BigBlueBlog

The office will be open this weekend! I’m opening office hours Saturday from 1-3pm, and Sunday from 2-4pm (Pacific time zone).

What in the world am I talking about? You can join me in our BigBlueBall chat room to say hello, ask a question, or find out what’s coming at BigBlueBall. I’ll be in there while I’m working on the site, so stop in and say hello!

If you have your own IRC client, you can connect to irc.bigblueball.com and join the #bigblueball channel.

Not sure what the heck IRC is? No problem. Just click here to open a new window with our java-based chat room. It takes you to the same place.

See you online!

For seven years, BigBlueBall has been one of the few reliable resources on the web for coverage of all instant messenger networks. In those seven years, we’ve seen IM products come and go, and been here with you all the way. Your instant messaging contact list was then, and still is today, the original social network.

Today, technology gives us lots of choices for connecting with our friends, family and associates. Social networks like Myspace, Facebook and Twitter let use keep our friends up-to-date with a persistent that isn’t matched by IM. Mobile technology helps us stay connected no matter where or when.

To help you sort out the veritable plethora (gawd I’ve wanted to say that for so long!) of connection options, we are expanding BigBlueBall to cover all the ways you can stay connected. To begin, we have added two new forum sections.

The new Social Networks section has forums for Myspace, Facebook and other social networks.

And the Cell Phones, Mobiles & PDAs section includes forums for Blackberry, Windows Mobile, Apple’s iPhone, Google Android and others.

Thanks to Philip for getting the ball rolling with his poll, and thanks to all of you who shared your view of where BigBlueBall should be moving.

Now join me in the forums and bring your tips, links, and questions.

Are you really into instant messaging? I’m currently looking for to fill a few gaps in BigBlueBall’s moderating team, and I’m looking for people who are really excited about IM. You might be a hacker, developer, or just a hard-core user. This is a great opportunity to join the terrific crew at BigBlueBall, share your enthusiasm and knowledge, and get recognition for your contributions.

If you have experience with any of the following IM programs, mobile platforms or social networks and would be interested in joining the BigBlue Crew, please leave a comment.

• Instant Messaging
  • AIM
  • ICQ
  • Adium
  • Pidgin
  • Other? Let me know!
• Mobile Technology
  • Windows Mobile
  • iPhone & iPod Touch
  • Blackberry
  • Symbian

• Social Networking
  • Facebook
  • MySpace
  • Twitter
  • Bebo
  • Yahoo! Mash
  • Windows Live Spaces

We have some great new plans for 2008, and you could be a part of it! Leave a comment and let me know what area you are interested in.

The BigBlue Crew suggested a blog would be a great way to share what’s going on behind-the-scenes at BigBlueBall.com, so we’ve launched BigBlueBlog. We’ll be posting information about our staff (the BigBlue Crew!); site news and updates; info about new goodies we’re working on at BigBlueBall; and — most of all — listening to your feedback.

Did you know…?

• BigBlueBall.com was originally a site where two web developers showcased their portfolio?
• The BigBlueBall.com domain was originally registered way back in 1998?
• BigBlueBall has been covering instant messaging since March 1991?
• The name “BigBlueBall” refers to the planet earth, as seen from space?
• And… we have our own entry on Wikipedia?

What’s coming up next?

At BigBlueBall, we believe that instant messaging was the original social networking app, and that social networking is here to stay. What is social networking? Simply the connections we make between each other; our friends, family, co-workers and colleagues. Social networking is about strengthening those connections and helping us build richer, more satisfying relationships.

Technology can be a great enabler — helping us build our own social networks. Or technology can get in the way. At BigBlueBall, we want to help you sort through the myriad of tools and options that are out there and find what really works best for you.

So what’s next at BigBlueBall? We’re listening to your feedback, and evolving beyond just IM to cover the broad spectrum of social networking tools, techniques and technologies.

For now, please share your feedback, and stay tuned. Subscribe to our feed and you’ll get all the updates on the changes at BigBlueBall.