[NOTE: click on the images to see more detail.]
With the upgrade of the ACS Network last month, we gained the ability to microblog.
What is a microblog, you ask? Microblog is a short little blurb which a user writes to say what they are doing or something they have seen and want to share with others. Examples of microblogging are Twitter and the Facebook status.
How do I microblog on the ACS Network?
Like Facebook, the microblog is part of your status. You can access your status in one of two ways.
1. Click on your name and go to your profile. Beneath your name is a line of text which is your status. Click on Update.
2. In the New and Your Stuff Pulldowns, there is an entry called "Updates".
Clicking on Updates under New to enter a microblog.
When you choose to update your status update, you get the update box.
In addition to adding text, you will notice two icons at the bottom. The camera indicates that you can enter an image -- a picture or graphic that you want to share. The other icon, the "@" allows you to insert a link to a piece of content, a person, or a place that exists in the Network. Just start typing what you want to link to, and it will probably appear in the list below. Note, that if you are using multiple words, link them with the underscore. For example, type in ACS_Meetings to see the ACS Meetings forum.
Where can I see other users' microblog (status updates)?
There are multiple places you can view a user's status update.
- You can view the text of a microblog by looking at a person's profile. You can either go to their profile, or hover over their name next to a post, and you can see what they have posted.
- To see the update more completely, i.e. including links or pictures they have posted, you will need to look at that User's updates under their stuff
- On forum and group pages, a widget exists that shows user activity. There is currently one on the home page entitled What Users Are Doing, which shows anything a user posts, including their status update or other content.
Remember you can personalize the ACS Network (your view). If you do this, you can show what other users are doing and filter these posts by friends or mentions (i.e. posts in which you are mentioned) or you can choose to view only or no status updates.
Status updates are evolving and will become an important way for users to share information. Look for my next post on how we can use Twitter in the ACS Network.
As always, if you have questions or comments, please feel free to post them here.