now. Next, add “Identi.send” which lets you send a message by pressing <enter>. For FriendFeed users, “FriendFeed Identi.ca” lets you add a tab to FriendFeed for Identi.ca.

Spaz & Posty

Two other AIR clients besides Twhirl now also support identi.ca. Spaz, the open-source client is one. The other is Posty, whose identi.ca support is still in beta. (You can download the Posty beta from here.) I hear Twitterfox might be next.

Have I missed anything? Help me fill in the blanks, if so.

Update: I have just been pointed to Identifox, a modified version of TwitterFox which works with Identi.ca!