Digsby, my multi-account IM client of choice, yesterday rolled out a new release, build 76.  The build adds a number of enhancements for Windows 7, MySpace and Yahoo!, but an addition that really intrigued me was that Digsby has added a dislike button for Facebook.

As I’ve written about before, the dislike button for status updates on Facebook is a very common request.  Currently on Facebook  you can comment on a status update, like it or (for links and other media) share it.  Disliking an update is not an option, but for tales of woe about snow storms that fizzle, elections that don’t go your way, etc. there is regularly a friend’s comment that this sort of update is precisely why a dislike button is needed.  The desire is so great that the Dislike Button has over 3 million fans on Facebook.  Now Digsby has a new reason to be your IM client by giving users the power to dislike.

Here’s how it works.  Not only is Digby an IM client, but it also aggregates social media updates from Twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace and Facebook.  A dislike link has simply been added to the Facebook status update list in the application.  On Facebook the like button adds a thumbs up icon and a tally of friend sentiment.  On the other hand, clicking the dislike button adds a comment to the status update on Facebook that you dislike it, like so.

Clearly this is a hack to add a feature to Facebook that doesn’t really exist, but it serves a need and puts Digsby in the solution business.  I’m clicking the like button for this feature.

Digsby Adds Dislike to Facebook is a post from: Trumblog

While writing up a review of the spectacular new ÜberTwitter release, word came that Seesmic had acquired Ping.fm.  If you don’t know Seesmic produces a range of Twitter clients for Windows, BlackBerry, Android, etc. and Ping.fm is a service for updating multiple social networks singularly or simultaneously via email, IM and text messaging.

Put these two applications together and we’d seem to be wonderfully close to the cross social network status updating application for BlackBerry that I’ve been dreaming of; a Twitter client with the ability to post to additional social networks as well. Would this negate the need for Facebook and Flickr applications on the BlackBerry?  Maybe even the WordPress app?  Could I cross update from my BlackBerry like I do on my laptop with Digsby?  Sure seems like it.

In Seesmic’s blog post and video they promise integration of Ping.fm with Seesmic and specifically the Seesmic applications including for BlackBerry by the end of January.  An app by the end of the month seems very aggressive and I’m worried about the result of putting all of  my functionality eggs in one app.  Will UI failings or missing features make individual apps more appealing?  Could my dream app really end up being a nightmare?  I’m optimistic, but ready to be disappointed.

Seesmic + Ping.fm = Total Social Network Access Via BlackBerry? is a post from: Trumblog

In the last couple of weeks I was asked by the BlackBerry application Viigo and the IM client Digsby to nominate them for Mashable’s Open Web Awards and each time I did it gladly.  Why,  because I love both products and want them to be recognized for excellence.  I suppose that I was an easy mark for both programs considering that I’ve blogged about how much I love them (I’ve blogged about Viigo 8 times and Digsby twice), but it got me thinking about showing the love for the things that you love.

I’m not writing any old thing, I’m only talking about the things that you love.  The tools that make your day easier, more productive, enjoyable and all around better.  The places where you love to go, that make you feel good, that have great things or service and make you glad that you came.  The things that make you happy, help you look good, do the things you love, give you joy.  All things that you spent time, money or effort on that you would do again because of what you got back from that investment. Those are things that you’ve got to share the love for.

Why? Because when you share the love you give back.  You help out the people behind those things, places and services in reaching more people, making more people happy and maybe making their livelihood a little better too.  And after what they gave you, don’t they deserve it?

So when that product asks for a nomination do it.  Review that awesome book you just read. Send a shout out on twitter about the great thing you found.  Write an amazing review on Yelp for your favorite spot.  Let the things you love know that you love them and help your friends find the great things out in the world and avoid the junk.  Do it today.

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/danielgreene/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Sharing The Love About Those You Love is a post from: Trumblog

This week LinkedIn added Twitter integration so that tweets from your selected Twitter account can also update your status on LinkedIn.  You can either have all tweets update your status on LinkedIn or only tweets with a #li or #in hashtag.

It’s about time that LinkedIn got linked up with Twitter like most other social networks, but it’s too little at this point.  I want more.

Current integration of Twitter status updates with other social media networks is too clunky; either all of your tweets go to the other social networks or you have to use a hashtag.  Routing all your tweets to Facebook or Linked in means that you end up boring your family and friends with those business links or Twitter-specific chatter that they really don’t care about. Send all of your tweets to LinkedIn and that can result in some serious oversharing for a business network and major work:life conflicts.

Sure, you can add a hashtag to your tweets in order to ensure that only specific tweets appear on certain social networks.  But isn’t that hashtag in your status update just a blemish that says “I don’t care enough to update my status specifically for his network, but I’ll cc: you on some of my tweets.”  Different social networks are different communities and I want customization so that I can send unique status updates that deliver the specific content that is of interest to individual communities and audiences. Oh, and did I mention that I want it all in one app?

So far the application that is doing it best is the IM client Digsby.  Not only does Digsby aggregate all of your IM accounts (including Facebook and Google Talk) and your social networks, but it also allows you to update your status across multiple social networks.  The status update window is a Global Status Update window from which you can check off which specific social network (Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace and even your IM status) you want updated.  Digsby even knows what social network stream you clicked “update status” in and checks that network off automatically. Adding links and sharing images is easy too.  Excellent. No more unregulated tweets to your social networks and no more hashtags that show which of your networks are second class citizens.

Now if anyone is listening, I want this on my BlackBerry.  It seems like Loopt might do the trick, but I can’t seem to download it for my BlackBerry 8310.  If anyone has suggestions for BlackBerry applications that will perform this little trick please let me know.

LinkedIn Adds Twitter Integration is a post from: Trumblog

After a seeing a couple of mentions yesterday on TechCrunch and Bub.blicio.us I downloaded the new IM client Digsby in order to give it a try over Trillian which I had been using. Digsby is nice upgrade.

Like Trillian, Digsby is a multi protocol IM client, which means that it gives you simultaneous access to several IM accounts and if you don’t have multiple IM accounts, that’s the reason why I do. Some folks have MSN, some AIM, some Google Talk and they don’t all play nice, so I have a few accounts which means I can chat with you no matter what account you signed up with. I’m nice like that.

Registration with DIgsby was easy and functionality is exactly what you expect for IM. TechCrunch and Bub.blicio.us posted about Digsby because it supports Facebook Chat as well as AIM, MSN, Yahoo!, Google Talk, ICQ and Jabber. Having Facebook Chat is great and a good out of the starting gates feature that gives Digsby some buzz, but that alone won’t keep me with Digsby since I imagine that it’s just a matter of time till Trillian, and the other IM clients like it, do to.

But here’s where Digsby takes it up a notch. It also includes social network updates and email notification. Bam!. You can set up notifications from Facebook, Twitter and MySpace and also email notifications from any email address that you want; Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, Hotmail, AOL/ AIM Mail, and POP and IMAP accounts. Your Facebook status, alerts and news feed are available with a quick rollover that includes easy links to Facebook and updating of your status directly from Digsby. Your Tweetstream is available in the same easy way and you can update it from Digsby too.

I’ve only got Gmail running on Digsby so far and Digsby’s giving me popup alerts of email messages and rollover access to a list of emails in my Inbox with click through to read them on Gmail.com.

Pulling all of these notifications in one place is incredibly handy because I can rely on one program for all of this social and messaging data that I had been culling from and adding to using a variety of sources. It’s also nice for consistency’s sake to have similar notifications of tweets, emails and IMs. Downloading was fast, but installation was slow due to a few components that needed to be updated on my laptop, but once that was done I was up and running pretty quickly.

Digsby also doesn’t seem to be sitting on it’s laurels. They have a nice wish list going, seem to be looking to expand into notifications from additional social networks and are adding themes, skins and emoticons if you’ve got the time and need for that. I expect that there will be updates and expansions for Digsby on a regular basis that will give the Flock people sidebar that I’ve been enjoying lately a run for it’s money.

Looks like I’ve got a new IM client.

Digsby Social Network, Email and IM Client is a post from: Trumblog