Ping! What would it take to get you to use it?

[anim8or]

What features would get you using Ping! ??

I think it would be interesting to see what people think would get them using Ping!

At the moment i feel that its more like Twitter than Facebook and lacks a lot of basic functionality.

Either Apple is being lazy and just hoping that Facebook will do all the work should some sort of agreement come to fruition, or they released a product well before it was ready.

One feature i think would make Ping! more appealing is the ability to message friends rather than only comment on their activity.

Anyone else have ideas on how to make Ping! better or is it doomed to failure?

 

[allmIne]

I was under the impression that uptake of Ping! had been very good. I guess I could be mistaken, though?

 

[rdowns]

A gun to the head of a loved one.

 

[robbieduncan]

I have it turned on/an account. I don't actually use it much though as it doesn't really add any value to the way I use iTunes.

 

[anim8or]

I have it turned on/an account. I don't actually use it much though as it doesn't really add any value to the way I use iTunes.

This is the extent to which i currently use it too... to be honest i only have 1 friend who uses it... the rest of my friends who own macs or iOS devices simply do not see any point as Ping! has got nothing going for it!!

Hence why i think it would be interesting to try and look upon Ping! in a positive light and discuss how it could be improved.

Ideas?

 

[kuwisdelu]

I have it turned on but rarely use it. I'd use it more if it functioned more like last.fm and kept track of songs played in your library rather than just purchases and "likes".

 

[R94N]

Money every time I used it maybe! I already use Last.fm though, and that does much of what Ping does.

 

[Mike225]

A new name, iTunes on my computer, features I want to use.

 

[wirelessmacuser]

It's a dud.

 

[gr8tfly]

ITunes store credit in the form of a "points" program for every sale made through a Ping reference/link.

 

[anim8or]

So i am guessing that no one thinks its worth saving....

I for one would love to see it offer a proper social experience, with chat options or fan chat rooms/discussions, more picture integration, etc.

Its possible that Apple aiming to make it a music only social experience is what is putting people off too... I love music and have a good size collection in iTunes, but my life doesn't revolve around it enough to wanna socialise purely about music....

C'mon lets see what people really want or, like i said earlier, is it dead... i dont wanna flog a dead donkey longer than i should!!!

 

[v5point0]

I don't use it, I gave it a trail but it just seems like an Apple Google Buzz to me. Why didn't they take cues from that disaster.

I feel uncomfortable associating my iTunes Store Account with my real identity (of course you can create a fake one, but that defeats the purpose).

Even if it wasn't the privacy factors, I don't think an integrated social networking tool is needed in iTunes. This only serves to further bloat iTunes.

 

[GGJstudios]

What features would get you using Ping! ??

Disable any internet access on iTunes and make sure it collects no information on my music library or my system, whatsoever. Then, pay me $500 and I'll check it out, when I have time. I feel the same way about MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, etc., etc.

 

[Detrius]

I initially used Ping just a little bit when it was released, but I was excessively upset about the fact that the existence of Ping meant the removal of Genius, as Ping was completely useless compared to Genius. Ping gives you recommendations based on what other people are buying, whereas Genius gives you recommendations based on what YOU are buying. Logically, Genius is the better approach, as it tells you what other people who bought music that you've bought have also bought.

Ping is a social network that requires you to use iTunes. All other social networks use your web browser. Ping is doomed to failure because it requires you to move away from the app you're accustomed to using for being social. People aren't going to start answering the question, "Where can I interact with my friends" by saying "iTunes."

 

[S.B.G]

Apple could pay me weekly to use it I suppose. Short of being paid to use Ping! I will not even turn it on. The same thing goes for Facebook, Twitter, MySpace et al. I don't have accounts on any of those social networking sites and I'm not going to start with Ping! either.

 

[Arran]

Apple could pay me...

I like the sentiment, but wouldn't it be better if we paid Apple?

That way, we could stop payment and the product would be toast.

 

[jmann]

The only way ping will get popular is for it to be integrated with the iPod app on the iPhone/iPad. Otherwise it is out-of-sight out-of-mind for me.

 

[Yamcha]

I have to agree, its a dud, I've actually tried to use it, its not my cup of tea.. Also when I first used it I couldn't find the artist I was looking for..

I haven't used it since.. I couldn't see myself using this at all..

 

[S.B.G]

I like the sentiment, but wouldn't it be better if we paid Apple?

That way, we could stop payment and the product would be toast.

Now there's a novel idea!

 

[anim8or]

I started using ping so i could follow artists that i was interested in and see how they go about their day to day, whether they could be bothered to post... some have embraced it and others have simply put their name up there and steer clear.

On that note i actually remembered that i had a Twitter account that i rarely used and decided to follow the same artists on Twitter.

The result... the same posts on both Ping and Itunes... even BEFORE they were integrated!!!

I now use Twitter more and have found other great usages for it like following my local traffic news... so i can find out about road closures or accidents when i am driving to work, etc...

Perhaps this thread should be submitted to apple, in a sort of ''look, even apple fanatics don't like ping, so save your time and money and invest in Final Cut Studio or some more R&D for mac!!!''

 

[dscuber9000]

I occasionally look at it. Some of my artists put up free songs occasionally, so I really like it.

 

[iKennett]

Ping needs to be about the iTunes store as a whole.. apps and all. Also strong Facebook integration....

 

[mox358]

So i am guessing that no one thinks its worth saving....

*SNIP*

I think the premise of Ping is cool... the problem I have with it is there is no compelling reason to use it. What does Ping do better than Facebook or Twitter? I only have one real life buddy who uses Ping.. as opposed to hundreds of FB friends. If I really like a song, do I post it on Ping, where my 1 buddy sees it, can listen to preview and have a direct link to buy it, which is convenient OR just put in a FB post and let multiple hundreds of people see it, and leave it up to the ones who are motivated enough to look it up on their own.

Reminds me a lot of when Steve introduced the iPad and said that if it wasn't better than laptops or smartphones, it didn't have a purpose for existing. I think Ping NEEDS integration with FB to truly work. Ping has the content and the ease of use, FB/Twitter have the audience.

 

[v5point0]

I think Ping NEEDS integration with FB to truly work. Ping has the content and the ease of use, FB/Twitter have the audience.

They have already integrated twitter, your activity feed on Ping is shared on the Twittersphere. Then again does it really improve Ping? Navigating on iTunes Store is slower then on a web browser, do you think many have the patience or the need to do so, not to mention leaving iTunes open on their computer as some sort of Tweetdeck. Even Tweetdeck realizes its flaw as a desktop app and is working on a web app.

It is not just social networks going on web apps, its everything going on web apps, because the browser is the single most important thing on your computer. It is your gateway to the web and everything related to it, Google sees this well. So having an application which does some sort of web functionality when it was originally not intended is redundant.

The only way ping will get popular is for it to be integrated with the iPod app on the iPhone/iPad. Otherwise it is out-of-sight out-of-mind for me.

There is integration with iTunes on iOS, but are you seriously going to be checking into it when it is unbearably slow. iTunes on the desktop is already slower then browsing on the web, how do you think iTunes iOS will fair?

 

[mox358]

They have already integrated twitter, your activity feed on Ping is shared on the Twittersphere. Then again does it really improve Ping? Navigating on iTunes Store is slower then on a web browser, do you think many have the patience or the need to do so, not to mention leaving iTunes open on their computer as some sort of Tweetdeck. Even Tweetdeck realizes its flaw as a desktop app and is working on a web app.

I have iTunes open 99% of the time I'm using my computer, playing music while I work. With the iTunes sidebar I can comment on songs, like songs, etc.. while I'm using iTunes. If I'm using iTunes and I hear/buy a song and want to share it, that's the appropriate place to do so. I'm already in the desktop app, so why should I have to goto the web to do what's right in front of me?

iTunes should be the publisher, sending the information I enter to FB/Twitter. That exposes it to the world, where my FB friends can comment (or even better, play the song preview on FB, buy, like, etc..). All that information (again, if Ping/FB integrate with each other) would then be dumped back to Ping so if I'm on iTunes I can see what my friends said or bought, or if I'm on FB I can see the same information.

Basically the information exchange should be two-way, so if I'm in iTunes on Ping or on FB I see the same songs, comments, likes, etc... If I'm on FB and want to buy a song, iTunes is going to have to open anyway, so at that point the discussion is moot.

You're right though about Ping/iTunes being slow... perhaps iTunes Preview will expand to allow Ping integration (if it doesn't already) and give you a quick web interface for when iTunes isn't open... but if you're buying or listening to music aren't you going to have iTunes open already?