So Social networking apps and services are maturing and proliferating at the speed of light. The new kid on the block, from Kevin Rose of Digg fame, Pownce has some promising features and for an alpha product is getting some great press (billed the "next" Twitter killer). As in the early days of Gmail Pownce is providing new accounts by invite only right now and as a result you find craziness like invites being bid on at eBay. I'd hold on this - Pownce is no Gmail.
Thanks to Tim, though, I've been checking out Pownce tonight and I'm initially impressed with features like file sharing, links, and shared event calendars: none of which Twitter provides - "yet". Pownce also has a simpler reply and directed post implementation and larger message size. The Twitter implementation, however, still provides something that's key in my mind to this type of networking - the ability to post via text message (mobile integration). There's something to be said about micro-posting while at an event, some landmark or simply while not at a computer. I'll be interested to see how the Pownce-Facebook application and Twitter mashups will play in proliferation: integrated experience is important.
Hold the presses
With facebook's implementation of mobile text posting recently and with facebook clients emerging (nothing too exciting yet) Pownce and Twitter may already be "running on fumes". I'd be interested to hear what others opinions are on this.
The Mothership's Live groups (Messenger, Hotmail, Groups and Spaces) need to take note. It's crazy to me how disjointed these offerings still are. It'd take me a lot (no a lot) to give up on Live Messenger but I'd really like it to be my one client for IM, micro-posting (public and targeted), contacts, calendars and an access point into things like facebook status, pokes, ya-da-ya-da...
It'll be interesting to see how the social networking landscape looks in 6 months/year.
Pownce Invites
So I have 6 Pownce invites - if you want one contact me. I'll send them to the first 6 that request them: if you don't get a reply/invite assume they're gone. Please do comment to this post if you'd like but (heads-up) I won't be monitoring comments for the invite requests.