Since the start of the user-generated content times on the web, we have spread our creations through out the Internet. We write posts and comment articles, upload photos and update status, keep our book list and musical tastes. There are a large number of bits online that define what we have shared to the world, but they are far from each other.

By The.Trix at Flickr.

Lifestream

The propose of a Lifestream is to collect all that information in one place, presenting one’s online identity. Basically is a log of fresh information from whatever web-service you use. The most used are Flickr, del.icio.us, last.fm, Twitter. And since it became a standard on most web-services to release the user data, you can usually find a RSS feed, a XML file with a specific schema or other easily parsed format, that will enable you to insert your favorite web application data on your stream. There are still some unfortunate examples like almost all social networks and blog communities, but that’s becoming an exception since we reached the second web version.

How to build one

The best way to create you own Lifestream is to signup in a personal aggregator, specially if you’re not proficient with web developing. The chosen platforms usually are either Jaiku or Tumblr. Both allow you to import any RSS feed and will check for updates, posting them on your page chronologically. Jaiku, first saw as a Twitter clone but differentiated through its aggregation capabilities, only allows small messages on the stream, but gives you the change of creating your own community around your and others streams. Tumblr is more like a mini-blog, only not so focused on the writing but on its multi-media content like images, videos or links.

Where’s the value?

If you look into someone’s Lifestream you can find out its most particular characteristic: its diversity. Vacation photos in the middle of economy insightful articles, a “Leaving home” twitter message and then a bookmark of the latest favorite viral video. People have a wide range of interests and Lifestreams can only reflect that. So is there any value in aggregating all that disparity of content?

Usually you follow a blog for its valuable content, but some of the times you feel a certain affinity with the author and want to find out more of what he’s doing online. As long you’re not stalking anyone, you can try searching on some popular networks but there wouldn’t be any easy way of keeping up with everything. And it’s not a fan service only. I believe it’s specially directed to friends, because they’re the ones that care about everything we do and really want to know what we’re up to.

Nevertheless, I don’t expect Lifestreams to have a bigger audience than blogs. It’s value is still very limited and not everyone is interested in getting all of his/her online life spawned on a web page. Still, it becomes the number one source of information about someone and one of the best places to foster social connections.

Since this topic has been addressed in other blogs too, I would like to share other valuable articles.

If you enjoyed this post, consider subscribing to my RSS Feed