One of the most important things any programmer needs to be taught is how to use version control. There's no getting around it; you could be the world's best hacker, but if you make one stupid little mistake without version control, that great, world-changing project of yours is scrap. And generally, most of us do use version control. For our code.

Image by Susan NYC via Flickr

Sorry to be such a downer, but with even my own optimism about the markets beginning to flag, I've begun to ask this question. As funding dries up and businesses close, what will happen to the world of social media?

Image via CrunchBase

Ever wish that Twitter was a good platform for conversations, rather than simply being a way to push announcements at people? Have I got a site for you! Blellow is a new microblogging site, currently in beta, that does it better than Twitter. While the beta is still missing a few useful features, what it does have already shows that the people behind Blellow have a better way to communicate via microblogging.

Image by Robert Scoble via FriendFeed

Facebook is bringing out some major changes to their service in the next week. One of the most visible changes will be its new website design, despite only having the current one for about nine months. And with this new design, their ripping-off of lifestream aggregator FriendFeed seems to be complete.

Image by Mickipedia via Flickr

Twitter is a great platform for making short announcements, or to send a quick reply to one. But as a conversation platform, Twitter is sorely lacking. And yet people keep trying, and then take offense when others point out the obvious – that Twitter conversations are awkward, hard to follow, and unnecessary, thanks to services like FriendFeed.