CrunchBang: A Lightweight OS Perfect For Old And New Computers Alike

Bloated operating systems bogging your system down? Is waiting for software to load on an older computer ruining your entire freaking life? Try something lightweight. Crunchbang is a minimalist OS built on Debian Linux, but don’t worry if you don’t know what any of those words mean – it’s also easy to use and runs well even on older computers.

The Crunchbang OS has been around for a long time, and it’s always stuck to its mission: offering a lightweight operating system based on Openbox. If you’re a fan of widgets, docks and shiny things you might want to look elsewhere – by default this OS is more striaght-forward than that. If you want an operating system that thinks you know what you’re doing, and doesn’t waste resources, I recommend Crunchbang (sometimes written as “#!”).

Previously based on Ubuntu, these days the Crunchbang OS is based on Debian (which Ubuntu itself is also based on). Again, don’t worry if that confuses you: the system itself is straight-forward to use and fun to explore.

Simplicity and Speed

Start up CrunchBang and you’ll basically see a blank canvas. There’s no start menu – we’ll get to that. There’s a taskbar at the top of the screen, complete with clock and icons. And there’s also a list of keyboard shortcuts, courtesy of Conky.

(The Super key, if you didn’t know, is Linux-speak for the Windows key on most keyboards).

Use these shortcuts to quickly load a web browser, media player or the Terminal. Or, if you’d rather start exploring, right-click anywhere on the desktop (or press Super + Space) to bring up the main menu:

You’ll find a variety of programs here for getting work done – more on that later. You’ll also find quick links for installing software not included with CrunchBang, like Chrome and LibreOffice. Again, more on that later.

The browser included is called IceWeasel, but don’t panic: it’s basically Firefox. Debian doesn’t included Firefox by default, because Firefox itself includes some things (mostly the name and the logo) that are not technically open source. It’s a long story.

So you’ll be able to browse the web as you like.

Don’t like the way the menu is arranged, or how the various keyboard shortcuts work? For me, this is where things get fun. Linux distros used to reward exploration, and part of the fun was exploring and seeing what was possible. Go through the settings and you’ll find tools for changing all of these things, and if you don’t you can always explore the Crunchbang Forums.

List of Software Included With CrunchBang OS

Explore the menu and you’ll find programs for everything from word processing to microblogging – all of which are lightweight and run well on older computers. Here are the highlights in one list:

• Catfish File Search


• Archive Manager


• Geany Text Editor


• Terminator Terminal


• Thunar File Manager


• GIMP image editor


• Viewnior Image Viewer


• Screenshot tools


• VLC media player


• Volume control


• Xfburn CD/DVD Burning Tool


• Iceweasel Browser (Firefox without the branding, for legal reasons)


• gFTP Client


• Transmission BitTorrent Client


• XChat IRC Client


• Heybuddy Microblogging Client


• AbiWord Word Processor


• Gnumeric Spreadsheet


• Evince PDF viewer


• Calculator


• GParted partition editor

These are only the default apps: you’ll find links for installing software like Google Chrome, Libre Office or Dropbox in the menus, and you can also browse or search the entire Debian repositories thanks to Synaptic. Or, if you prefer the command line, you can install anything you like using apt-get:

Download Crunchbang

Ready to get started with Crunchbang? You can head to Crunchbang.org and download an ISO file, which you can burn to a CD or boot from a USB disk using software like LiveUSB or uNetBootin. There are two versions offered: a year-old stable version, and an unstable version based on the current version of Debian. Both worked quite well for me in testing – which makes sense because, as of this writing, Debian’s unstable branch is quite far along.

Of course, Crunchbang isn’t the only Lightweight linux distribution out there: there are many. But if you’re looking for some polish, but also very lightweight, it’s one of the best.

But I want to know what you think: is CrunchBang a good lightweight distro for your personal use? If not, what will you be using? Let me know below, okay?

The post CrunchBang: A Lightweight OS Perfect For Old And New Computers Alike appeared first on MakeUseOf.

Google Babel in Gmail

As Droid Life previously reported, Google already tests Babel, an unified messaging service that combines Google Talk, Gmail Chat, Google+ Messenger. There's a Gmail page that mentions "dogfooding Babel in Gmail" and it's supposed to be available only to Google employees.

"Upgrade Chat to Babel! Babel is Google's new messenger with clients for Android, iOS, Chrome, Google+ and Gmail. Access the same conversation list from anywhere!" That's how Google describes the new service.



"Some of the new features:



* A new, conversation-based UI

* Advanced group conversations

* Send pictures

* Improved notifications across devices."



It looks like you can go back to the Gmail Chat interface: "You're about to revert the Babel chat client to the old Gmail chat client. You can always opt in back from the chat roster menu."



Here's a screenshot (it's this image):

{ Thanks, Florian. }

Extreme Sports Revealed With Amazing GoPro Videos

GoPro cameras are designed to be worn or held while doing adventurous activities. They’re tough and waterproof, meaning they can survive along with you (hopefully) whether you’re jumping out of a plane, diving in the ocean, or competing in any of the extreme sports that adrenaline junkies the world over are increasingly participating.

For those of us less inclined to throw ourselves into the path of danger, GoPro cameras offer a chance to see these activities from the perspective of those involved. What follows are 10 channels, across both YouTube and Vimeo, dedicated to showing off GoPro action videos.

NB: This isn’t a sponsored post, and similar cameras are available from other manufacturers.

GoPro HD

This is the most popular (by number of followers) GoPro video channel on Vimeo, and it’s easy to see why. The videos are shot in HD, and most are extremely well-shot and well-edited.

GoPro videos on this channel cover climbing, trekking, cliff jumping, biking, and general adventuring. The video embedded features a holiday in the desert.

GoPro HD Movies

This is another very popular amateur GoPro channel on Vimeo, with stunning HD GoPro videos which cover a wide range of activities. There are also tips and tutorials for budding GoPro users.

The video embedded above was originally meant to be about catching tuna from a boat. But the fisherman instead dived in and swam with dolphins. The resulting footage is incredible.

GoPro Windsurfing

This GoPro channel on Vimeo is dedicated to surfing, windsurfing, and stand-up paddleboarding. This is one of those sports that few of us will ever try, so it’s the perfect candidate for GoPro videos.

The GoPro video embedded above is typical of what to expect from the channel, with a whole day’s windsurfing condensed down into an amazing few minutes of adrenalin-inducing action.

GoPro Paragliding

Who of us hasn’t, at one time or another, imagined flying like a bird, seeing the world from above? Paragliders are able to do just that, and this channel lets us tag along for the ride.

These videos literally show us what the paraglider is seeing as they soar around the skies. The video embedded above features some epic mountain scenery that will make your eyes water.

GoPro Mountains

This is another channel featuring mountains, though this time they’re being traversed on either a bike or on skis. The GoPro cameras give those of us watching from the comfort of our own homes a scenic view of the environment.

The video embedded above shows one man making his way through a mountain bike trail. It really gives a sense of how many obstacles there are and how much the riders have to concentrate to avoid a nasty fall.

GoPro Official

The key channel for GoPro videos on YouTube is the official channel from the company itself. As GoPro wants to show off its cameras in the hopes you’ll buy one, the videos are all of a high quality.

The range of sports and activities featured in stunning, with golf, biking, watersports, and motorsports all featured. The video embedded above shows wing walking, which is something very few of us will ever (have the guts to) try.

GoPro Deeyung

GoPro Deeyung offers something a little different. Sure, extreme sports do get covered extensively, but there are also examples of other ways these maneuverable cameras can be used.

The GoPro video embedded above is a good example, showing, as it does, children enjoying a day at the park. It may not be extreme but it’s still experiencing someone else’s life through their perspective.

Everything GoPro

This YouTube channel is wholly dedicated to GoPro, with activities filmed using the cameras, as well as tips and tricks for those new to the form factor.

Sports featured include swimming, skiing, biking, and ice skating. The video embedded above is extremely interesting, showing the world from a dog’s perspective. Everything looks very different from down there.

GoProMX

This channel features wall-to-wall footage from AMA motocross and supercross events, so if motorcycles aren’t your thing these videos will likely leave you cold.

There is a big difference with these videos, however, as they show what it must be like to be in one of these races. There may be no way of replicating the smells and atmosphere, but the visuals are enough for me.

Brush Entertainment

This GoPro video channel features a random guy sharing his life with us through the power of a GoPro camera. These videos mostly ignore adrenalin-seeking adventures for more normal pursuits. But they’re no less fun to watch.

A trip to Disneyland offered ample opportunity for GoPro footage, and the video embedded above shows what it’s like to ride Big Thunder Mountain. I think I’ll pass, to be honest.

Conclusions

Just watching the GoPro videos uploaded to these channels tires me out. I don’t know how these people have the energy to participate in such activities. But then I’m old and prefer to spend my weekends cuddling up on the sofa sipping red wine. And now, thanks to these guys, watching other people get high on adrenaline.

Do you own a GoPro camera, or one of the other similar action-oriented cameras? If so, what activities have you filmed yourself doing with it? Do these videos inspire you to get out there and try new activities? If so, how extreme would you go? As always we’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.

The post Extreme Sports Revealed With Amazing GoPro Videos appeared first on MakeUseOf.

Frozen Bubble Might Be The Most Addictive Linux Game Of All

Waste your time the right way – shoot bubbles at similarly colored bubbles, in the hope of freeing the entire board of bubbles just long enough for more bubbles to show up. It’s called Frozen Bubble, and it’s more than a game.

Actually, it’s not more than a game. It’s a game, and for a long time it was one of the best put together games for Linux. That’s not been true for a while – the platform has grown leaps and bounds for gamers since then – there’s the Humble Indie Bundle and Steam for Linux, to name a few developments.

But before all of that, Frozen Bubble taught us all that Linux games didn’t need to be ugly. It won Linux Journal’s reader’s choice award seven times, so clearly Linux users love it. The game hasn’t aged perfectly, but it still runs well and the music simply couldn’t be catchier. It’s a worthy diversion.

Playing Frozen Bubble

Open the program and you will be immediately assaulted by spectacular music and pictures of penguins. When the shock of all that awesome fades, you can pick the sort of game you want to play.

If you’ve never played before, I recommend starting with one player. My preferred settings are random levels with chain reaction turned on, but it’s completely up to you – and you should probably experiment with different settings.

The object of the game – which is essentially a clone of Puzzle Bobble – is to clear the screen of all bubbles. Shoot bubbles at like-colored bubbles – any time you cause three bubbles of the same color to connect they’ll all fall down. If you do this properly you’ll clear a bunch at once, assuming they were supported by bubbles you matched.

It’s simple, sure, but it’s addictive. And it’s even better with multiplayer – do well enough and you’ll cause chaos to happen to your friend.

The second player uses the X, C and V players to move left, fire and more right respectively. The idea here is that both players can share a keyboard – and this works well if you don’t mind being cozy. Plug in another keyboard if that bothers you, I suppose.

Not a fan of in-person social interaction? Not a problem. You can play Frozen Bubble on your LAN connection, or even play with total strangers thanks to the world wide web.

There are usually several servers up and running, so pick one you like and enjoy the five-player action.

Don’t like the levels? Design your own. A built in level editor allows you to customize the bundled levels, or to create your own entirely.

Download Frozen Bubble

If you’re a Linux user, you’re in luck. Frozen Bubble is basically in the repo of every Linux distro in existence. Just search your package manager and you’ll find it.

Ubuntu, Mint and Debian users who love the command line can quickly install Frozen Bubble by typing:

sudo apt-get install frozen-bubble

There’s a Windows port of Frozen Bubble, if you’re into that sort of thing. It’s outdated – no web support – but if you’re stuck using Windows it’s better than nothing. There’s an OS X port as well, though you’ll need MacPorts to get it working. The game’s also been ported to many mobile phones, but the quality seems to vary – all ports are done by third parties, not the Frozen Bubble team itself.

Memories

I remember when I first stumbled upon this gem – around 2005. I was just beginning to explore the idea of Linux, and somehow aquired a copy of Knoppix – then the premier live CD on the market. Every piece of Linux software you can imagine was on this thing, but one game caught my attention – Frozen Bubble. I regularly booted into Knoppix just to play the game. I’m not going to say it’s the reason I’m a Linux user today, but it certainly helped keep me curious.

As I said earlier, these days there are many worthy diversions out there for Linux users. Steam could end up bringing some of the biggest games on earth to the platform. But Frozen Bubble’s always going to be special to me, because it’s completely open source and a lot of fun in it’s own simple way. I cannot believe we’ve not given it a proper review until today.

I’ve pointed out casual Linux games you might not have heard of, and included Frozen Bubble in the list. What Linux games do you think deserver their own review? Let us know in the comments below and we’ll try to get to them.

The post Frozen Bubble Might Be The Most Addictive Linux Game Of All appeared first on MakeUseOf.

How Google Quick View Works

I've mentioned in the previous post that Google launched a feature called Quick View that's designed to load search results faster on mobile devices. Right now, the feature only works for Wikipedia results and you'll only see it if you use google.com in English.

It's interesting to see how this feature works, especially when you consider Google's claim that pages load in less than 0.1 seconds. Like a magician, Google uses tricks to make people think that pages load faster than they really do.



All the Wikipedia results with a blue "Quick View" button have special sections in Google's source code that include the first part of the articles. When you tap the "Quick View" result, the article appears to load instantly, but you only see the first paragraphs, which are included in Google's code, just like snippets. Google loads in the background the rest of the article: it's a simplified version of the mobile Wikipedia article from the Google Cache. An example of page that includes the second part of a Wikipedia article: http://websearch-experiments.googleusercontent.com/B/08/d88ede51537960e3_926bb07ecb8a2bc1.htm.



Here's what happens if Google can't load the rest of the article: you get the error message "Error loading the entire article. Try again".

But is Quick View really fast? I've loaded the Wikipedia article about lettuce in the desktop Chrome and changed the user-agent to Galaxy Nexus/Android 4.0.2. Here are the load times obtained from Chrome's developer tools (I've only included the results for the main HTML file, the images are loaded from Wikipedia's site even when you use Quick View).



- Quick View: 120 ms

- Regular Wikipedia article: 522 ms

I've tested many other articles and Quick View pages consistently loaded in 100-130 milliseconds, while the original Wikipedia articles loaded about 4 times slower. It's a significant difference, especially if you use a slow mobile Internet connection with high latency.

How To Integrate Internet Explorer 10 Into Windows 7 DVD Using DISM

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A couple of weeks back, Microsoft rolled out the final version of its Internet Explorer 10 to Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1. Internet Explorer 10, which was originally available only in Windows 8 and Server 2012, comes with some new features and significant performance improvements. Windows 7 users who frequently reinstall [...]

Apowersoft - Best Free Online Video Converter Review

Due to the different layers of transmission and storage, each video has its own set of formats to choose from.

Technical development comes up with more and more video formats, on one hand, satisfying us who have different requirements towards a certain video, on the other hand, leading us a more frequent use of video converter. In this post, Apowersoft Free Online Video Converter, one of the most talked about converter will be shared in details.

The Application Appearance:

Apowersoft Online Video Converter provides you a simple and easy-to-use interface, with eye-protected cool color. No ads, plug-in and additional web links, the app gives you a very clear idea on how to operate it. With it, a newbie could convert video online for his or her first time without any troubles.

How it Works

The way that a program works, to a large extent, decides its value and popularity among users. Exactly, the way of Apowersoft Free Online Video Converter contributes its bigger and bigger fame. The app is able to free convert video, but has no limitations on conversion time. No downloading and registering, it provides web-based services, allowing you to finish conversion with three steps. All you have to do is to add local file, choose output format and click Convert button, then, video will be converted in a few minutes.

You can enjoy the demo video of Apowersoft Online Video Converter below.

Various Output Formats

To a video converter, various output formats stand for its worthiness to users. As to Apowersoft Free Online Video Converter, what I like most is that it has a wide range of outputs formats even as a free application. It has video formats including MP4, MOV, WMV, MKV, AVI, 3GP and so on. As well, it supports audio formats including MP3, WMA, WAV, ACC, OGG and so on.

The Output Quality

There exists programs that are free but has discounts on conversion quality. But, I realized that such hoaxes could not happen on Apowersoft Free Online Video Converter as it has successfully converted videos in a way that I wanted for many times. The app outputs high quality videos or audios. Instead of worrying about wasting time but getting a poor converted video, you would get a 1:1 quality video at the simple process of conversion. What’s more, you can modify video by setting resolution, bitrate and frame rate on the step two of the conversion process.

Considerate Services

On the webpage, there are four tabs below the application, which are Overview, Video Demo, Tips to Use and Testimonials. So, any user can get a very closer look on the app. Regardless of what a simple application it is, Apowersoft staff still provides you with video demo to give you a better thought on the app. In addition, you can post the problem you may encounter to the Apowersoft technical support. They are nice and will deal with your case promptly as far as I know. All in all, I give Apowersoft Free Online Video Converter two thumbs up!

What Does The Future Hold For Virtual Currencies Such As Bitcoin? [You Told Us]

Virtual currencies, or digital currencies if you prefer, have been in the news a lot lately. Not just the technology news channels either, as even the mainstream news channels have picked up on them. Bitcoin has driven this new and renewed interest in these currencies that are very different in nature to dollars, euros, renminbi, and all the other real-world currencies we use to buy and sell products and services on a daily basis.

Bitcoin has been around for several years now, but with its price climbing to monumental highs over the past few weeks, there has been a will to explore what it is, how it’s created (or mined), and what the future may hold for this new virtual currency and others that could emerge in its wake.

The Results

We asked you, What Does The Future Hold For Virtual Currencies Such As Bitcoin? The response was disappointing, and this time I’m blaming you, dear readers. The question was solid, the subject was interesting, the range of opinions open to be given was epic. So it must be you. And you must do better from now on. Or else!

The responses we did receive reveal vastly differing opinions on Bitcoin and virtual currencies as a whole. On one extreme are those who feel Bitcoin is the start of something big; something which may lead to society taking back control of monetary systems from governments and banks. On the other extreme are those who believe Bitcoin is flawed and nothing more than a fad due to die out as quickly as it has emerged from the underground.

I’ll be honest and admit that, even after reading about Bitcoin extensively (including our own guide to Bitcoin), I’m still confused about how it works. And that in itself doesn’t bode well for its long-term future. Everybody understands the nature of coins, notes, and cards, but the ordinary person in the street is never going to understand Bitcoin.

The future for virtual currencies is far from clear at this point. If the value of Bitcoin stabilizes then perhaps its importance will increase. In the meantime speculators and investors will take the gamble on virtual currencies being the next big thing. And their bank accounts will live or die by the volatility of the market.

Comment Of The Week

We had great input from the likes of Lisa Santika Onggrid, Abhishek Rai, and Dragonmouth, to name just a few. Comment Of The Week goes to Scott M, who, as well as the respect of myself and hopefully everybody reading this, receives 150 points to use for MakeUseOf Rewards.

This is the first time that an alternative currency that wasn’t backed by any government or precious metal attained a serious acceptance in the financial world. There have been teething pains caused by rampant speculation similar to what is seen in commodity markets and also a move of flight of paper money to it as investors grow disenchanted with traditional forms of fiat currency. A bubble has now been created and like precious metals of late people will begin to lock in their gains and take their profits. Whether bitcoins succeed or not doesn’t matter as others will take their place.

We have begun to see it accepted as as a valid form of payment and and alternative form of investment protection. It wasn’t so very long ago that FDR and the Federal Government called in all forms of gold currency coupled with what happened in Cyprus and the legislation allowing the same type of taxation of deposits written into Canada’s new banking laws,and people begin to acknowledge its usefulness. This bubble will burst but I think other alternative forms of currency will arise. This experiment has proved its possible that an electronic form of money and payment is able to be produced that will remain beyond the seizure of Governments to pay for their and large bankers greed and mistakes. These are just early days.

We like this comment because it offers a sensible, level-headed assessment of Bitcoin and the future virtual currencies it may help spawn. There’s no doubt there’s ill-feeling over the global economic meltdown that is still ongoing, and perhaps people will jump on board a legitimate alternative if one is placed in front of them.

We will be asking a new question tomorrow, so please join us then. We Ask You is a weekly column dedicated to finding out the opinions of MakeUseOf readers. We ask you a question and you tell us what you think. The question is open-ended and is usually open to debate. Some questions will be purely opinion-based, while others will see you sharing tips and advice, or advocating tools and apps for your fellow MakeUseOf readers. This column is nothing without your input, all of which is valued.

Image Credit: Zach Copley

The post What Does The Future Hold For Virtual Currencies Such As Bitcoin? [You Told Us] appeared first on MakeUseOf.

Meta – 7 Awesome Subreddits All About Reddit

Reddit is rapidly becoming my favorite site on the Web. I’m a latecomer to its powers of seduction, being a veritable n00b compared to some of the other writers here at MakeUseOf. But I’m keen to explore Reddit, learning its subtleties and gaining new insights from subreddits aplenty as I do so.

As it stands I consider Reddit to be one of the seven wonders of the Web, one of the pillars the whole community is based on and around. If you don’t buy into that belief then try the site out for yourself; just be sure to follow my advice for your first day on Reddit.

After you have settled in you’ll want to find new subreddits to subscribe to. We have already suggested interesting random subreddits, hilariously specific subreddits, subreddits to show off your creativity, and subreddits that will make your money go further. And now it’s time to go meta with the best subreddits all about Reddit.

Best Of

Best Of Reddit does exactly what you’d expect it to do, which is feature the best posts and comment threads seen elsewhere on Reddit. The “best” of anything is invariably subjective, but what rises to the top of Best Of tends to be brilliant pieces of content that would otherwise have been missed by mainstream Redditors.

TL;DR The one subreddit you wouldn’t mind being stuck on a desert island with.

Worst Of

Worst Of Reddit is the negative version of Best Of. But in a way it’s even more entertaining. This subreddit exists to hold up examples of trolling and bad behavior, of people commenting in an aggressive manner to get a response, of threads that have quickly spiraled out of control.

TL;DR You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll avoid everyone involved.

Subreddit Of The Day

Subreddit Of The Day has a simple mission, which is to celebrate one subreddit every day. Some are popular and populist, others are small and niche, all are awesome and chosen for a reason. This is a great way to discover new subreddits, and you can also nominate a subreddit yourself.

TL;DR One new subreddit a day is featured, and everyone wins.

Circlebroke

Circlebroke exists to draw attention to the worst cases of circle jerking. In reality this subreddit consists of people getting very worked up about the behavior of some people on Reddit, especially when groups of Redditors start acting together like a pack of animals. It’s entertaining to read but isn’t for the faint of heart.

TL;DR Calling out individuals and groups for not playing nicely.

Subreddit Drama

Who needs to watch soap operas on television when Reddit provides all the drama one person could ever wish for? Subreddit Drama consists of the best action from across Reddit compiled into a central repository. Bullying, nasty comments, arguments, bannings, and conspiracy theories are the order of the day.

TL;DR Most of us avoid drama in our real lives, but you can watch it play out on Reddit.

Sh*t Reddit Says

Reddit is built on comments from the legions of Redditors who reside on the site. Unfortunately not all of those comments are pleasant and respectful. In fact, some are downright nasty. Sh*t Reddit Says compiles those comments that were upvoted despite being racist, sexist, creepy, or downright vile.

TL;DR The very worst opinions of Reddit highlighted for the world to shake its head at.

Meta

The Meta subreddit is perhaps the most meta of all subreddits. It exists to allow redditors to talk about things they like and dislike about the site, ask questions about how and why Reddit operates the way it does, and generally discuss the site in both positive and negative tones.

TL;DR While you’re on Reddit you may want to talk about Reddit. Reddit.

Conclusions

If this list of subreddits isn’t meta enough for you then I don’t know what would be. It should please all of those Redditors who want to travel deeper into the Reddit rabbit hole to discover what lies beneath the seedy underbelly.

I suspect there are some people reading this who don’t have a clue what Reddit is and why they would want to subscribe to subreddits. If that’s you then you should download the Reddit manual as soon as you finish reading this sentence.

What do you think of Reddit? Is it a site you’ve tried and given up on? Or is it the first site you head to each morning? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

As I explore Reddit in more depth I hope to write more articles about the culture of the site, what posts are likely to do well, and what the various acronyms and references relate and refer to. So Redditors, both n00b and veteran, should stay tuned to MakeUseOf.

The post Meta – 7 Awesome Subreddits All About Reddit appeared first on MakeUseOf.

Not Just For Slackers: 5+ Ways Social Networks Can Help You At Work

For many of us, social networks are just a passing trend. We spent much of our lives without them, and we don’t see them as necessary in any way. In fact, many of us tend to think of social networks as nothing more than time-wasters and procrastination tools. There’s no denying that social networks have a bad side, but they also have some positive impacts, it all depends on how you use them and what you use them for.

I have a very strict way of using each social network I’m a part of, and I do believe they can in some ways harm productivity, but I’m a strong advocate of not blocking Facebook and other social networks in work places, and I believe that when used right, social networks can become a valuable tool in almost every job, and for almost any employee.

While it’s important to remember that on most social networks were are more a product than a customer, you can still take control of the way you use them. If you do things right, and don’t let yourself get carried away with the flow of what others might be doing, you can start making social networks work for you. Here’s how to get started.

Always Online Resume & Portfolio

Only several years ago, people had printed resumes, printed business cards, and maybe a personal or company website. Today, if you’re not online, you’re not there, and it’s going to be much harder to find you or even know you exist.

10 years ago, there was much knowledge required to creating a personal website. Today, anyone can easily create one without any coding skills. But social networks offer an even easier solution, and one you’re not going to have to work as hard to promote. A Facebook Page, a LinkedIn profile, even a Twitter or an Instagram account can go a long way to asserting your online presence. They’re always there, they’re created in minutes, they’re very easy to update, and if your name is unique enough, they make it easier for people to find you.

So yes, you can with a personal website or an different kind of online resume, but these will not substitute the exposure you’re going to get on a social network.

Make Contacts & Follow Competition

Yes, it’s possible to make connections without having anything to do with social networks, but no matter how badly you want to ignore it, this is much easier to do with social networks. Look around you, are your competitors on Facebook? Are they on Twitter? If so, you have much to gain by following them.

Don’t think this applies only to companies; if you’re a company employee or a freelancer, you still have a goal you’re trying to reach. And you can be sure there are other people or companies trying to reach the same goal. Are they running contests? Are they releasing new features? There’s no easier way to follow this than on social networks. This can also give you ideas for things you can do to promote your own work and yourself.

This is not only about competition, though. Making and keeping connections with others is crucial for many jobs, and the process becomes much easier with social networks. If in the past you’d go to Google to find interesting people, you can now use Facebook’s own Graph Search to look for people. Try, for example, looking for “Graphic designers from CITY” (use the name of the city you live in, for example). Surprisingly, Facebook’s results to such a search are much more relevant than Google’s, and privacy settings permitting, can even point you directly at a portfolio.

Promote Your Work

This is the other side of the previous point. Don’t you want to be the person someone else find when looking for a skilled worker for a project? Of course, there’s always competition, and it’s very hard to make sure your name pop ups for every search, but if you rely only on a personal website and SEO, you might have a hard time getting your name to appear on top of the results list on Google.

Social networks are not going to solve this problem easily, but if you use them to promote your work by sharing links, photos, etc., you can be sure people will see these promotions. With time, your audience can become bigger and bigger, and they can start spreading the word for you too. There’s no magic here, it’s still hard work, but it’s going to be much harder to achieve if you completely ignore social networks.

Promote Yourself

Don’t get confused, this is slightly different than the previous point. While it’s important to promote your actual work on social networks, it’s equally important to promote yourself, as a person, not as the work you do. What do I mean by that?

If I, as a freelance writer, only ever posted links to my own work, how would that look to my followers? No matter which field you’re in, if you want people to follow you and pay attention, you have to promote things other than your own work/company. This very much depends on the network, but interesting and related links, beautiful photos (related too, if possible), and even simple inspirational sayings can do the trick. If you’re interesting, people want to follow you. If they follow you, they can help you spread the word about yourself or about the project you’re working on.

Stay In Touch With Co-Workers

This is a tricky one. As I’ve already told you in my post about things you shouldn’t be posting on Facebook, it’s important to decide and make a clear differentiation between professional and personal accounts. This is especially true for Facebook, where unfortunate mixes tend to happen most often, but it’s something to keep in mind regardless of network.

With that being said, social networks could be a great tool to keep in touch with co-workers beyond office hours, or as a means of communication if you don’t even live in the same country. So, yes, beware of complaining about your boss on Facebook when you’re connected to other colleagues, but wisely used, social networks can become a tool that boosts moral and social connections in a work place. It’s a fine line to walk on — you don’t want to be discussing puppies and weddings all day at the office — but having something to share and talk about that’s beyond work is a great way to build friendships, which can benefit work relations and productivity.

Bonus: Productivity!

Think social networks are productivity killers? They might be if you spend hours on them doing unrelated things instead of working, but according to a study done by Evolv, workers who belong to social several social networks tend to be more productive than their co-workers who belong to none.

Coming from the world of science, I can tell you that the study cannot really prove that social networks cause productivity, but the results are nonetheless interesting. According to 100,000 responses from employees in a call center, workers who belonged to 5 social networks had the highest sales conversion rate, and the lowest average call time.

So who knows, maybe social networks can be good for you after all?

Bottom Line

Like it or not, social networks is where people are, and if you need people, you probably need social networks. Don’t take this saying personally – I’m not saying you won’t have friends if you don’t join social networks. I’m talking purely from a professional standpoint. For many businesses and job types, social networks are almost a must these days, and can definitely help you get more exposure, if you use them right.

Do you use social networks for your work? Do you think I’m completely off, and believe social networks are nothing but a distraction? Share your opinions in the comments.

Image credits: Frau Halle, L Hollis Photography, co-workers image via Shutterstock

The post Not Just For Slackers: 5+ Ways Social Networks Can Help You At Work appeared first on MakeUseOf.

Google Quick View

Google Search for mobile has a new feature called "Quick View". Right now, it only shows up for Wikipedia results and it allows users to load search results almost instantly.

"Quick view is an experimental project and is currently enabled for pages from Wikipedia when you search in English on Google.com. We are working to expand this to additional websites," explains Google. There's a form for getting updates "about participating in the mobile quick view field trial". Apparently, Quick View loads pages in less than 100 milliseconds.



I've noticed a Quick View link next to Wikipedia results, but nothing happened when I clicked it. Even the search result link for the Wikipedia page was broken. It's likely that Google hosts a simplified version of the Wikipedia page and that's the reason why it's supposed to load so fast.



Google also announced the "expandable sitelinks" feature I've mentioned a few days ago. "Now, there's a faster way to get to the Rotten Tomatoes page with just the info you need most -- just look for a new quick link for 'In Theaters' underneath the main Rotten Tomatoes link when you search on your mobile phone. You'll see these expandable sitelinks appear for many sites to help you get to a specific section quickly."