'Flock' and 'Yoono' Track Social Networks All in One Place

As social networks spread and are used endlessly, it has become more and more time-consuming to track one's activities on Facebook, Twitter, etc. Recently, two tools have been offered that help track social networks right on one's Web browser user interface. Flock (beta.flock.com) is one such program, and Yoono (yoono.com) is another.

Flock works on a Windows platform (with a Mac version due soon) and is actually its own browser, while Yoono operates as a browser add-on and is optimal for Firefox and Chrome platforms. Both programs notify the user of social media updates in one location. For example, if a user's friend posts an update to Twitter and then publishes a photo on Flickr, the Flock and Yoono tools will notify the user of this friend's activities within a single browser. If the user decides to post an update, this post can be populated on several social networks simultaneously by using Flock and/or Yoono.

Both Flock and Yoono are still in their beta testing phases, meaning that their final released versions could be different than expected. This may be a good thing, since the programs do have some disadvantages. To begin with, neither program provides pop-up notifications of friends' activities, which is a useful feature in the case of networks such as Facebook or e-mail programs such as Microsoft Outlook. This means that users must have each program's preferred browser open and running in order to see updates. Likewise, because Flock is its own browser, this is problematic for users who prefer to use other browsers.

There are advantages to the social media tracking tools as well. The user can set up a Flock account, which allows him or her to open up and use the program from any PC thereafter. Flock also permits the user to drag and drop names from various social media lists and create groups in one place. A drop-down menu on Flock's top panel allows the user to choose which group's information is displayed on the screen. After typing a status update into the side panel of the program or clicking on a "Talk" icon, one can share information and comments with a social network.

Sharing of information, comments, and status updates on Yoono is performed by clicking on a green icon that allows one to share items such as "This Page". Yoono announces status updates of friends with a yellow highlight that disappears after several seconds. Yoono also attempts to consolidate social network information so that it displays on one page. For example, comments, videos, and photos posted via Twitter are all displayed as links and thumbnails on Yoono's side panel.

While not everyone will want his or her web browsing to be interrupted by social network updates and information, tools such as Flock and Yoono are useful for those individuals who repeatedly check different social networks and are looking to save time on these activities.

http://beta.flock.com/
http://yoono.com/