E.Politicus wrote:
> Ravi asked "[a]nyone interested in using identi.ca for quick
> exchange of
> short messages (i.e., Twitter)?" I am interested, but of course the
> use-value of such applications varies in proportion to the number of
> users.
> For reasons not clear to me, however, I usually am unable to convince
> leftists to adopt such new technologies, as supplements to mature
> technologies, for political agitation. Oddly, this is also true of
> many
> Marxists, who, it seems to me, ought to know better.
I agree that its worthless unless a large number of people start using the service. One of my initial attempts, here on LBO and PEN-L was to generate interest in our version of "Digg" (using an open source tool called Pligg) that could be used to share links (to news and such), with user voting driving links to the top or front page, assisting other users in finding such info. Another idea, which has also been floated by Julio, is a Wiki.
I am guessing the reasons for these things not gaining much traction are varied. Mundane stuff like lack of time. Or the learning curve mentioned above. Or an understandable distrust or lack of interest in chasing fads.
I do find a bit of an irrational element to it, though, at times. A group blog is not much different from a mailing list (which we all evidently find a useful thing). It has some comparative disadvantages (unless you use a good RSS reader, its annoying to track discussions; unless email interfaces are enabled, comments have to be added using cumbersome web forms, etc), but also various advantages: blogs are more actively indexed, they attract more attention, they permit selective subscribing to discussion threads, etc.
Part of my reason for throwing these ideas out is to see what sticks.
--ravi