FriendDeck: Now an Adobe AIR App for Tracking FriendFeed
Last week we introduced you to FriendDeck, a new online application that lets you monitor FriendFeed in a way that's very similar to how the Adobe AIR app, TweetDeck, monitors Twitter. Within FriendDeck's columns, you can track FriendFeed searches, users, friends, lists, rooms, and more.
Recently, FriendDeck developer Paul Kinlan released an Adobe AIR application of his FriendFeed tracking tool. Although still rough around the edges, this app has potential to become a viable alternative interface to FriendFeed for the service's heaviest users.
FriendDeck's AIR App: Still Early, Could be Awesome
One of the best features of the new AIR application is how it syncs with the online version of FriendDeck. That means whatever changes you make within FriendDeck on the web show up in the desktop application and vice versa.(Side note: how we wish TweetDeck did this!)
But let's be clear. The Adobe AIR version of FriendDeck still needs a lot of work. The slider bars are hard to see, the columns can't be moved around, "un-like" didn't work in the first version we tested, pictures don't show along with posts, and performing searches requires the use of specific query syntax, like "friends:username." That last bit practically requires you to use a cheat sheet when building your columns. (For search query syntax, see the list provided here.)
Yet despite these problems - all of which are being addressed according to the developer - I still can't get enough of FriendDeck. Why? It's simple: FriendDeck gives me an eagle-eye view of the topics I care about on FriendFeed. Using the app, I can see a lot more information with a glance than when I use the FriendFeed web site itself.
Use FriendDeck to Follow Your Lists, Rooms, and Searches
There are a couple of ways you can use FriendDeck. For me, a compulsion to organize things into groups has led to the creation of over 30 lists for tracking specific topical areas outside of my "home" feed. I don't check each list daily, but it's nice to have them there. I doubt that anyone else has embarked on such madness, but even if you have only a few lists, like "Favorites" or "Personal", you can add them to the FriendDeck application by typing in "list:list_name" (where, obviously, "list_name" is the name of your list).
Similarly, if you're less inclined to use lists and more inclined to track items by keyword, you can instead just type in the word or words you want to track in the search box. For rooms, you would just type "room:room_name."
Use FriendDeck as a More Advanced Feed Reader
Another great way to use FriendDeck has to do with one of the biggest secrets surrounding FriendFeed itself: you don't have to participate to use the service. Although community members will tell you this goes against what FriendFeed is all about, it's true. If you're the kind of person who could care less about "liking" items or leaving comments on the latest internet meme, you can alternately use FriendFeed as an aggregator on topics you want to track, no participation required. Instead, FriendFeed can simply become the framework you use to build the feed reader of the future: an aggregator which lets you follow much more than RSS feeds alone.
For example, take any subject about which you're passionate. You could build a private FriendFeed room that you fill with blogs, news sites, Twitter searches, Google searches, well-known Twitter users who post on this subject, and more. Within one interface, you can track it all. This is a million times better than just following blogs in an RSS reader or just tracking Twitter posts using Twitter's search engine because you're not limited to RSS alone.
You can share these rooms with others either by making them public or by inviting select users - like your colleagues - to join. Alternately, you can keep them completely private and only for your personal use.
You can then add these personalized rooms into FriendDeck by typing in "room:room_name" and soon you'll have one single application that tracks everything you care about on the internet - from blogs posts to tweets and so much more. And it's all in one window.
Too Complicated?
In explaining how FriendDeck works, it occurs to us that it may sound a bit complicated for the average user. That may be true, but then again, FriendFeed itself is an application that requires a lot of explanation, too. It's also quite possible that FriendFeed and FriendDeck will never cross over into "regular user" territory. That's OK, though. For anyone who has learned how to use FriendFeed - really use FriendFeed - applications like FriendDeck will hold appeal, despite their complications.
It's still far too early to call FriendDeck a complete success or failure, but it's not too early to use it. If you're geeky enough to learn its quirks, you may find the FriendFeed desktop application you've been waiting for. If not, then feel free to return to your browser.
Comments
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Whee!
Posted by: Håkan Dahlström
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January 27, 2009 8:49 AM
Can it do Twitter? Seriously, twitter + friendfeed are the two that need monitoring. Until we all have access to the new Twhirl, consider it the holy grail no matter how unrefined the interface...
Posted by: Glenn Batuyong
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January 27, 2009 8:51 AM
Ok, I'm trying it now
Posted by: M F
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January 27, 2009 8:53 AM
omg that's so fucking sweet seriously
Posted by: Snipergirl
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January 27, 2009 8:57 AM
If they could get this and TweetDeck into a single app, I'd be on it. Until then, I'm sticking with Twhirl. Good start, though
Posted by: Bob M. Montgomery
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January 27, 2009 8:59 AM
@Bob: I track most of my Twitter friends on FriendFeed, thanks to FriendFeed's new Twitter/FF friend list sync tool: https://friendfeed.com/settings/import/twitter
Posted by: Sarah Perez
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January 27, 2009 9:03 AM
For once... just once... would somebody building a client for FriendFeed support "Hide"? Please?
Posted by: Ken Sheppardson
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January 27, 2009 9:08 AM
I don't want to track only certain topics, but it's a good start :)
Posted by: zo.blue (Zulema)
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January 27, 2009 9:10 AM
@zo: you don't have to! You can track your lists, your rooms, your friends, comments, anything...I track topics, but that's just me
Posted by: Sarah Perez
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January 27, 2009 9:12 AM
ZOMG
Posted by: Iain Baker
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January 27, 2009 9:18 AM
I had to hop back to Sarah's original article for the search syntax. I think most people want "friends:" at a minimum.
Posted by: Ken Sheppardson
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January 27, 2009 9:20 AM
Installing as we speak. Probably will still use FF directly, but I gotta try this out.
Posted by: Chris Charabaruk ∈ Cool
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January 27, 2009 9:21 AM
Hot stuff. I've been waiting on this one. Glad he got it going :)
Posted by: Bwana
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January 27, 2009 9:23 AM
Love the list and room support... not obvious how to use it, but that can easily be fixed. Web client sync is killer..KILLER I say. I think the layout needs tweaking, when you expand threads, it's a little busy. I'm gonna blog a review later
Posted by: Bwana
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January 27, 2009 9:33 AM
I like this one. I find Twhirl a pain to use for FF so time to try this.
Posted by: Rob Cairns
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January 27, 2009 10:23 AM
Don't forgot to join the room Paul set-up: http://friendfeed.com/rooms/frienddeck
Posted by: Kol Tregaskes
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January 27, 2009 10:39 AM
@Sarah, I'd like to log in and see what I get on the home page, you know, my 'everything' :)
Posted by: zo.blue (Zulema)
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January 27, 2009 10:49 AM
I'm having problems with any of my lists showing up, especially those with spaces in the name.
Posted by: Chris Charabaruk ∈ Cool
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January 27, 2009 10:52 AM
@Chris: check the *actual* name of the list. For example, my list "Social Media Favs" (with spaces) is actually "social-media-favs" when I look at its URL. So I type in list:social-media-favs to make it show up in FriendDeck. Yes, should be easier, but it definitely works.
Posted by: Sarah Perez
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January 27, 2009 11:13 AM
Looks like my tweetdeck will have to share my second screen with frienddeck.
Posted by: Sonya Smith
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January 27, 2009 11:19 AM
Now I wish I bought the 17" MBP instead.
Posted by: Rutger Blom
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January 27, 2009 11:22 AM
Ah ha... RWW points to http://frienddeck.com but it should be http://www.frienddeck.com/
Posted by: Michael Lehman
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January 27, 2009 11:31 AM
Don't worry, Rutger, when you're travelling you'll be happy you bought the smaller screen size (I should know...oy, my achin' back).
Posted by: Spidra Webster
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January 27, 2009 11:33 AM
@Michael Thanks, I fixed that. (Note to Paul - make both URLs work!)
Posted by: Sarah Perez
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January 27, 2009 11:48 AM
Hi eveery one, thanks for the comments. I have loads still to do on both the web app and AIR app.
Posted by: Paul Kinlan
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January 27, 2009 11:50 AM
Thanks Sarah, but how do I get my home feed as well?
Posted by: Chris Charabaruk ∈ Cool
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January 27, 2009 11:53 AM
:D got my home feed by typing who:[username]
Posted by: Baard Overgaard Hansen
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January 27, 2009 11:55 AM
I am adding Home feeds in soon.... It was an oversight of mine in the first version.
Posted by: Paul Kinlan
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January 27, 2009 11:57 AM
I am adding Home feeds in soon.... It was an oversight of mine in the first version.
Posted by: Paul Kinlan
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January 27, 2009 11:57 AM
Echo? :)
Posted by: Bwana
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January 27, 2009 11:58 AM
If you are trying to get lists you have to use the nickname and not the pretty name. I am working on that.
Posted by: Paul Kinlan
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January 27, 2009 11:59 AM
Would lovelovelove tweetdeck and frienddeck all in one. I might actually use it then
Posted by: Doug Haslam
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January 27, 2009 12:01 PM
whoa! Trying it (FriendDeck)
Posted by: Drew Lucas
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January 27, 2009 12:05 PM
who:username is like the home feed but not exactly the same.
Posted by: Paul Kinlan
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January 27, 2009 12:07 PM
Yes, TweetDeck & FriendDeck together! As it is, I have my FF friends set up in categories and have key tweetstreams feeding through them, sort of a work-around, but not as slick as this could be.
Posted by: Cathryn Hrudicka
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January 27, 2009 12:08 PM
Uh, what is it supposed to do? It's just a search box. Do I need to have interests before I can use it?
Posted by: Matthew DeVries
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January 27, 2009 12:21 PM
@Matthew: No. There are a lot of ways to use it. You can follow friends, comments, lists, rooms, and more. Read about it :) (Of course, it is good to have interests, you know, in general. In life).
Posted by: Sarah Perez
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January 27, 2009 12:23 PM
...definitely an app that could use a good 30" monitor...
Posted by: JA Castillo
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January 27, 2009 12:27 PM
has anyone had trouble with frienddeck on linux ? it keeps freezing the screen strange
Posted by: eric
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January 27, 2009 12:38 PM
It's cool - but I'm suffering for just having a poorly organized set of feeds, i.e. a chubby 'Home' one.who:username isn't the same.
Posted by: David Ing
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January 27, 2009 12:44 PM
@David: Hang tight, Home feed will be added in the next release...coming very soon.
Posted by: Sarah Perez
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January 27, 2009 12:45 PM
I haven't tried it on Linux yet, will need to get a VM running so that I can test.
Posted by: Paul Kinlan
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January 27, 2009 12:47 PM
My "Dalek" search column has a peculiar order, not really chronological, not alphabetical, not Fibonacci.....
Posted by: Matthew DeVries
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January 27, 2009 12:52 PM
Not sure if I'll use it?
Posted by: Strong One
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January 27, 2009 12:54 PM
Matthew: It's the same as it would be on FriendFeed itself, as far as I can tell. Check to see if there's new comments.
Posted by: Chris Charabaruk ∈ Cool
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January 27, 2009 12:55 PM
Matthew, Chris is correct it is in FriendFeed order, which I think is last "action" time i.e the last time something happened on the article such as a like etc.
Posted by: Paul Kinlan
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January 27, 2009 1:00 PM
wow, definitely gotta try this out again... if its just half as cool as tweetdeck is for twitter, then...
Posted by: Peter Efland
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January 27, 2009 2:15 PM
Awesome! I've been waiting for the AIR app to be released. Time to see what it can do.
frienddeck, great *going online to price 2nd monitor...*
Posted by: Anthony Farrior
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January 28, 2009 7:43 AM
That was quick. I only tried the web version the other week.Well done.
Posted by: Emsquared
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January 28, 2009 7:49 AM
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