The software, which was previously sold for $149, is now being offered for free by Google.
I, of course, tool whore that I am, immediately downloaded it. However, I hadn’t had the chance to play with it until today.
Basically, it’s akin to other filter programs – you install the software, and if you have Photoshop (which I do), it adds a box when you open up Photoshop.
So I opened up an old photo file and started playing. 🙂
It’s very similar to Perfect Effects, though you can use this while in Photoshop, rather than having to open a separate program. Handy!
I didn’t try out all the filters, but I have to say, I am very impressed with the ones I did try.
With a few simple clicks, I was able to make some pretty amazing changes to the photo I was working with.
Unlike Perfect Effects, the Nik Collection offers a lot more options when working with the filters/effects.
This is the original photo I chose to experiment on.
After opening up Photoshop, and picking out a filter in Nik, this is what the photo looked like:
Soft Analog Efex Pro 2
I love how the filter really brought out the texture of the fur.
The shadows are darker, and the background has a lot more texture.
I was able to adjust things like saturation and hue via Nik, without having to touch anything in Photoshop.
So if you like being able to add filters and effects but don’t like fiddling around with the all the little details, you can. If you like fiddling around with all the little details, you can do that too. 🙂
Soft Nostalgic Film Efex
This was another filter I tried, and I love how it looks. Again, the filter helped to bring out some of the details in the original photo.
The name of the filter is ‘nostalgic’ in the Film Efex in Nik. So adorable!
Though Nik can be used in conjunction with Photoshop, it can also be used on its own.
So if you’ve been looking for a program to help edit your photos, but didn’t want to pay out a bunch of $, Google has just made your day. 🙂
I love Twitter, though I’m not all that adept at using it yet.
I constantly forget to tag people (with their @ names), I can never think of a good hashtag for tweets, and I’m still trying to figure out lists.
I use TweetDeck to schedule tweets for my blog (is there a way to do that BEFORE the post is actually published?) and I follow quite a few SL hashtags.
Of all the social media I’m currently using, I think Twitter takes up the least of my time.
It’s easy to skim through and read what I find interesting and skip over the rest.
I can scroll through on my phone whenever I have a few spare minutes and I’m all caught up.
Facebook
I hate Facebook.
With a passion.
I get that it’s a nice tool to stay in touch with people.
But I just. Can’t. Even.
Nope.
I realize that I’m probably costing myself traffic by not having a FB linked to my blog.
I’ll deal.
It’s just not worth the hassle and the worry of getting deleted.
I could set up a page, I suppose, but then I would still have to use Facebook.
After reading these posts, I spend a lot of time on internal debates, on researching related things on the internet, and then the next thing you know, it’s 5 hours later, my butt is asleep, and I realize I forgot to eat lunch.
The other biggest time social media time suck for me is Plurk.
I avoided joining Plurk for a long time, because people told me it was elitist and full of snarky SL people.
I haven’t found that to be true at all.
There is some seriously hilarious shizz going on in Plurk. 😛
I’ve seen pictures of crazy, cannibalistic land-crabs (yet another reason to never go to Florida), watched others install Windows10 (their results were sadly, sometimes not as good as mine), and learned that texture thrashing makes people want to strangle LL.
A lot of the people on Plurk have been in SL forever, so I’m constantly learning something new.
Plus, some of them are just plain hysterical.
It’s like all the cute cat videos and funny memes and friends all rolled into one place.
It probably took me twice as long as usual to write this post, because I kept going back to Plurk to check on things.
Plus, everyone uses all these cute gifs, so I have become a gif collector.
Because who knows when you’ll need a good Phil Collins gif, amiright?
😀
If you are on any of these social networks, please add me – I promise not to stalk you. 😛
I’ve posted several times about how overwhelming managing multiple social media accounts can be.
Apparently I’m a glutton for punishment. -.-
I went and signed myself up for some new networks.
If you belong to any of these networks, look me up – I’m always happy to meet new friends. 🙂
KoinUp
KoinUp is a site I found after watching an episode of Designing Worlds on photography.
My first impression is that it’s sort of like Flickr (which you can apparently cross-post to from KoinUp).
I joined a few groups and I’m giving it a few days to see how I like it.
I added KoinUp to my Feedly reader a month or so ago, and I like being able to just scan through some of the art when I have a few free moments.
I tried adding Flickr to Feedly, but they refuse to play nice together. 😦
Reddit
On the recommendation of Ever Afterr (check out her blog here), I decided to check out Reddit.
After reading through the FAQs and their posting rules, I decided to go ahead and join.
It’s kind of overwhelming at first, but I removed a bunch of subreddits and pared it down to a usable amount.
I found a book subreddit, so I’m already having fun reading everyone’s comments.
(Just FYI – I hated Anna Karenina and my favorite book of all time is a tie – To Kill a Mockingbird/Jane Eyre.)
I couldn’t find a mobile app for Reddit that wasn’t 3rd party, so I’ll have to see how useful/engaging I find it if I’m only using it when on my PC. (If you have any suggestions that work well for you, let me know.)
Ello
I signed up for Ello when it first came out, because I hate Facebook.
I haven’t been on in months, and decided to go back a few days ago to check it out.
It doesn’t seem that active for SLers – or am I missing something?
If you’re on Ello, tell me – I would love to have some active people to follow!
I also read (I think) that they are working on a mobile app, which would let me be more active.
I spend most of my time on social networks via my phone, not my PC.
Other Projects
Becky recently wrote a blog post about SEO and blogging.
In it, she mentioned Google’s Webmaster Tools.
I had tried using them months ago, but got lost in all the technicalities and just abandoned it.
I went back and tried to get back into it.
I’m still floundering. 😦
I’m also debating whether it is worth the work to get a Google+ Page in addition to my profile.
I’m also investigating some other apps that would help me manage all the social media streams.
If you have a Google+ Page or use a service like HootSuite, I’d love to hear your feedback.
In the last few of weeks, there have been a couple of posts over at New World Notes about various social media networks and the writer’s opinion on their usefulness for Second Life users.
As a blogger, I am always looking for ways to make connections – with other bloggers, readers, SLers, etc.
A great way to do that is social media.
However, there are sooo many platforms and only 24 hours in a day (and I reserve some of those hours for sleep and RL!), so how do you decide which ones to use?
Also, how can you get the most out of the time you do spend on each network?
Rather than covering all the networks mentioned in the NWN articles, I’m going to stick to the ones I use or have questions about (hey, this is about me, right?).
I would love to streamline my process, so I’m asking all you brilliant people for your tips and tricks on the various platforms.
WordPress
(Okay, this isn’t really a social network, but I still have questions. 😛 )
Obviously, I use WordPress to blog.
However, a TON of people use Blogger.
Is there an easy way (or any way) to ‘like’ a Blogger post?
On WordPress blogs, I can hit a ‘like’ button or leave a comment very easily.
I haven’t found a way to ‘like’ Blogger posts.
Also, with Blogger posts, I have to pick a ‘profile’ to use for a comment and 9 times out of 10, when I hit ‘publish,’ Blogger eats my comment. -.-
Twitter
I use Twitter, but I’m not sure that it’s all that useful for networking in SL.
I follow quite a few people, but most tweets tend to be people tweeting their blog posts or pics.
Is there a way to streamline/pick SL content for my Twitter feed?
I have tried using TweetDeck, but I usually am on a mobile device when I’m on Twitter, so is there a way to use TweetDeck on mobile?
Are there ‘must-follow’ people on Twitter?
What hashtags do most SLers use when tweeting about SL?
Flickr
I finally caved several months ago and got a Flickr account, and I must say, I love it.
I love taking photos and playing around in Photoshop, and I’m having a ton of fun.
However, the Flickr UI (which apparently is constantly changing), is not user-friendly at all.
I have joined groups and followed others, but is there a way to easily view recent group photos besides clicking through to each group’s postings?
A group photostream, like the one I get for people I follow on Flickr?
I’ve tried adding an RSS feed to my feed reader (Feedly), but it doesn’t work. 😦
Are there tags I should be using (for my own photos and for searching) other than ‘Second Life’ or ‘SL’?
Avatar Social Network (ASN)
I signed up for ASN because I loathe Facebook.
I know I can have a Facebook Page as my avatar, but I don’t like the constantly changing privacy policies at Facebook.
Plus, a Page just doesn’t give you the tools that a profile does, so it doesn’t foster the same networking ability.
I like ASN.
It’s easy to use (it’s set up in many ways like Facebook with ‘likes,’ ‘groups,’ ‘pages,’ etc.) and there is a large friendly community.
ASN serves other virtual worlds besides SL, but there are plenty of active SLers on ASN.
However, I feel like I could be getting more out of ASN.
Are there people I should be following on ASN?
Any input about ASN is appreciated. 🙂
Google+
I am on Google because I have Gmail.
I do not have a Google+ page – should I?
People can follow my profile on Google – is it necessary to also have a page?
I like Google – I think the tools are more intuitive to use than most other platforms.
But like ASN, I often feel I could/should be getting more out of the time I spend there.
Other Platforms
I am on Ello, but when I first joined, it was not very populated.
I haven’t been back in a while – is the SL community there growing?
Or was it just the latest new shiny alternative to Facebook?
What about SLUniverse and the forums?
Are there other platforms that are helpful for networking with other SLers?
As I work to increase the reach of my blog, I’ve found myself wondering how other bloggers do things.
One of the recommended ways to increase blog traffic is to be syndicated.
The definition of syndication, according to Dictionary.com, is “topublishsimultaneously,orsupplyforsimultaneouspublication,inanumberofnewspapersorotherperiodicalsindifferentplaces.”
As I have become more active in the blogging world, I’ve noticed that most vendors who are looking for bloggers want to know what ‘feeds’ your blog is on in the application.
Now, as I’m sure you’re aware, there are MILLION blogs about SL.
Probably 95% of them are fashion blogs.
My blog is not a fashion blog, although I do LOTD posts.
Following links on other blogs, I’ve found a couple of blogs that are ‘feeds.’
However, the process for getting a blog on a feed is a mystery to me.
I am clueless as to how you locate a ‘feed’ (especially if you are not a fashion blogger) and what the requirements are for getting on a feed.
I would love to get my blog on a ‘feed/s’ and be able to claim syndication, but alas, I am a (mostly) dance blog lost in a sea of clothing. 😦
In addition to syndication/feeds, I wonder how other bloggers manage to stay up to date with the overwhelming amount of info that is published each day on the interwebs.
I use the WordPress reader to follow blogs, but if the blog I want to follow is not also a WordPress blog (if, for example, it’s a Blogger blog or even a self-hosted blog), the updates on the Reader feed are hit and miss.
I don’t want to have to visit every website to check for updates (that’s the whole point of a feed reader, right?), so I’ve been very frustrated.
I’ve tried to see if there is something I need to change in the settings for my WP Reader, but haven’t had any luck locating any information.
I will continue to use WP for my blog, because I love it, but I’m considering buying a domain and going self-hosted.
I’m also wondering if I should use a different feed reader (like Feedly) instead of relying on the built-in WP reader.
Are there options out there that would also help with cross-posting in the various social media platforms?
Trying to keep up every day with blogs, Twitter, Google+, emails, Flickr, and other social media is taking way more time than I’d like it to.
I don’t have a Google Page (is that worth doing?), I’m on Ello (does anyone use Ello?), and I’m wondering if I’m already on too many platforms, or if I’m not on enough.
So, fellow bloggers/readers/social media experts – help a girl out here!
What do you do or recommend in regards to feeds/readers/syndication/social media?
Ok, Facebook probably isn’t this bad, but who knows?
Shakespeare said, “Parting is such sweet sorrow.” (Romeo & Juliet, in case you’re interested.) But not for me. I made the decision to part ways with Facebook.
I’ve never really cared for Facebook – their vague privacy settings, their data mining, their sale of my information to anyone they chose. But a few things lately have finally ‘gotten my goat,’ so to speak, and I made the decision to deactivate my Facebook account. (I say ‘deactivate’ because I’ve yet to find a way to actually ‘delete’ my information on Facebook.)
Now, everyone knows that it is against Facebook’s TOS to set up a profile using an ‘avatar’ name or some other pseudonym. But millions of people have done it, and Facebook seems to be very lackadaisical about policing that particular aspect of their TOS.
Until recently.
About a month ago, many of my friends on Facebook starting changing the names on their SL/avatar profiles to match their ‘real life’ names because there was another ongoing round of account deletions and they were afraid that their account would be targeted next. Which is fine, that’s their choice. However, I don’t know some of these people outside of SL. So if I know you as Meegan Foxhound and suddenly you show up as Jane Foster, I’m confused as hell. 😛
And then Facebook had the gall to delete the accounts of some drag queens. *Cue dramatic music* The drag queens have taken Facebook on, demanding that they be allowed to use their ‘chosen’ name. Facebook has stood firm, telling the divas that they can either use their ‘legal’ name or they can change their profile to a ‘page.’ What’s the difference between a page and a profile?
Money.
If you are a ‘profile,’ people you know see your posts. (Only about 16% of them see your post, but that’s a different story.) If you are a ‘page,’ you can pay Facebook to ‘promote’ whatever you are posting, thereby guaranteeing that more than 16% of your friends see what you’ve posted.
The divas have threatened to keep on fighting. Me, I don’t see the point. Sometimes the smartest thing to do is walk away.
Facebook is NOT the only player in the social media game. Google+ allows avatar/character names. Move over there – that’s what many SLers have already done. As more people move to Google+, the more robust and useful it will be. And as more and more people abandon Facebook, it will be forced to change its TOS, or go the way of MySpace. Or, you can sign up for ASN (Avatar Social Network) – a social network specifically designed for those who have a virtual/online identity and want to keep it separate (or not) from their ‘real life.’
The proverbial ‘last straw’ for me was reading a story about how Facebook was experimenting on its users without their knowledge. You can read about it here. The article quotes Kate Crawford, visiting professor at MIT’s Center for Civic Media and principal researcher at Microsoft Research, and her response sums up my feelings: “It’s completely unacceptable for the terms of service to force everybody on Facebook to participate in experiments.” Ms. Crawford said it points to broader problem in the data science industry. Ethics are not “a major part of the education of data scientists and it clearly needs to be,” she said.
Basically, it’s akin to other filter programs – you install the software, and if you have Photoshop (which I do), it adds a box when you open up Photoshop.
I didn’t try out all the filters, but I have to say, I am very impressed with the ones I did try.
