Yesterday, Seesmic announced a new product. It’s called, “Seesmic Desktop” and it looks like the product known as Twhirl will be replaced once this app is out of beta. I wanted to write a blog outlining my thoughts on the new application and what I like and don’t like.
Let’s start with my Twitter background. I first joined Twitter in December of 2006 and rejoined in March 0f 2007 with a new identity. The details aren’t important. My twitter account has over 40 thousand posts and I have 10 accounts with a total of 50K tweets. I am a power user of Twitter and prior to the launch of Seesmic Desktop, I used a combination of tools. My Twitter tools are Yoono, Twhirl, Tweetie, Web, SMS. Why don’t I use TweetDeck? The answer is that I don’t like a full screen twitter interface, I have no use for groups and I need support for multiple accounts.
to get an idea of how I use Twitter day to day, just click the image below and look at the screenshot full screen:
That’s pretty insane but it’s exactly how I am forced to use the new Seesmic Desktop. I’d like to add that I haven’t added all of my Twitter accounts to the app yet and I haven’t configured it to be perfectly optimized. I also haven’t setup groups because I don’t need them. I also have a 24″ monitor and I haven’t even configured all of the searches or accounts and the width is already taking up my entire monitor. I’m afraid to use Seesmic on my 15″ MacBook Pro given how much screen real estate it requires and this is also one of my primary reasons for not using Tweetdeck (aside from the fact that it only supports 1 Twitter login).
In Twhirl, I had 6 separate windows that could be minimized or moved independently. I could search for “adam jackson” and make it a saved search term that would show up in my Twhirl time line for the account @adamjackson. I had easy access to replies and I could even click someone’s name to read their tweets and find out more info about them which I did nearly 30 times a day. I also had Twitter input fields on every single window which was valuable to reduce confusion and accidentally tweeting, replying or direct messaging from the wrong Twitter account. The particular features that I just listed are completely absent from Seesmic Desktop and I hope to god that I get them back because they are critical to my daily work flow.
Progress? Well here are a few things that are improved over Twhirl. Saved searches are more user friendly and have more of a spotlight which is similar to what Twitter is doing with its new home page that shows trending topics and a search toolbox. Seesmic took the sidebar design from our favorite OS (Mac OS X) and I like it. The icons are easy to understand and its organized. I’d love to be able to hide the sidebar as an option
Closing search boxes and accounts is super easy with an easy to understand expand / collapse icon at the top right hand corner of each window. A simple Clear, Remove or Refresh option is apparent on each window as well. Replies, DMs and Favorite is unchanged from Twhirl as well simply by hovering over someone’s profile image.
Actually sending data through Twitter has taken a step back. The GIGANTIC input box is very misleading. 140 characters only takes up 15% of the first line of that box when expanded on my 24″ monitor. I think the box should be one size and have the ability to be placed anywhere in the Seesmic application and this would leave more vertical room for other windows or on the fly settings changes.
The box also says, “SHARE as” and then an option to switch between your Twitter accounts. OK that’s a step in one direction but I’ve had to make a conscious choice to make sure that the box has the account I want chosen. It takes more effort and just having the input box at the bottom of each account window like it was in Twhirl is a much better and much easier to use way. I have a feeling people will be sending tweets, replies or DMs from the wrong account on accident.
The Search box at the bottom left hand corner of the window is not intuitive at all. It took me a few minutes to find it and I’d like for it to be included in the “searches’ section of the app. I spent a few seconds right clicking on searches or the sidebar itself trying to create a new saved search term.
The way the windows are organized is a complete miss for me as well. I’d like to keep Seesmic Desktop on my 15” laptop screen during the day while I’m plugged in but I have too much going on. With Twhirl, I actually stacked windows as you’ll see in the photo below.
Accounts like @Yoono or @TheBook that don’t get many replies I put those on top of each other and @AdamJackson gets a full page. It saves space and helps make room for more accounts.
New reply or DM notifications have changed in Seesmic Desktop. I could have Twhirl hidden or minimized and still see replies coming in with a pop-up notification on my primary monitor. The same pop-up happens now but it just says, “new replies” or “new private message”. Here’s how it used to look with Twhirl.
What’s up with “private message”? Is that just a Seesmic.com term you guys use? The correct name is Direct Message and it always has been that way. Changing this confuses new users. I even took a look at it for a second to be sure this was a Twitter client I downloaded because Private Message reminds me of BBS back in the 90s.
The raccoon is Seesmic’s logo and brand. Heck, he even has his own Twitter Account. I don’t care. i hate the logo. I have a nice dock full of pretty icons and then there’s this huge eyed raccoon. I’m not a fan.
The final gripe is that Seesmic, TweetDeck and Twhirl are all built on Adobe Air. The Air platform needs some serious work. They’ve tried helping me with my issues but nothing works. I have many issues with it and I know it’s the easiest way to maintain cross-platform application development with a lower budget but I’m not a fan and I’ll be first to plunk down $14.99 when you’re ready to create a Windows or Macintosh native application.
Overall, this is a step in a direction but it’s not really the right direction. The changes are both good and bad but I come out of this experience not feeling any cleaner or any dirtier. I’m just alone, confused and not sure what to think of the experience. Ideally, passing on these improvements (the good stuff) to Twhirl was my vote and will always be my stance. I absolutely hate TweetDeck but then again, TweetDeck has 16% of Twitter usage share compared to Twhirl’s 5.5% (source). It’s hard for Team Seesmic to argue with adoption numbers and what’s most popular.
If they were trying to copy TweetDeck and add the Seesmic touch in order to lure users away from TweetDeck then they succeeded but as far as making the experience twice as complicated, they succeeded at that too. Right now, I’m still not sure where to go from here. I guess I’ll use Twhirl until something better comes along.