Six Apart has announced (I got an email because, while I don't use it, I do have a Vox blog from Six Apart) a new
microblogging platform from TypePad, called... wait for it.... TypePad Micro. As per Six Apart:
"We saw a need for something the lived between the quick status updates of Twitter and Facebook and the long form posts of "classic" blogging. Enter: TypePad Micro, a new free level of TypePad that is streamlined for microblogging."
I'm not sure how this is different than doing longer posts than status updates on Facebook or how it differs from
Tumblr, outside of some design features.
Because I'm such a dedicated blogger, willing to try out new services to I can blog about them, and its free, I created a Typepad Micro blog. This was not easy. For some reason, it told me my email address was taken. I think I once signed up for a Typepad key so I could comment on Typepad blogs, so that might be the problem. At any rate, I tried another email addy to get things started.
There are 3 general background designs or you can use your own. There are interfaces with Twitter, Friendfeed, and Facebook, stats, the ability to add photos and video, an area for microblogs you follow a la a friends page, a Blog it bookmarklet for your browser, and email blogging option, and if you want to go Pro (ie, pay for an upgraded account), you can have access to more designs. You can even import and/or export from other blogs.
It looks easy enough to use and for people starting out or who haven't used other services for quick posting, this might be just the thing, but I can't see what I would use it for that my blogs, LiveJournal, Twitter, or Facebook accounts can't provide.
They do provide some suggestions. For example, using it to update on a trip. Now that might be useful. You want to do more than post status updates on
Twitter or
Facebook and posting on
Facebook makes your updates get lost in the crowd on people's walls. You don't have time for long blog entries or you want more control over who sees it. Now,
VOX, from Six Apart, might be sufficient or even
LiveJournal, but this, like
Tumblr, is easier to use. You might find it useful, but be prepared for the gentle urgings for you to go pro, and that's one thing I don't like about a site. They suck you in with a free service, tease you with a few options, then tell you how much more you can do if you'd only agree to pay for it. It's fine to let people know there's a pro option, but from first glance, the option seems to pop up more often than I want to see it.
Here's my little Typepad Micro:
Micro Managing.
~~~o0o~~~