Of course, before you start using an app like this, you need to think carefully as to whether what you’re posting is relevant to both communities or if you’re pushing out cross-posting spam. For a good guideline on this subject matter, check out Rahsheen’s post on cross-posting etiquette.

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!

My need for data portability is desperate. I’m literally wasting huge amounts of my time adding, adding, adding the same friends over and over again. If you’re my friend online, then you should just be my friend no matter what service I sign up for. I’m quite sick of it.

And for the most part, what we’re getting from developers are YAWA offerings – that’s “yet another web app” – instead of tools that help us manage the ones we have today. And because they’re these shiny new objects, we sign up, add friends, and the cycle repeats. It repeats because we’ve just proved to the app’s creators this is what we want. It repeats because we’re going to sign up for the next app, too.

So when I see someone trying to address this issue, I get excited. Whether it works or not, I’m excited because they care. They’re at least moving in the right direction.

I was excited about the post I did today on Genome. They’re trying to make identities flexible and portable, but did this get a lot of positive comments? No. And the ones left weren’t even that nice.

I don’t get it. Explain it to me, because today, I’m lost. Do we, as social media enthusiasts really only care about the next cool thing and not about the process of actually making these tools effective for the everyday user. Is that just “oh, ho-hum, that’s for someone else to worry about?”

I hope that’s not the case. Hey, I love the next new thing as much as the next guy (see identi.ca early adopter tips), but I give equal time to the problem-solvers, too.

So, on that note, here’s your problem solver tip for today:

From the same guy who brought you the Better FriendFeed Subscribed To Me script, comes the Better FriendFeed Recommended Page. It works by finding the subscriptions of your subscriptions and sorts them by popularity (mutual subscriptions) as shown below:

There you go, equal time. Something useful. That deserved a post.

After my initial Identi.ca lovefest, I quickly became swamped with invites to connect with others on the service (I’m still working through my inbox on those, by the way – someone build me a “follow my followers app?”). Of course, once you have followers and friends, you have conversations. And god forbid you have a life away from your computer because stepping away from your computer meant you were sure to miss some replies – that is, unless you were fortunate enough to uncover geekygirldawn’s identi.ca Yahoo Pipe. Still, the world is a much better place when there’s just a button you can click to see your replies, isn’t there? Well, now there is! So if you’ve been waiting for that special moment to sign up for identi.ca, I’d say you found it. Replies make the darned thing work.

And if you’re still wondering why in the world we need another Twitter, the short answer is – we don’t. We need one that works. Identi.ca with its open source model may work, but at the very least its an alternative system for when Twitter is down.

Updating Our Million Apps

Unfortunately, with all the latest micro-blogging tools and services, what we really need is an app that makes keep up with them all much easier. Recently on RWW, I profiled 6 ways you can update your status on multiple services, my favorite of which is Ping.fm (need an invite code? try “pingyoulater”).

Of course, that was only my favorite because I actually did not know about an AIR app that did the same: Posty. (I know it’s shocking, given my recent AIR app obsession. Can I be on a mailing list for hot AIR apps, please?) This charming little app lets you update Twitter, Jaiku, Pownce, Tumblr, and FriendFeed – not bad! But I still need Plurk and Identica, so I’m sticking with Ping.fm for now.

Come to think of it, what I actually need is an app that lets me multi-post as well as track replies. I would even be willing to continue with Ping.fm for the multi-post if only Twhirl would integrate identi.ca. I wish someone would just clone it already and give me all of Twhirl’s features plus those I want instead of trying to create their own look and feel for an app. I’m sorry, but Twhirl’s UI (save for the FriendFeed 2nd window – yuck) rocks.

Anyway, if you want to add me on identi.ca, I’m http://identi.ca/sarahintampa and I swear I’ll attack my inbox today and add all of you back.

Update: Oh, hotness! A FriendFeed Identi.ca tab! Swoon!

More Coverage: SheGeeks – Identi.ica Finally Adds a Reply Tab