Recently, I wrote about Blackberry BlackBerry Messenger As A Social Network.

One of the responses that I got to that article was from a gentleman who referred to BBM as the 3rd social network after Facebook and Twitter. he also added that he did more social networking via BBM than via the fore-mentioned two.

In addition, we now have an active Mobility blog BBM Group with 21 members. That number was achieved within four (4) days.

Recently, I found the display picture of one of my BBM contacts to my liking, but I didn’t feel like saying anything though I really wanted to appreciate it in some way. I found myself wishing for a “Like” button similar to what obtains on Facebook. That way, a user can like a Display Picture or Personal Message belonging to any BBM contact.

Any others?

It is possible that BBM can be further enhanced as a social network. Do you have any other ideas?

PS: In the meantime, if you want to hookup on BBM, here’s my PIN: 285A12BB (PIN no longer valid).

There is a growing trend of BlackBerry users now publicly sharing their Messenger PIN. Individuals are doing it. Businesses and government offices are doing it.

It is amazing, really. With nothing other than a PIN, any Blackberry user can connect with any other anywhere in the world.

Non-BlackBerry fans may not get why BBM is popular in certain circles. In my opinion, it may be restricted, but it is not a fad. It is a powerful tool – a powerful social networking tool.

Social?

Mobile and web statistics for Africa, nay Nigeria, give a pointer. Web usage in Africa is predominantly social – Facebook, Twitter, et al.

Mobile internet usage paints the same picture. Web usage here is predominantly social. So, drop an easy-to-use service like BBM on a mobile with an excellent keyboard, and the result is what we have with users getting near addicted.

There are those who say that BlackBerry is only about “pinging”. While this is not true, even if it were, it would be good enough. People love connecting. Simple.

BlackBerry may not be the world’s most vibrant mobile brand, but it sure connects people in a way no other brand does at the moment.

Of course, like every other platform, it is not for everyone, so no worries if this doesn’t float your boat.

Connect With Me on BBM

If you do own a BlackBerry smartphone and would love to connect with Mister Mobility on BlackBerry Messenger, regardless of where you are on the planet, here is my PIN: 285A12BB (PIN no longer valid). Let’s hook up!

Yes; I finally got to the point where I am convinced that BBM can be used for more than just private socialising.

Comments please!

Social networking is the buzz these days. It’s what powers a huge chunk of Internet usage today – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Skype, et al. Yes; one big global village.

If social networking is your thing, you’d be wondering if the N9 cuts it, especially considering the dearth of 3rd party apps for the MeeGo platform.

One outstanding trait of the N9 is that it comes with built-in support for almost every social networking service on the planet. Here’s the list:

1. Facebook
2. Twitter
3. LinkedIn
4. Skype
5. Flickr
6. Picasa
7. YouTube
8. SIP

If you used it’s older cousin, the N900, you will remember how tightly integrated some of these services were on Maemo. Well, it’s just as good here.

When you create an account for any of the above services, your contacts on each service are integrated into your contacts and call menu on the N9.

It’s all so nifty and convenient. Still, we must take a closer look at the most popular services, Facebook and Twitter.

Facebook

The built-in Facebook app is quite good. You get your notifications, news feed, profile, friends, messages, events, photos, and chat.

You are able to accept friend requests, search your friends list, access friends’ info, wall and photos. It’s the complete experience minus a mundane thing like pokes.

Twitter

If you have used Twitter on web or mobile, and are comfortable with the features, you will be okay with the built-in Twitter client on the N9.

It lacks the more advanced features of lots of other mobile Twitter apps, but it’s fully Twitter. There’s your Twitter Line, mentions, direct messages, search, and you can reply, retweet and favourite tweets.

It also let’s you view profiles, including yours. Plus, you can edit your own profile. You are able to follow and unfollow as well. And should some pesky spammers hit you, the ability to block an individual is there too.

Homescreen Feeds

Your Facebook and Twitter feeds can be configured for display on the N9′s notification screen, such that you can follow what’s going on on both services in one place. Tap on an item and the respective application launches for you to interact.

Others

There is also a built-in Skype application and your Skype contacts are also integrated into your Contacts. You can send messages and chat via Skype, as well as make Skype calls.

Flickr and Picasa integration allows you to upload your pictures right from inside the Gallery. Video uploading is also possible via Facebook, Flickr, and Youtube from inside the Video app – so long as you have signed in to those services.

Conclusions

All in all, social networking integration on the N9 is quite good and tight. The basics are covered very well. Staying connected with your online communities with the N9 is a cinch.

Around the beginning of this year, a sudden hype about Blackberry smartphones hit Nigeria and almost every young adult that I knew had plans to get one.

The rush for it was big as big could get. I remember reading a story online a while back concerning a girl that used her tuition fee to get a Blackberry phone.

However, is it possible that many people who went for the Blackberry at the peak of its fame/rush in Nigeria are now slowly but gradually having the scales removed from their eyes?

Why do I ask? Here are a few factors that I am looking at:

1. Internet/BIS
2. Messaging/E-mails/Social Networking
3. Social Status/Class/Efizzy
4. Some Gaming
5. Business/Enterprise

Pardon me if I got anything wrong on my list up there but those are the major reasons that I see as to why people, especially Nigerians, get Blackberry phones. However, it seems that a lot of Blackberry users have ended up disappointed and disgruntled.

The reasons for their disappointments? Here is a breakdown:

1. Internet/BIS – It is a known fact among BB users that the mobile network operators in this country do not offer good blackberry services but still market them anyways. Who gets hit by this? – you guessed right, the Blackberry owner.
2. Social Status/Class/Efizzy: I think the hype over BB has decreased compared to 4-5 months ago when carrying a Blackberry device auto-magically gave you “class”, even if you didn’t subscribe to the service. Do not get me wrong, it still has an aura of class associated with it but not as huge as before.

   Bear in mind too that with the advent of low-cost blackberry devices, the class thing has been diluted.There are now different classes awarded to people using different models of the phone e.g. Curve (8520) owners don’t get the same level of social respect as someone using a Torch (9800).

3. Some Gaming – Most people that got Blackberry devices thought that they could eat their cake or berry in this case and still have it. However, they woke up to the sad realization that BB was not the most gaming-friendly platform and that games that could be deemed decent were far too expensive for their pockets.

This is my opinion as to why I think that the hype around Blackberry devices is dying down. It may not be the most complete synopsis of the situation, but I would love to hear thoughts, opinions and ideas in the comments.

You must be aware of the big battle going on between Facebook and Google’s new G+ (Google plus). I have heard so many speculations, especially from Facebook addicts, that Google cannot shake Facebook in any way. However, the reverse may very well be the case.

As of today, Facebook is doing all they can to avoid obscurity. As a result of this, there have been numerous updates to the FB platform recently. So, many new features have been added to Facebook within the last few days. It is worthy of note that these features are actually “Twitter-like” and “G+ like”, if you understand what I mean.

Yesterday, I stumbled on Mark Zuckerberg’s (the founder of Facebook) Facebook page and I noticed his last post (posted on Sunday) “Getting ready for f8 — at Facebook HQ.”

I took some time to check the comments and I spotted one major point. Check it out on the screenshot below:

Taking a look at how many people like the comment (1,258 likes), it’s obvious that the guy is making a point that Facebook probably isn’t aware of. Friends, my point of view is that facebook is releasing too many new features at a time in response to the arrival of G+.

Facebook needs to consider the effects this has on it’s users. I know many people who are still finding it very difficult to work with the current features. I have lost count of how many times I have been called upon to perform certain FB tasks for numerous people. Ny concern is how these set of people will be able to adapt to the new features being rolled out everyday.

I almost got confused yesterday when I opened my FB profile in a browser. So many things have changed. Features like the new side bar notifications which displays all the actions of your friends in real-time, the removal of the status update box from the News Feed, and many others. I am not in any way saying that these new features are not good. My concern is just how users respond to the sudden flood of changes.

I am still expecting more features to be rolled out from Facebook in the coming days (like the new buttons and others). In my opinion, the new features will retain facebook as the top Social Networking site if and only if they:

• are simpler to use than before.
• promote the users’ objective of connectivity.
• don’t make Facebook kind of complicated and too chocked for simple users to understand.

Those are key things that I think Mark and the FB team need to consider before rolling out more.

If you have seen the newly added features on Facebook, what do you feel about them? If you haven’t, why not check them out? This weekend, I’ll be on the street and one of my missions is to sample people’s opinion about FB and G+. Stay tuned.

Google’s new social networking site, Google+ (GooglePlus), has finally been opened up to the public. G+ has been on a field test for the past 12 weeks, and was accessible only via invites from existing members.

The official launch anouncement was made today on the Official G+ blog. As such, anyone can now register for a Google+ account by visiting plus.google.com to signup.

Also, for those already on Google+, there’s now a search tab. I once looked out for this feature, but it was missing then. But now, you can search for people you want to connect with. This feature also allows you to save your searches. On the screenshot, you can see a saved search for “Larry Page” just below the “Left Stream Navigation”. The screenshot is a search for Mobility blog.

I was also successful in creating a  Google+ profile for VDrive Technologies without an invite and it was  successful.

Want Google+ for mobile?

Don’t forget that Google+ is also available on mobile. Simply visit this URL in your phone’s browser: m.google.com/plus.

Today, Chris Chabot of Google Inc announced the launch of the latest Social Networking platform’s API (Google+). According to him, “this initial API release is focused on public data only— it lets you read information that people have shared publicly on Google+.”

He further stated that they followed the best practices in initiating the platform’s API. He highlighted the following points:

• Our API methods are RESTful HTTP requests which return JSON responses.
• Our payload formats use standard syntax (e.g. PoCo for people info, ActivityStrea.ms for activities).
• We use OAuth 2 for secure trusted access to user data.

fMobi, the popular Facebook app for Symbian devices, has been updated to v1.4. The app is now available in the Ovi Store for a modest fee of US $1.59. I think its worth the price too, so get out your Master/VISA cards and support the developer.

Download for Symbian^3 / Anna / Belle (v1.4)

You can download an unsigned limited time version for free.

LinkedIn is an online social network for professionals to connect, network and exchange information. A mobile app for the Symbian^3 platform was recently released.

The LinkedIn application for Symbian is a Qt job that is fluid and intuitive. With apps like LinkedIn for Symbian, the power of Qt is being demonstrated.

Overview
The LinkedIn application gives users access to vieww updates to their networks, send and receive messages, search LinkedIn, and receive notifications, among others.

The user’s personal profile is displayed on a narrow horizontal strip at the bottom of the main page of the app.

The screenshot below shows the status update menu that allows the user to post status updates, with the option to select visibility, as well as the choice to post same to Twitter.

The screenshot below is the new message menu. You can send a message to any of your connections on the LinkedIn network.

LinkedIn app for Symbian works very well, and I am yet to experience one single issue with it. of course, since I have not used LinkedIn on any other smartphone platform, it is difficult to compare how it measures up with those. In my opinion, though, this one is a job well done.

So far, whether it is inviting others to connect, responding to invitations, and generally engaging the LikedIn network while away from my desk, the LinkedIn app for Symbian does a good job.

Are you on LinkedIn? Do you use a mobile app for interacting with the service? What are your thoughts?

Airtel Nigeria have introduced two new bundle plans for BlackBerry smartphones at lower cost than the standard BIS (BlackBerry Internet Service) plan.

Dubbed Social and Messaging respectively, each bundle costs N1,580 monthly but do not give subscribers access to web browsing on their devices, in addition to other distinct limitations. Here are the services available on each bundle.

Social

• Access to Google Talk, Yahoo Messenger, Twitter, Facebook
• Access to BB Messenger
• 20 free SMS
• No access to email and web browsing
• Cost: N1,580 monthly
• To subscribe: text “social month” to 440

Messaging

• Access to ten (10) email accounts, including option of a personalised email account
• Access to BB Messenger
• 20 free SMS
• No access to social networks and web browsing
• Cost: N1,580 monthly
• To subscribe: text “messagemonth” to 440

These bundles can be used on any BlackBerry device. Both of the above bundles also have options to pay daily and weekly as presented in the table below:

Free 30-day Trial
Airtel Nigeria is offering a free trial for 30 days, at the end of which a subscriber is free to choose which of these bundles

The Mobility Nigeria website was recently upgraded to include social networking features. Social networking is available only on the desktop version of the site.

Update (15th may 2011) – Social networking is now available on the mobile version of Mobility Nigeria too. Simply point your mobile browser to mobility.com.ng as usual and look for the “Latest Activity” link, or click on the username of any registered member. Don’t forget that you have to be logged in to have access to Social Networking.

Registered users can:

• Update their profile
• View profiles of other users
• View recent activities of other users
• Add Friends
• Mention specific User
• Send Private Messages
• Create and join groups e.g. create and promote an Android users group

Comments posted by a user are displayed as status messages. Other users can reply to those comments directly, or mark them as favourites. It is the whole works.

An Example
The profile of the user, Shayman can be found at http://mobility.com.ng/members/shayman/. You can also access any registered user’s profile by clicking on their name in comments submitted by them.

Here’s a screenshot of shayman’s profile:

So, give it a go. Connect. You have mutual interests already – mobile and technology in general. Network, share more and engage more. We welcome your questions and contributions.

PS: If you are not yet a registered member on Mobility Nigeria, this is a good time to go register.

Call me old school, but I will always cherish and value connecting with people physically. I doubt if I’ll ever be able to allow social networking erode my need to have a relationship that involves eye contact, personal, one-on-one communication with those that are dear to me. I will always cherish seeing their facial expressions as they react to things I say, as opposed to an emoticon mimmicking the real thing. I will always prefer hearing them laugh to seeing abbreviations like LOL and LWKMD on my screen.

You see, I grew up at a time when the Internet didn’t exist. That was a time when there was no email, chat, Facebook, Twitter and all the other social networking tools you can think of today. At that time, even the mobile phone that has helped in spreading and giving social networking a wider reach wasn’t available. That was a period when friendship was really valued (this of course is my personal opinion of that time and period). And that is why I will always keep social networking in its place.

For me, social networking is supposed to help me keep in touch with the people I care about when they are not near me. It should help bridge the distance between people, but not replace the need for real physical interactions. However, the trend that I see today, especially among younger people is that they prefer to social network than actually enjoy the physical presence of a friend.

This fact came home to me recently as I sat having a meal at a popular eatery in Lagos. The table adjacent the one I was sitting had four lady friends hanging out. However, for the period of about 30 minutes of watching them, not one of them spoke one word to another. They all had a Blackberry phone each, and instead of enjoying each other’s presence, they were all busy tapping away at their phones. I had to wonder what the point of their hanging out was.

Do you still physically hangout with your friends? When you do, do you really hang out or are you so taken over by the mobile rave that your being together actually becomes pointless?