This post has been submitted by Sharon Hurley Hall from Get Paid To Write Online.com.

When ReadWriteWeb announced that Streamy could be the next Friendfeed, I decided to check it out. Like many others, I’m not totally sure that the integration of Friendfeed and Facebook is a good thing so I’m thinking ahead about options for social media aggregation.

Getting Started With Streamy

It was easy to get started with Streamy. I logged in with my Facebook credentials and it automatically created a new account for me. Then it was time to link my other social media accounts. I was able to link Twitter and Friendfeed, and could also have linked Digg, Flickr and others. For some reason, I had to reauthorize Streamy to add my Facebook streams, but once that was done, I could access each one from a button in the top navigation bar. Once I had added the accounts, I was able to find the few friends who were using it.

Useful Features

Streamy also works as an instant message client, allowing you to add logins for MSN, AIM, Yahoo, and Gtalk. For some reason, it didn’t import all my contacts, nor did it aggregate them, so I think you would be better off with something like Digsby, Pidgin or Meebo.

A potentially useful feature is the ability to add the feeds you read regularly. You can pick from some popular choices, or add them manually. Then you get a list of the latest news on your home page. Streamy also has groups, though none of these seem very active.

Customizing The Home Page

Once all that is done, you can customize the home page, by adding columns and widgets for the bits of services you use most often. I added three columns so that I could see my Twitter home, mentions and direct messages at the top of my screen, but left the Friendfeed and Facebook defaults as they were.

One good aspect of Streamy is that when you expand an entry you get access to the tools you would use on the original site. For example, an expanded Twitter entry has reply and retweet links (though no stars for favorites) and Facebook and Friendfeed entries offer you the chance to like or comment. That’s great, but is it enough?

The Verdict

While Streamy has potential, I don’t see it as a viable Friendfeed replacement at the moment. The link to my Facebook account seemed temperamental and the site failed several times during a single day. Plus, it’s just not as easy to use as Friendfeed.  Instead, I think I’ll go back to using services individually and aggregate my content through Storytlr.

Sharon Hurley Hall
Get Paid To Write Online.com

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