I like the idea of using social networking sites, as they have been helpful for my new Internet design business. But I want something that works better with my mobile lifestyle. Any suggestions?
–D. Allen, Los Angeles, CA
Good question. While social networking sites exploded last year (MySpace went corporate with a News Corp. purchase, and Microsoft discovered Facebook, investing $240 million in the company), folks are discovering that fewer is often better–friends, that is. My current “dig†is a tool called BluePulse, which takes social networking mobile. I came across it while attending a mobile conference and loved the idea of communicating with only my close contacts while on the go. Sort of a “top friends†on the go, it allows me to be selective about whom I consider friends (or significant professional contacts) versus acquaintances or social networking site trollers looking to beef up their contact lists. A free service, BluePulse works with most browser-enabled phones. To get started, you simply call up your phone’s browser, sign on to BluePulse, and tell your friends. You can “tag†yourself to be visible, or choose not to be listed in a public directory. It’s all up to you. Keep in mind, though, that although BluePulse is free, your carrier might impose Internet connection fees (which vary with each provider). For entrepreneurs or small business owners, it might make sense to purchase a data package