Replystreams: The Next Step for Lifestreams

Since my post about lifestreams last week I have been digging it a bit more and found there's an active community of people out there who are aggregating their bits into a single site. Rex is the latest to join the club. He also explains where this idea originated. So what's next for lifestreams? How about aggregating all of one's replies into a single site - yes, a replystream.

In about as long as it takes you to read this post, I was able to build a test replystream site again using Tumblr (you can also do this with Jaiku and many more sites). You can find my replystream at http://replies.steverubel.com. The page currently aggregates all @steverubel tweets from Twitter via Terraminds and in-bound links to this site from Technorati. Rather than syndicating the full text of a blog post, I am just rolling these up into a river of items that all link you back to the original content creator.

Here's a free idea for a smart developer/entrepreneur. We need a tool that will roll up one's lifestream and then thread the entire replystream underneath on a per-post basis. Then you can institute a smart contextual ad system that pays both the content provider and the replier. Oh and widgetize the entire product so it can go anywhere.

As content gets sliced and diced into thinner pieces that can fit anywhere, the greatest value will be created through smart aggregation. Take Dave Winer's NYTimesriver.com for example. That's what I learned during my few days playing with Tumblr. With everything living in RSS, aggregation can be pretty disruptive if you think about it. Just the ethical implications alone - yikes.

Comments

[Wayan]

Steve,

What you might be forgetting in your mad rush to aggregate content, is that for many of us who write for multiple content streams, we're very happy to keep them separate.

For example, I write for a few sites: http://wayan.com/content.html I do not want the content I write for my employer to be mixed with my observations on the $100 laptop, life in Washington DC, or public transit. I may mention all three on my personal site, but even that would be overwhelmed and confused if I added in the occasional public advocacy content I produce or random photos I take.

I've found that the key to drawing and maintaining a decent audience is topical focus, not a mash-up of all my different interests. And if there is going to be a focus just on me, I want to control it vs. everything going there automatically.

The only cool idea you've mentioned that I would sign up for is a comment tracker - a way for me to be alerted to follow-up comments to a post I commented on.

[Brian Solis]

Hi Steve, there have been a lot of voices on this subject since 2006. Thanks for reigniting the conversation as I think there's more to the story than simply lifestreaming. Microblogs and other tools can serve as a focused channel delivering the social content of not just people, but also organizations, businesses, and also ideas and topics.

Here's a bit more on the history of lifestreaming as well as an exploration of some of its possibilities:
http://www.briansolis.com/2007/08/lifestreams-channel-online-activity.html

[ozgur alaz]

Another free idea :)

You know Facebook's stream model. You are able to track your friends' life (relationship status, joining new group...) continuously.

On the other hand, look at Flickr's stream model. It's very tight. You are only able to see your friends latest photos. You can not know which photos do they favourites, which groups do they join, which photos do they commented.

The idea is creating Facebook streaming model for your Flickr network. I think with Flickr API, it can be easliy implemented