Flock: Firefox's Social Cousin

So here are some specifics for those who deal with requests from patrons for alternative browsers on library laptops or desktops or who may want a better understanding of the differences between Firefox and Flock. Plus, there is a small but growing population of users who are adopting Flock as their social Web browser. Consider this part of your Web 2.0 arsenal of information.

The most recent releases are faster and more secure than the preceding versions, and both are well ahead of Microsoft's (Nasdaq: MSFT) Internet Explorer, the dominant browser in the marketplace. Both Firefox and Flock also offer smart bookmarking and use the individual's browsing history to enhance navigation. If the browsers are similar to each other in performance, stability, and security and both are built on the same open source code base, why not use Firefox instead of adopting Flock, the lesser-known wannabe?

Something for Bloggers

Essentially, whether to use Firefox instead of Flock depends on how tightly welded the workflow is to the Web. If you are an active blogger, drawing upon content found in RSS feeds, and you are in constant communication with a network of peers, you may find that using Flock enhances your efficiency and productivity. This award-winning browser has been engineered so that Web workers can access Web content, view RSS feeds, and use an integrated editing tool to post text and other forms of media to a blog. They can also still monitor the continual flow of updates from social networking services such as Twitter and Facebook . While Firefox focuses on keeping the browser flexible and secure (allowing the individual user to customize functionality through various plug-ins), Flock already integrated much of the functionality into the browser so workers can pick up the tools and immediately start working.

Flock's integration means that the login processes for authentication and authorized access to popular sites (such as Blogger, Yahoo Mail, Magnolia, or Flickr) are minimized. Customization is still possible because of the similarity in the code base; plug-ins engineered for Firefox generally may be counted upon to work in Flock, if the workers decide that additional tweaks are necessary.

Widgets for Web Workers

How could this work within the context of a Web worker's day? By opening the Flock browser, the user is presented the MyWorld page with four viewable widget columns (Favorite Feeds, Friend Activity, Favorite Sites, and Favorite Media). Each widget or column displays a variety of associated sites. The Friend Activity widget offers options such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Flickr, dominant sites where an individual may have aggregated a social network.

Once the user logs in to those sites and authorizes Flock to remember the various passwords, the browser will funnel an updated flow of information from those networks through this particular widget. The Favorite Sites widget offers a basic list of sites that are recognizable brands (Picasa, Live Journal, del.icio.us, etc.) that the user is apt to visit frequently. If the browser notes (via history) that the user frequently accesses a site such as LibraryThing, the system will add that site to this listing automatically. The Favorite Feeds widget launches with a similar default display of branded feeds, but the user can add his or her own set of subscriptions. The Favorite Media displays items from the user's accounts on Flickr and YouTube.

While such a dashboard display may not seem unique, the strength of the integrated functionality emerges when the user starts to work on specific tasks. By focusing on RSS feeds, the user can choose single- or double-column viewing with an additional customization for reading headlines only, headline and snippet, or full text of an entry. The browser ticks off the items the user has read as he or she scrolls past, but smaller links below each feed item allow the worker to save, e-mail, share, or blog the specific item. By selecting the option to blog an item, the browser automatically opens a rich text editor that captures the specific headline, link, and source. Such a minor instance of streamlining the process allows the blogger to focus on creating content rather than on cut-and-paste or flipping between open tabs.

In the initial setup of Flock, the user is directed to include login information for his or her primary blogging platform. Multiple blogs may also be listed. When directed to publish the completed blog entry, the Flock browser simply logs in and posts to a specific blog without the user navigating directly to the host platform. Alternatively, a clipboard integrated into the browser lets a blogger copy a few sentences selectively from a page or news story and then drag and drop the sentences into a sidebar that can be included in a later entry. Flock's navigation bar and toolbar offer the user an easy mechanism for working interactively with content.

Ease of E-Mailing Pages

Similarly e-mailing a page to a colleague is just as easy through the browser's address bar. By pressing the visible e-mail button, the user sends the URL and page title automatically into the compose message window of the user-designated primary e-mail provider (Gmail, Yahoo Mail, or AOL). The browser is engineered to work fully with each provider, even to the point of alerting the user to new messages without the user navigating to the site. To send the page to a contact, the user just needs to add the recipient's address information, the message text, and then press the send button. Logins, pasting URLs, or creating links are done by the browser, not the user. While many content providers give the user the option of e-mailing from their sites, the use of the Flock browser for this type of task lets the user retain some privacy over the data the content provider might otherwise require, such as the recipient's name and e-mail address.

Such integration within the Flock browser reflects a reality: The modern worker is interacting with the content and communicating and collaborating with a Web community of peers. By choosing to work through the Flock browser, the worker smooths the daily processes that are part of a Web-based workflow. In keeping with the global work environment, Flock is available in 15 languages, including Chinese and Russian, with versions compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems.

Not Without Complaints

The difficulties encountered with Flock are those similar to those with Firefox: There have been complaints that the browser uses too much available caching space and system memory, which slows performance. Recent releases have dealt with this issue, and the Flock development team has a vibrant user community supporting the direction of additional improvements.

Given the current trend toward Web-based office suites and "working in the cloud," Flock's blend of tightly integrated functionality with recognition of the social Web is innovative and sensible. The company recently received $15 million in additional funding from investors who recognize the strategic value of Flock's approach as social networking sites ramp up in value, which is expected to reach US$2.4 billion in revenues over the next 4 years.

When Web browsers first emerged in the 1990s, some librarians in the community envisioned that such applications might represent the first step toward a universal user interface. Flock's integrated approach may be that next developmental step.