66946 2 3 econsultancy_xml <p>The computing language <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BASIC_programming_language">BASIC</a> was born in 1963 and enjoys twin delights of the PEEK and POKE commands. </p> <p>These commands would let programmers insert some data into the memory (the POKE) or read some data already in memory (the PEEK). <br /><br />This later became something of a social currency for the gamer geeks. </p> <p>It was possible to load 8-bit computer games into the computer and then use the POKE command to insert the right codes into the right memory slots to cheat the game. </p> <p>The right POKE could get you super stamina, immunity and a limitless supply of ammo. <br /><br />Back in the day it was easy enough to find people trawling Usenet looking for a POKE for their favourite game. <br /><br />In 2001, Google bought Usenet and archives for <a href="http://www.google.com/press/pressrel/pressrelease48.html">an undisclosed sum</a>. These early POKE requests live on in Google Groups.<br /><br />Linux's finger command may well have been one of the first 'social networking' instructions. </p> <p>The finger command combined with a linux user name to return information about that user. </p> <p>If you were on the same linux network as myself then you could, if you wanted, 'finger andrew' and be shown my profile in exchange. I could add data to my profile by creating a .plan file. <br /><br />The information commonly found by fingering someone included their real name, office phone number and their idle time. </p> <p>If their idle time was nice and low then it was a safe bet that they were at their terminal and had a fair chance of picking up their phone. The finger command could also reveal someone's home phone number. <br /><br />We don't yet have something quite so simple and elegant for the web. </p> <p>It's common to need to click, type, navigate a web site and perhaps click again.</p> <p>The most you can hope for would be to know the URL which took you directly to a contact's online profile. </p> <p>The social networking site <a href="http://www.linkedin.com">linkedin</a> lets users create a custom URL for their profile and <a href="http://www.bebo.com">Bebo</a> does a good job at producing short URLs. However, both sites are still short of the Linux finger's speed and elegance. <br /><br />Toolbar extensions to web browsers may be one way in which the web catches up. </p> <p>It is easy to imagine a <a href="http://toolbar.google.com">Google Toolbar</a> on which you can type in a user name, press the <a href="http://www.orkut.com">orkut</a> button and be whisked to the best match that you are allowed to view.<br /><br />Of course, on <a href="http://www.facebook.com">Facebook</a> the point of poking a contact is to let them know that you're there rather than to check out their profile. </p> <p>In that respect we can look at the humble web guestbook or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoutbox">shoutbox</a> as a forerunner of the Poke. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.last.fm">Last.fm</a> is a hero social site that deploys a shoutbox on every user profile today. Dating sites have let users wink at or nudge one another for many years now.</p> <p>These nudges are seen as an easier way to break the ice than sending a message to a prospective match out of the blue.<br /><br />There you have it. As it turns out we've been poking and fingering for quite a few years before Facebook...</p> <FormattedContent xmlns="http://www.e-consultancy.com/schema/formattedContent/"> <Paragraph>The computing language <Link URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BASIC_programming_language" Window="Self">BASIC</Link> was born in 1963 and enjoys twin delights of the PEEK and POKE commands. </Paragraph> <Paragraph>These commands would let programmers insert some data into the memory (the POKE) or read some data already in memory (the PEEK). <LineBreak /><LineBreak />This later became something of a social currency for the gamer geeks. </Paragraph> <Paragraph>It was possible to load 8-bit computer games into the computer and then use the POKE command to insert the right codes into the right memory slots to cheat the game. </Paragraph> <Paragraph>The right POKE could get you super stamina, immunity and a limitless supply of ammo. <LineBreak /><LineBreak />Back in the day it was easy enough to find people trawling Usenet looking for a POKE for their favourite game. <LineBreak /><LineBreak />In 2001, Google bought Usenet and archives for <Link URL="http://www.google.com/press/pressrel/pressrelease48.html" Window="Self">an undisclosed sum</Link>. These early POKE requests live on in Google Groups.<LineBreak /><LineBreak />Linux's finger command may well have been one of the first 'social networking' instructions. </Paragraph> <Paragraph>The finger command combined with a linux user name to return information about that user. </Paragraph> <Paragraph>If you were on the same linux network as myself then you could, if you wanted, 'finger andrew' and be shown my profile in exchange. I could add data to my profile by creating a .plan file. <LineBreak /><LineBreak />The information commonly found by fingering someone included their real name, office phone number and their idle time. </Paragraph> <Paragraph>If their idle time was nice and low then it was a safe bet that they were at their terminal and had a fair chance of picking up their phone. The finger command could also reveal someone's home phone number. <LineBreak /><LineBreak />We don't yet have something quite so simple and elegant for the web. </Paragraph> <Paragraph>It's common to need to click, type, navigate a web site and perhaps click again.</Paragraph> <Paragraph>The most you can hope for would be to know the URL which took you directly to a contact's online profile. </Paragraph> <Paragraph>The social networking site <Link URL="http://www.linkedin.com" Window="Self">linkedin</Link> lets users create a custom URL for their profile and <Link URL="http://www.bebo.com" Window="Self">Bebo</Link> does a good job at producing short URLs. However, both sites are still short of the Linux finger's speed and elegance. <LineBreak /><LineBreak />Toolbar extensions to web browsers may be one way in which the web catches up. </Paragraph> <Paragraph>It is easy to imagine a <Link URL="http://toolbar.google.com" Window="Self">Google Toolbar</Link> on which you can type in a user name, press the <Link URL="http://www.orkut.com" Window="Self">orkut</Link> button and be whisked to the best match that you are allowed to view.<LineBreak /><LineBreak />Of course, on <Link URL="http://www.facebook.com" Window="Self">Facebook</Link> the point of poking a contact is to let them know that you're there rather than to check out their profile. </Paragraph> <Paragraph>In that respect we can look at the humble web guestbook or <Link URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoutbox" Window="Self">shoutbox</Link> as a forerunner of the Poke. </Paragraph> <Paragraph> <Link URL="http://www.last.fm" Window="Self">Last.fm</Link> is a hero social site that deploys a shoutbox on every user profile today. Dating sites have let users wink at or nudge one another for many years now.</Paragraph> <Paragraph>These nudges are seen as an easier way to break the ice than sending a message to a prospective match out of the blue.<LineBreak /><LineBreak />There you have it. As it turns out we've been poking and fingering for quite a few years before Facebook...</Paragraph> </FormattedContent> 2008-01-04T16:29:00+00:00 0 1 econsultancy_xml <p> <strong>If you waited until Facebook launched and opened their doors wide before you started poking your pals and professional colleagues online then you may have waited longer than you needed to.</strong> </p> <FormattedContent xmlns="http://www.e-consultancy.com/schema/formattedContent/"> <Paragraph> <Emphasis>If you waited until Facebook launched and opened their doors wide before you started poking your pals and professional colleagues online then you may have waited longer than you needed to.</Emphasis> </Paragraph> </FormattedContent> false 2045 <p>Refer also to Econsultancy's <strong><a href="http://econsultancy.com/reports/user-experience-buyers-guide">User Experience Buyer's Guide</a></strong> and <strong><a href="http://econsultancy.com/reports/effective-web-design-best-practice-guide">Effective Web Design Guide</a></strong> for more information about best practice in these areas.</p> <p>Refer also to Econsultancy's <strong><a href="http://econsultancy.com/reports/user-experience-buyers-guide">User Experience Buyer's Guide</a></strong> and <strong><a href="http://econsultancy.com/reports/effective-web-design-best-practice-guide">Effective Web Design Guide</a></strong> for more information about best practice in these areas.</p> 364799 A brief history of Poking false 2008-01-07T08:10:00+00:00 a-brief-history-of-poking 2009-04-29T23:33:24+01:00 2009-10-13T09:27:54+01:00 484