1. Push vs. Pull Alerts and Messaging

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    Part of the big buzz surrounding Web 2.0 has been pull alerts as opposed to push alerts.

    Push alerts / messages -  I send you a message.  This is how email and IM work.  I choose when, where, and how the message is sent and largely control how you receive it.  I send an email, you get it in your inbox.

    Pull alerts / messages - I send a message which may (or may not) be intended for you primarily.  You decide when, where, how, and IF you receive it.  This most common form of this is RSS/ATOM feeds.  I publish to my blog / Twitter / whatever and you subscribe to me if you want to.  You can receive alerts via email, IM, Xanga, Facebook, Google Reader, BoxtheWeb, Sage, or a myriad of other options.

    Some have said that push alerts are dying.

    This makes some sense.  When I post on a forum, I don't want to have their system email me every time there is a reply (email/push).  What I really want is to have easy access to a list of posts replying to mine to look over (RSS/pull).

    However, this can go a bit too far.  Pull IM does exist to some extent, but it defeats the purpose.  I want you to see something NOW, it's URGENT, INSTANT.  Pull does not fit this.

    Push alert systems, however, just refuse to die!  Facebook/Myspace messages/wall posts.  Blog comments.  New friend-group messaging systems like Pownce.  Push is extremely popular.

    The masses are rarely right, but perhaps we shouldn't brush off push alerting altogether at this point.

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    Stephen Weber at 2007-07-12 12:57 | 2 Comments / Trackbacks
Stephen Paul Weber