So what?
After reading, mostly on Twitter, a lot of hype about Pownce, I finally got an invitation from a fellow Twitterer, newmediajim. I signed right up to check it out.
And was extremely unimpressed.
Sure, Pownce is pretty — much prettier than Twitter. And Pownce is apparently attracting the more mature crowd that I wish used Twitter more frequently. And Pownce offers a lot of additional features, like file exchange, event sharing, and the ability to send messages to just your friends — or a specific friend.
But, as one of the recent TWiT participants mentioned on the most recent TWiT podcast, why do we need that? We have e-mail to send files and online calendar programs to send event notifications.
Finding new Pownce friends is virtually impossible without a “public timeline” like Twitter has — you can only see the messages posted by your Pownce friends and the people you are a “fan” of. Of course, there is the occasional “public” message, which goes out to everyone. But in the one week I’ve been a member, I’ve only received one of those, so it’s obviously not a feature people want to use.
And I really like Twitterific, which works with Twitter. The Pownce non-browser solution requires you to install Adobe Air and then an application that runs within it. I don’t know about you, but I think Adobe is even worse than Microsoft at installing a lot of useless under-the-hood crap on your hard disk when you install its software. I prefer to keep new Adobe apps off my computer unless I need them to get my work done. (Can someone explain what Adobe Bridge is all about and why I should keep it when I have a perfectly good Mac OS Open dialog?)
And then there’s the advertisements vs. fees we can expect in the future. A note on the Pownce sidebar urges you to “Go Pro!” This will support larger files — certainly larger than you can send in e-mail — and will hide advertisements. Right now, there are no advertisements. There aren’t any on Twitter, either — unless you count the never-ending stream of self-promotional tweets by some Twitter members (which are easily blocked out). Pro will cost you $20/year. Is it worth it? We’ll see. But I know that if Pownce starts filling up with advertisements, I’ll use it even less than I currently do — which is once every few days, just to check in.
Because you must have an account to participate at all on Pownce, the folks at Pownce give new members 6 invitations so you can invite your friends. Trouble is, I have enough trouble convincing my friends to get online with Twitter, which I prefer. If I’m going to bring new friends online to this new kind of social networking phenomena, I’m going to ask them to join Twitter, not Pownce. I have no desire to monitor both services.
Now I know that Pownce was created by the folks who gave us Digg. And there are rumors flying around that any anti-Pownce Diggs are being buried by the folks at Digg. (It would be interesting if everyone who read this post dugg it just to see if it survived this test; you can find a “Digg This!” link at the bottom of the post.) And the TWiT-TV team seemed to have a lot of respect for the programming team. But even they aren’t pushing Pownce. And that says a lot because they push almost everything they talk about.
In any case, I have 6 Pownce invitations — unless the folks at Pownce take them away from me for being so unenthusiastic. I’ll hand them out to the first six people who comment on this post and specifically say that they want an invitation. Please do not put your e-mail address in the body of the comment. Just put it in the e-mail field of the comment form; I’ll find it.
And if you’re reading this and already have a Pownce account, please use the Comments link or form to tell us what you think about it. Am I missing something? Or do you have the same general thoughts about Pownce?
And, for the record, I was equally unenthusiastic about Jaiku. Sorry.
46 responses so far ↓
1 Ash Ponders // Jul 9, 2007 at 5:41 pm
I’d like to see what all the hubbub is about, can I get an Invite?
2 Maria Langer // Jul 9, 2007 at 6:30 pm
One down, five left. Anyone else? I don’t think I’ve ever had this much trouble giving something away.
3 nick // Jul 9, 2007 at 6:54 pm
I’m curious- can I get one please?
4 Mike // Jul 9, 2007 at 7:21 pm
I’d like to try it out if you don’t mind.
5 Trey // Jul 9, 2007 at 8:01 pm
I’ll take one if you have one to spare…
6 Mark Z. // Jul 9, 2007 at 8:06 pm
I;d like to snag an invite as well, if possible.
7 jan // Jul 9, 2007 at 11:36 pm
i’d love to see this, please
8 Maria Langer // Jul 10, 2007 at 5:28 am
One left.
Would love to get comments from current Pownce users.
9 Darien // Jul 10, 2007 at 6:04 am
Do you still have one left? I’d be very happy to relieve you of it. (I hear they’re heavy.)
10 Maria Langer // Jul 10, 2007 at 6:42 am
All gone. Thanks guys. Please do stop by and let us know what you think.
11 Jon Thompson // Jul 11, 2007 at 7:03 pm
I would love to get an invite as I have not been able to get any yet. Please make feel part of the click!
Thanks in advance, Jon
12 Maria Langer // Jul 11, 2007 at 7:10 pm
Sorry, but I gave them all away already. Maybe one of them (or someone else) will see your request. Or maybe I’ll get more. (Just checked and I don’t have more yet.)
13 Jon G // Jul 12, 2007 at 8:27 pm
I received 7 more invites once I did the initial 6 invites. I used Pownce to do it and not one of them got delivered. I’m with you, Twitter works and have a hard enough time getting family to join the fun as it is, yet alone joining Jaiku and/or Pownce.
14 James Heck // Jul 16, 2007 at 11:53 am
Please count me in if you should receive anymore invites. I’m eager to try out Pownce.
15 arvind // Jul 17, 2007 at 3:41 am
please do count me in when u have more invites… i am waiting for your invitation
16 chris brown // Jul 17, 2007 at 1:22 pm
I would love to get an invite to check it out
17 Maria Langer // Jul 17, 2007 at 1:26 pm
Still don’t have any more invites. I don’t expect to get more, either, since I really don’t use the service. However if more show up in my account there, I’ll be in touch with those of you who commented here.
Frankly, I don’t think you’re missing much.
18 Maria Langer // Jul 26, 2007 at 10:02 am
Okay, I just got 6 more Pownce invitations, if anyone still wants them. Just comment here; be sure to include your correct e-mail address. (It doesn’t appear here but I can see it.)
19 Chuck La Tournous // Jul 26, 2007 at 11:34 am
Hey, Maria –
Here you go, per your Twitter message. It’s nice reconnecting with you — sometimes I still miss the old BBS days!
– Chuck
20 Joe // Jul 28, 2007 at 3:48 pm
May I get a Pownce invitation?
jerseyjoeplease683@yahoo.com
Thanks,
Joe
21 shane // Jul 29, 2007 at 2:41 pm
i was wondering if there were any invites still available?
either way, thanks…
sdspringer@viterbo.edu
22 Matt // Sep 1, 2007 at 7:56 pm
Got any pownce invites left?
23 Maria Langer // Sep 3, 2007 at 7:03 pm
I do have pounce invitations. If anyone still wants one, please let me know here.
24 Zohaib // Sep 4, 2007 at 1:07 am
Hi Maria,
I need an invitation of Pownce, if you still have some left.
I’ll appreciate it, if you can send one invitation of Pownce to me too.
25 Ivan // Sep 5, 2007 at 7:10 pm
Hey, sounds like this Pownce isn’t all it’s been cracked-up to be! I’d like to check it out anyways, though. Do you have any more invitations? If so, please send one my way. Thanks!
26 Maria Langer // Sep 5, 2007 at 7:50 pm
Done. Seven left.
27 trevor // Sep 10, 2007 at 6:49 am
can anyone please send me a pownce invite
trevorkatilius@yahoo.com
28 Maria Langer // Sep 10, 2007 at 7:43 am
Apparently someone else has. Your name is already registered on Pownce.
I still have seven invites left.
29 MikeS // Sep 19, 2007 at 11:48 am
Hi Maria,
I’d like to have an invitation if you still have some left. Really appreciate it.
wanqian (at) yahoo (dot) com
30 Maria Langer // Sep 19, 2007 at 4:05 pm
Just sent one your way, Mike. If you don’t see it, check your junk mail filter.
Six left.
31 James // Sep 27, 2007 at 2:51 pm
Do you happen to have any pownce invites left? I would really like one if you do. Thanx.
[e-mail deleted for privacy]
32 Maria Langer // Sep 27, 2007 at 3:50 pm
On it’s way.
Five left.
33 Alan // Sep 28, 2007 at 10:52 am
I’d love one, please…
34 Carol Castro // Oct 19, 2007 at 9:10 am
Can you invite me please!
Thks!
35 Rob // Nov 9, 2007 at 10:23 pm
At last… I may have found an invite. Could you send me one too? Thanks
36 Maria Langer // Nov 10, 2007 at 8:22 am
Done. Only 25 left, folks.
37 Reinier Meenorst // Nov 27, 2007 at 5:01 pm
Hi, I’d like an invite if you still have one. Thx!
38 Maria Langer // Dec 2, 2007 at 3:40 pm
Just sent. Sorry about the delay.
I have 24 invites left, folks!
39 Jared // Dec 18, 2007 at 9:41 pm
Invite please! Thanks in advance.
40 Maria Langer // Dec 19, 2007 at 8:06 am
Done. Check your spam filter if you can’t find it.
I have 23 more.
41 Jordan // Dec 19, 2007 at 1:12 pm
Have any pounce invites?
Also since you seem to be so into it, can you recommend a good starting point for twitter?
Thanks.
42 Dmitriy Kopylenko // Dec 21, 2007 at 9:00 am
I’d like to have one, please.
dima767 [at] gmail [dot] com
Thanks.
Dmitriy Kopylenko’s last blog post: Fetch random GORM model
43 Maria Langer // Dec 26, 2007 at 4:45 pm
Just sent Jordan’s; Dmitriy seems to have already gotten one. 22 invites left.
As for a starting point for Twitter, get a good Twitter client (I use Twitterrific on the Mac) and follow a few people. Stay involved by tweeting. You’ll catch on and make friends. I have.
44 rollchan // Jan 20, 2008 at 7:17 pm
Hello! I just bumped into your site while Googling for pownce invites.
You still have any pownce invites left? Can you spare me some? Thank you so much!
45 Maria Langer // Jan 21, 2008 at 6:15 am
rollchan, I just sent it. If you don’t see it in your inbox, check your junk filter.
I have 21 invites left.
46 rollchan // Jan 21, 2008 at 7:46 am
many thanks! ^____^.
and… wow, you’re a pilot? can you teach me? hehe!
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