I’ve just discovered a new tool for Instant Messaging. This is a little bit different if you’re used to corporate IM or web based IRC. You don’t need to work at the same company or be online on MSN Messenger or Yahoo! messenger. This IM chat works and lets your Twitter followers chat to you.
its called Nurph. Here’s a screenshot
Information is picked up from Twitter – which uses OAuth to get your credentials. If you shut the window down, you’ll need to use OAuth again. I like this. I’m more confident that the app isn’t using my data for other means…
To talk to someone – just type their name ad hit GO..
Now there’s a fair few limitations to Nurph at the moment which Neil assures me he’s working on – but some of these are:
- An invite button next to the Go button – so I don’t need to leave the web page and go back to Twitter to organise a chat
- A list of people I follow who are already online so I can invoke a chat conversation
- Threaded conversation – for busy chatting sessions
- Pause button – when there’s a huge amount of chatter and you need to respond to questions
- Sidebar gadget for Vista / Win 7
Downsides:
- You can’t lurk in a chat
- You can’t stumble on chats
- You need to organise chats.
Apart from that I think there’s some potential here – for some community chatting and connecting to people for one off IM conversations outside of the 140 character limit that Twitter imposes on you.
I’ll be playing with it over the next few days – so if you find me online – stop by at my channel http://nurph.com/eileenb and say hi…
Eileen's Digital Technology 