OStatic

Reduce, reuse, recycle. It's not just good for the environment, it's also good for open source. In that spirit, open source developers looking to tap into microblogging services can reduce redundancy by reusing the new D-Bus library, Microfeed. The idea is that client applications can focus on the user interface and use Microfeed to fetch and update feeds. The Microfeed library takes care of the backend cruft and developers can focus on differentiating on the front end.

In a post yesterday, I made the point that proprietary software applications are benefitting greatly from building on top of open source components. This is a beneficial trend that is largely missed by those who see open source as threatening to collapse proprietary software pricing models. In the blogosphere today, there is much hubbub over rumors that Google is about to buy Twitter. Without a doubt, Twitter has become a social phenomenon (many celebrities use it, in addition to nearly everyone else), and the company has already been offered hundreds of millions of dollars for an acquisition before. But did you know that Twitter is based largely on open source components?

In the past ten months, I've become hopelessly addicted to micro-blogging. It's not solely because I like the sound of my own keyboard clacking -- it's a quick, easy way to stay connected and informed. Like countless others, I started with the ubiquitous Twitter service, but have recently found myself using Identi.ca, based on the open source platform Laconi.ca, more often.

The world of micro-blogging isn't confined to two or three services, of course. Remember Jaiku? Jaiku, after it was purchased by Google in 2007, fell relatively silent. Late last summer, the service was again offered to the general public through an unlimited number of invitations. In January, Google announced it was shutting down Jaiku (and a few other services) without much explanation.

ReadWriteWeb directs our attention to an announcement posted on Jaiku's Jaikido blog stating that Jaiku is now running on Google's App Engine, and that its code base, now known as JaikuEngine, has been open sourced under the Apache license 2.0.

What does this mean for Jaiku, open micro-blogging platforms, and Twitter?

There are some phrases that come up repeatedly, especially in one's professional life: It's all about who you know. I need to put in some face time. Focus on developing your networking skills.

Traditionally these sorts of things were said in relation to attending conferences and conventions -- live and in-person. Now, however, it's more common to meet and collaborate with others online. Meet the social networking services, which, as the name implies, are as much social as work related. Just like face-to-face conventions, social networks unite people to collaborate on and discuss ideas, and, at least occasionally, goof off.

Whether you're using your social networking time for honest to goodness work, or as a diversion cleverly disguised as work, it's good to use it effectively. You'll end up getting your work done faster, or at least pack as much playtime into your day as possible.

Using this time effectively (for whatever reason) is difficult due to the sheer number of networking services. Linux users have a native gem for keeping on top of it all -- Gwibber.

Of the many social networking and microblogging tools available, Twitter is the application that gets the most warm and fuzzy comments whenever I talk to people about it. Recently, Network World reported on 12 CIOs Who Twitter, and now it is out with its list of 12 Open Source Movers and Shakers Who Twitter. While some high-profile folks in the open source community tweet on a protected basis, many others tweet in public. You can easily follow their musings.

Earlier today, we reported on new financing for Indenti.ca, an open source variant on Twitter's microblogging service. Google has its own alternative to Twitter, Jaiku, which it acquired in October of 2007. It hasn't gone far on its own, but Google has just announced that it will no longer actively develop the Jaiku codebase and will open source it.? With the open source Jaiku Engine project, organizations, groups and individuals will be able to roll their own microblogging services and deploy them on Google App Engine, according to Google's post.

Identi.ca?s open source alternative to Twitter got a vote of confidence this week with an investment from the VCs at Montreal Start Up, reports Alistair Croll on GigaOm. While the amount of the financing wasn?t disclosed, Montreal Start Up Managing Partner John Stokes said the firm invests between C$150,000 ($120,135) and C$400,000 ($320,329) per deal, he says. Identi.ca's APIs are Twitter-compatible, and we reported on many of its advantages the other day, here. Check the GigaOm story for thoughts on how Identi.ca has an open source platform on which to build.

When I began using Twitter earlier last year, I'm not sure that I was aware of its open source competitor, Identi.ca, or its relationship to Laconica.

While Twitter has had its share of knocks, from outtages to phishing attacks, I've not been personally affected. Microblogging has been more of a diversion than a tool (though this isn't always the case), Twitter is ubiquitous, and I simply used it.

I'm not sure what made me take Identi.ca for a test drive, or look further at what Laconica can offer open blogging standards and social networks as a whole. The open nature and standards have the needle spiking wildly on my geek-meter, and a lot of that spiking can be directly attributed to the way these services benefit everyone -- whether they be a tech enthusiast, or slightly less tech averse than a Luddite.