There is a phrase floating around the web called a “lifestream”, and several sites are capitalizing on this new term. You too can have a lifestream! But remember Shakespeare and his line: “A rose by any other name…” still smells nice. Or my favorite, “same shit different pile”.
First, you need to know, that like anything else, when a new term is coined, everyone is “it”. It’s no different then any industry phrase. I remember this conversation
Friend: “I’m ISO-9000 compliant.”
Me: “Oh, that’s nice. what is it”.
Friend: “It’s a framework for my company to effectively creat a QMS”
Me: “Yes, but what is it”
Friend: “Well it’s a binder with specific details about my products and organizational work flows”
Me: “Didn’t you have that before?”
Friend: “Yes, but it’s in a new template!”
This isn’t any different then let’s say web 2.0
Friend: “My site is web 2.0.”
Me: “Oh, that’s nice. what is it”.
Friend: “It’s a conceptual framework for combining web technologies for user interaction.”
Me: “Yes, but what is it”
Friend: “Well I’m using RSS, AJAX, and various other scripts to add more dynamic content”
Me: “Didn’t you have that before?”
Friend: “Yes, but it’s got gradients!”
Now, you probably have the question I asked my friends “Yes, but what is it?” It’s another log / blog / news feed, of things you’ve been touching and updating on the web. It’s supposed to be a one stop shop. “Look, Nick has a new bookmark.”, “What’s that, Nick? You’ve put a new poem up on pownce?”, “Nick, you’re blogging again?”.
You may have seen this kind of stuff before, only it wasn’t called a “lifestream”. You know on facebook, how you have a list of friends activities? Things they’ve done on facebook? Well…that’s a lifestream. Take a look at friendfeed.com and they are by far the best I’ve come across. Simple and to the point. I guess that’s becuase they don’t even use the phrase “lifestream” at all.
My round the bend and over the stream ( get it! ) point
Regardless of what it’s called, if you are an active user on several sites, consider finding a place to tie them in a pretty bow. First of all, it will let your friends see your presence on the web ( not for everyone I know, but for those marketers, it’s extremely powerful ). And second, I find it puts in my mind, which sites I use, and reminds me why I use them.
Pownce is for poetry
Twitter is for what I’m doing
Tumblr is for shitz and giggles blogging
Friendfeed is my lifestream ( well I have a copy here too )
(update: I guess the services I use have changed a bit since 2008. Maybe it’s time for a new list?)