Managing Social Media and Developing Apps
Lately, I’ve been testing out various Twitter services and applications. For those who don’t know, it is useful to know that these applications are dealing with databases that manage and serve information.
With online user applications, the simple streamlined interface is a sought after commodity. People are more likely to use something that is easy to learn, and is useful or entertaining in their lives. For the most part, as we’ve developed web technology, the aim has been to simplify significantly for the easiest user experience. As web technology and services advance, however, so do the users and levels of users.
Is it an App or a Website?
As with most things, the UI is usually designed more like a website page than an app. When I think of apps, I think of efficient tools. I’m seeing a lot of good things everywhere of course, but this one simple concept of managing database information quickly and efficiently gets swept into an idea born from the visual expectation of a web page. In other words, I’m saying give the ability to update records in bulk versus one at a time when creating these external toolsets. It’s the backend processing that would simply need adjusting to auto-schedule bulk updates into a stream, versus the abusive look of 20 tweets popping into a stream in the same minute.
What about abuse?
Feedback loops already in place help to weed out abusers and in social media, we need to self-police. That means we all are participating in this role of reporting the abusers. As with anything, there is a certain level of self-promotion that is a significant and important element of social media. We all want to be seen, heard, and to be known by others. In turn, we do the same as we are curious too of others.
Are there savings to be realized?
I can imagine, that were I presented with the full page of data as most apps currently serve the information, were I able to update each of the 10 to 20 records presented all at once before pressing the Submit, Send, or Save button, that there would be savings enjoyed.
Each button pressed on a web page sends information across the web. Each request returns new fresh results that are then updated on the web page. Pressing that button once to update the information presented, versus the 10 to 20 as I update each individually, and I would think that the load on the Internet Traffic would be reduced somewhat, as would the load on the server processing the requests.
I know without a doubt, that as the user experiencing this shift in updating information presented, that the savings in time would allow me to accomplish more, to engage more, and to create more.