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Plurk is one of the more intriguing lifestreaming sites out on the World Wide Web right now. Launched in May of 2008, it takes the basics of Twitter and dresses them up in a snazzy interface, throwing some pretty interesting features into the mix.

Why “plurk”? The name alone sparks curiosity. According to Plurk’s creators, there are four ideas behind this catchy name. One is People + Lurk – yes, people do lurk online. Second, it is an amalgam of Play and Work, touching on the fun side of plurking. Third, it is an acronym for Peace, Love, Unity, Respect, Karma. Lastly, there is the potential for becoming a coined verb, just like “google”.
Now, Plurk users call themselves “plurkers”, the act of posting is called “plurking”, and the post itself is called a “plurk”. Very, very catchy indeed.

So what makes Plurk so much different from Twitter and why do plurkers love it? Here are the top 5 reasons:

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Earlier, Twitter was running to slow. Every page loads approximately 12 seconds. Then at one point it displayed this error:

I refreshed my page 3 times and still that error was displayed. After 10 minutes, I refreshed my Twitter page again and this time it displayed this error message:

But, it is OK now. Maybe Twitter has too many users logging on at the same time. This should be addressed quickly so as not to face similar problems encountered by Friendster.

Friendster was once the largest social media network. At one point, it became the #1 online social media (yep you heard it right). But because of Friendster’s server and network problems (coupled with poor marketing strategy and focus), it slipped and handed its crown. Today, Friendster is in 3rd place; way beyond MySpace and Facebook.

It used to be that a company’s online marketing efforts consist of having a Web page, sending out e-mails, and advertising on high-traffic sites. However, in this age of social networking sites – like Facebook, Twitter and MySpace – these efforts are no longer enough!

Social networking sites have allowed businesses big and small to be more interactive in the way they present their companies, brands, products, and services. Online marketing has ceased to be a one-way street where the businesses do all the talking and hope that their potential customers listen and try out their goods and services. Interactivity has become the key feature of online marketing on social networking sites.

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You’re probably tickled pink about your childhood crush having just “poked” you. Maybe you’re losing sleep over a fight with a Paris Hilton wannabe, or wanting to drink more human blood. Or you might be spending time writing something for a worthwhile cause you feel passionate about. Or you’re keeping up with what’s happening in the life of a college friend you haven’t seen for years. All these, because of a five-year-old.

Yup, Facebook has just turned five.

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Previously, I told you about the benefits of Twitter as a source of information and as a means of propagating it. Twitter would work best if you have good quality contacts. Friends, associates, business contacts are the best set of followers.

This kind of audience is ready and interested. To start with, always put in your real name in your Twitter profile, just as you would in Facebook and MySpace. And always fill out your profiles, so people can easily find you and know who you are. After you set up your Twitter profile, then it’s time to pay it forward: follow people you know, or whose content interests you. Always introduce yourself to them, tell them what you do and what interests you. Think of it as networking on Twitter. If they check your profile and find out more about you, they might follow you back.

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Twitting…

If you guys have been ignoring Twitter, you probably haven’t realized its power. You have probably tried it at one point, and decided that you really didn’t care if a friend is having lunch with Bill Gates, or taking a piss. Really, who’d want to be THAT updated?

But as with all things high-tech, people have always used technology for mundane things. Even great technologies have their asinine yet practical application. While most people use Facebook to play Fashion Wars or solicit sympathy for a dead toenail, a lot of businesses have found suppliers and customers on the site. Some people use it to connect with long-lost friends and keep up with them.
Twitter, I found out, has great potentials. I was recently out with a couple of friends and went to see a movie with them. Tina, a movie buff, mentioned something about a movie shot in India that won a lot of BAFTAs and nominated for a number of Oscars. For the life of her, Tina couldn’t remember the movie’s title.

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