NaijaPulse is a microblogging service that allows users to say what they’re doing, start or follow a discussion, share a link or news item, join or create groups. The service runs on the Laconica microblogging software, version 0.7.1.

The service lets you share short text updates about yourself and what is happening around you with friends, colleagues, family and fans. Users post short (140 character) updates known as “pulses” which are broadcast to their friends, colleagues, family and fans using the Web, RSS, or instant messages.

What are the features?

Unlike Twitter, the site allows you to create groups, features users and has a link for popular posts. If you favour a post, it will be featured as a POPULAR on the right sidebar. You can also tag a word by preceding it with the hashtag (#). For example, tagging startupsnigeria will be #startupsnigeria. In twitter, it’s @startupsnigeria.

You can link your NaijaPulse account to your Twitter account, After linking, all your ‘pulses’ are automatically published at Twitter as well. You can use the ‘connect’ tab on your NaijaPulse account profile and provide the login data to your twitter account so that your updates are posted automatically. But, wouldn’t NaijaPulse have access to your twitter account? I doubt, since the login details are sent directly through the server, so no one can have access to your information.

NaijaPulse allows you to send direct messages to other naijapulse users, as long as both of you are subscribed to the RSS feeds of each other. You can also connect to your Twitter account and Facebook account.

What is unique?

NaijaPulse supports OpenMicroBlogging 0.1., a protocol that lets users of one microblogging service subscribe to updates by users of another service. What this means is that, if you use any other microblogging service such as Twitter, you subscribe to pulses from another user on NaijaPulse.

Thus, if you have an account on a remote site that supports OpenMicroBlogging, and you want to subscribe to the pulses of a user on NaijaPulse, you can click on the “Subscribe” link under their avatar on their profile page.

This should take you to the remote subscription page, where you enter your profile URL on the other microblogging service. You’ll be taken to your microblogging service, where you’ll be asked to confirm the subscription. When you confirm, your service will receive new notifications from the user on NaijaPulse, and your service will forward them to you (using IM, SMS, the Web, or whatever else).

You can follow Startups Nigeria on NaijaPulse.

My take

Good move from the guys at Naijand Inc., but I don’t seem to like the NaijaPulse logo as it lacks design sense and creativity.

I like the idea of a Nigerian Twitter-like service, but I’m concerned if the site would develop to become a useful tool for business just like Twitter has become for most companies around the world.

Obviously, Nigerian web addicts are gradually tapping into the power of Twitter and soon, my hope is that businesses would use such microblogging services like NaijaPulse. However, for this to happen, NaijaPulse must generate a lot of buzz about their service in order to experience a significant growth like Twitter, and thus position NaijaPulse as a useful tool for providing business updates and interacting with customers.

No doubt, most Nigerian businesses are yet to understand what Web 2.0 is, how social communities can help their businesses grow, and which of the social media sites could impact positively on their business growth. Until, these challenges are overcome, twittering or pulsing for Nigerian businesses would seem like a mirage.