OnlineSchools.org created the History of Social Networking Infographic to visually share the rich 30-year history of social networking. Aside from the different facts and figures, it also includes some trivia or fun facts like the first e-mail ever sent contained the message “QWERTYUIOP” or Usenet was the birthplace of flame wars and trolling or that the first version of Myspace was coded only in 10 days. For some these information is old news but for some it’s completely new. Nevertheless I hope you guys enjoy it.

Click here to view the full sized image of the History of Social Networking Infographic.

There are numerous multi protocol IM clients like Trillian, Pidgin (formerly Gaim), Miranda, Adium (Mac only) and online ones like Meebo, Kool IM, eBuddy. I’ve tried most of them but the ones that I liked were Trillian and Pidgin. I used Trillian for quite a while but uninstalled it because it was a resource hog. I switched to Pidgin which was lighter and faster. Even though it lacked some features like video/audio chatting, I liked it and it worked for me. I even posted an article on how to upgrade Gaim to Pidgin on Ubuntu. I never thought I would stop using Pidgin, or so I thought.

The other day, I came across a new multi protocol IM client called Digsby. It was on private beta testing a couple months back and is now available to the public for free. I wasn’t really interested in trying it out or using it because I already had Pidgin, but eventually I ended up downloading and installing it on my machine. At first, I thought it was just another regular multi protocol IM client but after trying it out and going through its features, I realized that it was much better than the others I’ve previously tried and used.

Features:

• Multi protocol instant messaging – AIM, MSN, Yahoo, ICQ, Google Talk, and Jabber Accounts
• Email – Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo Mail, AOL/AIM Mail, IMAP, and POP accounts
• Social networks – Twitter, Facebook and Myspace
• Audio/Video Chat – support provided by TokBox
• File transfer manager
• Spell checker
• Block support – block contacts or
• Widgets

Screenshots:

Application skins

Conversation window themes

Email integration

Social network integration

I’ve since uninstalled Pidgin and now use Digsby. So why did I switch? Here are some of the reasons why I switched and the features that I like about Digsby.

• I can view a snapshot of recent emails in each email account registered, or go to the inbox or compose a new email (opens email account in browser).
• I can send emails via the IM/conversation window.
• I can reply to IM’s via pop-up windows. Comes in handy when you’re multi-tasking.
• I can set my Facebook status and get notifications/updates from Facebook or Myspace.
• I can update my Twitter status, view the timeline, archives, favorites and reply to updates.

My most favorite feature is Digsby’s integration with Twitter. Sometimes, I forgot to login to Twitter and I miss some of the good stuff that other folks share/talk about on Twitter. Now, I won’t miss any updates and I don’t have to login each time because I can do all the things I need to do on Twitter via Digsby!

Aside from all these, there are a bunch of other stuff that I can customize to fit my needs and preference making it easier for me to do multi-tasking. Digsby may or may not work for you and the only way to find out is to try it out yourself. If you use IM a lot on different accounts, then you should consider using a cross-platform product like Digsby. Plus if you’re on Facebook or Twitter, with Digsby you won’t have to login to each site just to check for updates. Right now, Digsby is only available for Windows users but don’t fret Mac and Linux users, because the developers of Digsby are working on Mac and Linux versions which will be released soon. You can sign up here so that you’ll be notified once these versions become available.

Do you use a multi protocol IM client? What particular IM clients are you using or have tried using before? For those who are using or have tried Digsby, how do you like it so far? Please share your thoughts.

*images taken from Digsby

This is another funny email I recently received. Just wanna share it with you guys.

Life is tough…

1. Recently, when I went to McDonald’s I saw on the menu that you could have an order of 6, 9 or 12 Chicken McNuggets. I asked for a half dozen nuggets. “We don’t have half dozen nuggets,” said the teenager at the counter. “You don’t?” I replied. “We only have six, nine, or twelve,” was the reply. “So I can’t order a half dozen nuggets, but I can order six?” “That’s right.” So I shook my head and ordered six McNugget.

2. I was checking out at the local Wal-Mart with just a few items and the lady behind me put her things on the belt close to mine. I picked up one of those “dividers” that they keep by the cash register and placed it between our things so they wouldn’t get mixed. After the girl had scanned all of my items, she picked up the “divider”, looking it all over for the bar code so she could scan it. Not finding the bar code she said to me, “Do you know how much this is?” I said to her “I’ve changed my mind, I don’t think I’ll buy that today.” She said “OK,” and I paid her for the things and left. She had no clue to what had just happened.

3. A lady at work was seen putting a credit card into her floppy drive and pulling it out very quickly. When I inquired as to what she was doing, she said she was shopping on the Internet and they kept asking for a credit card number, so she was using the ATM “thingy.”

4. I recently saw a distraught young lady weeping beside her car. “Do you need some help?” I asked. She replied, “I knew I should have replaced the battery to this remote door unlocker. Now I can’t get into my car. Do you think they (pointing to a distant convenience store) would have a battery to fit this?” “Hmmm, I dunno. Do you have an alarm, too?” I asked. “No, just this remote thingy,” she answered, handing it and the car keys to me. As I took the key and manually unlocked the door, I replied, “Why don’t you drive over there and check about the batteries. It’s a long walk.”
;
5. Several years ago, we had an Intern who was none too swift. One day she was typing and turned to a secretary and said, “I’m almost out of typing paper. What do I do?” “Just use copier machine paper,” the secretary told her. With that, the intern took her last remaining blank piece of paper, put it on the photocopier and proceeded to make five “blank” copies.

6. A mother calls 911 very worried asking the dispatcher if she needs to take her kid to the emergency room, the kid was eating ants. The dispatcher tells her to give the kid some Benadryl and should be fine, the mother says, I just gave him some ant killer….. Dispatcher: Rush him in to&nb sp; emergency!

IDIOTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD:
I live in a semi-rural area. We recently had a new neighbor call the local township administrative office to request the removal of the Deer Crossing sign on our road. The reason: “too many deer were being hit by cars” and he didn’t want them to cross there anymore. This one was from Kingman, KS.

IDIOT SIGHTING:
1. I was at the airport, checking in at the gate when an airport employee asked, “Has anyone put anything in your baggage without your knowledge?” To which I re plied, “If it was without my knowledge, how would I know?” He ! sm iled knowingly and nodded, “That’s why we ask.” Happened in Birmingham, Ala.

2. The stoplight on the corner buzzes when it’s safe to cross the street. I was crossing with an intellectually challenged coworker of mine when she asked if I knew what the buzzer was for. I explained that it signals blind people when the light is red. Appalled, she responded, “What on earth are blind people doing driving?!” She was a probation officer in Wichita, KS

3. At a good-bye luncheon for an old and dear coworker who was leaving the company due to “downsizing, ” our manager commented cheerfully, “this is fun. We should do this more often.” Not a word was spoken. We all just looked at each other with that deer-in-the- headlights stare. This was a bunch at Tex as Instruments.

4. I work with an individual who plugged her power strip back into itself and for the life of her couldn’t understand why her system would not turn on. A deputy with the Dallas County Sheriff’s office no less.

5. When my husband and I arrived at an automobile dealership to pick up our car, we were told the keys had been locked in it. We went to the service department and found a mechanic working feverishly to unlock the driver’s side door. As I watched from the passenger side, I instinctively tried the door handle and discovered that it was unlocked. “Hey! ,” I announced to the technician, “it’s open!” To which he replied, “I know I already got that side .” This was at the Ford dealership in Canton, Mississippi!

Life is tough…it’s tougher if you’re intellectually challenged. I don’t wanna use the S word. It’s kinda harsh. Hehe

Heavenly Father, Help us remember that the jerk who cut us off in traffic last night is a single mother who worked nine hours that day and is rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework, do the laundry and spend a few precious moments with her children.

Help us to remember that the pierced, tattooed, disinterested young man who can’t make change correctly is a worried 19-year-old college student, balancing his apprehension over final exams with his fear of not getting his student loans for next semester.

Remind us, Lord, that the scary looking bum, begging for money in the same spot every day (who really ought to get a job!) is a slave to addictions that we can only imagine in our worst nightmares.

Help us to remember that the old couple walking annoyingly slow through the store aisles and blocking our shopping progress are savoring this moment , knowing that, based on the biopsy report she got back last week, this will be the last year that they go shopping together.

Heavenly Father, remind us each day that, of all the gifts you give us, the greatest gift is love. It is not enough to share that love with those we hold dear. Open our hearts not to just those who are close to us, but to all humanity. Let us be slow to judge and quick to forgive, show patience, empathy and love.

Author Unknown