Flock (web browser): Difference between revisions
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{{short description|Discontinued web browser integrating social networking and Web 2.0 features}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2012}}
{{Infobox software
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| caption = Flock 3.5.3 running on [[Windows 7]] displaying its new tab page
| developer = Flock, Inc.
| released = {{start date and age|2005|4|11}}<ref name="released" />
| discontinued = yes
| latest release version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|reference|edit|Q488886|P348|P548=Q2804309}}
| operating system = [[Windows]], [[OS X]], [[Linux]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Flock Global Page|url=http://flock.softpedia.com/|work=[[Softpedia]]|publisher=SoftNews|accessdate=15 December 2013}}</ref>▼
| latest release date = {{start date and age|{{wikidata|qualifier|Q488886|P348|P548=Q2804309|P577}}}}
▲| operating system = [[Windows]], [[OS X]], [[Linux]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Flock Global Page|url=http://flock.softpedia.com/|work=[[Softpedia]]|publisher=SoftNews|
| language = Catalan, Chinese (both Traditional and Simplified), English (US, Australian, British, Canadian), Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Japanese, Italian, Polish, Portuguese (Portugal + African Portuguese Speaking Countries and Brazil), Russian, Slovak, Spanish (Latin American and Spain)
| genre = [[Web browser]]<br/>[[Feed reader]]
| license = [[Freeware]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Flock (Discontinued) 3.5.3.4641 / 2.6.1|url=http://www.softpedia.com/get/Internet/Browsers/Flock-for-Windows.shtml|work=[[Softpedia]]|publisher=SoftNews|
|website =[https://web.archive.org/web/20110325151017/http://www.flock.com/ Official website archives]
▲| license = [[Freeware]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Flock (Discontinued) 3.5.3.4641 / 2.6.1|url=http://www.softpedia.com/get/Internet/Browsers/Flock-for-Windows.shtml|work=[[Softpedia]]|publisher=SoftNews|accessdate=15 December 2013}}</ref>
}}
'''Flock''' is a discontinued [[web browser]] that specialized in providing [[Social network service|social networking]] and [[Web 2.0]] facilities built into its [[user interface]].<ref>[http://www.flock.com/mozilla Flock Browser – Built on Mozilla's Firefox] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080309195026/http://www.flock.com/mozilla |date=March 9, 2008
Earlier versions of Flock used the [[Gecko (layout engine)|Gecko]] [[Web browser engine|HTML rendering engine]] by [[Mozilla]].
Version 2.6.2, released on January 27, 2011, was the last version based on Mozilla Firefox.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.flock.com/release-notes/index.html |title=Flock 2.6.2 Release Notes |publisher=Flock |
Starting with version 3, Flock was based on [[Chromium (web browser)|Chromium]] and so used the [[WebKit]] rendering engine.<ref>{{cite web|url=
Flock was available as a free download, and supported [[Microsoft Windows]], [[Mac OS X]] and, at one time, [[Linux]] as well.
Support for Flock was discontinued in April 2011.<ref name="OMG" /><ref name="Archive" />
== History ==
Flock was the successor to Round Two, who raised money from [[Bessemer Venture Partners]], Catamount Ventures, Shasta Ventures and other [[angel investor]]s. [[Bart Decrem]] and [[Geoffrey Arone]] co-founded the company.<ref>[http://www.flock.com/company-info Flock Browser - Company Info] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080314185726/http://www.flock.com/company-info |date=March 14, 2008
In January 2011, Flock Inc. was acquired by [[Zynga]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Wasserman|first=Todd|title=Zynga Buys Social Web Browser Flock|url=http://mashable.com/2011/01/07/zynga-buys-flock/|work=Mashable|date=2011-01-07|
==Features==
Flock 2.5 integrated social networking and media services including [[MySpace]],<ref name="2.0 release" /> [[Facebook]], [[YouTube]], [[Twitter]], [[Flickr]], [[Blogger (service)|Blogger]], [[Gmail]], [[Yahoo! Mail]], etc.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.flock.com/user-guide/2.0/advpeop.html | title = Activate Services and Unite Your Social Networks in the People Sidebar | work = User guides | publisher = Flock |
Other features include:
* Native [[file sharing|sharing]] of text, links, photos and videos<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.flock.com/user-guide/2.0/advshar.html | title = Share Pictures, Text, Audio and Video | work = User guides | publisher = Flock |
* A "Media Bar" showing preview of online videos and photos as well as subscription to photo and video feeds<ref name="infoworld" /><ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.flock.com/user-guide/2.0/advmdia.html | title = View and Share Media through the Media Bar | work = User guides | publisher = Flock |
* A [[feed aggregator|feed reader]] supporting [[Atom (standard)|Atom]], [[RSS]], and [[Media RSS]]<ref name="2.0 release" /> feeds<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.flock.com/user-guide/2.0/advfeed.html | title = Track Feeds | work = User guides | publisher = Flock |
* A blog editor and reader, allowing direct posting into any designated blog<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.flock.com/user-guide/2.0/advblog.html | title = Activate and Manage Blogs | work = User guides | publisher = Flock |
* A [[Webkit]]-mail component allowing users to check supported [[web-based email]] off site, compose new messages, and [[drag-and-drop]] pictures and videos from the "Media Bar" or webclipboard into a new email message<ref>{{cite news|url=http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jrTJ2xmceQU6D6HK9R35lzNyBbhAD91HAHT02 |title=Review: Strong, innovative Web browsers emerge |agency=Associated Press |
* Support for [[Third-party software component|third-party]] add-ons, including a number of [[Add-on (Mozilla)|Firefox extensions]]<ref name="infoworld" /><ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.flock.com/user-guide/2.0/advextd.html | title = Get or Build Add-ons for Flock | work = User guides | publisher = Flock |
==Reception==
*''[[Download.com]]'' rated it 5 out of 5 <ref name="awards" />
*Ranked no. 6 on ''[[PC World (magazine)|PC World]]'s'' list of the 100 best products of 2008 <ref name="best2008" /><ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.pcworld.com/article/146161/best.html?page=2 | title = The 100 Best Products of 2008 | date = May 26, 2008 | publisher = [[PC World (magazine)|PC World]] |
In December 2007, Flock won the ''[[Mashable]]'' [[Open Web Awards]] for Applications and Widgets<ref>{{cite web|author=Adam Hirsch 86 |url=http://mashable.com/2007/12/21/open-web-awards-winners/ |title=Open Web Awards Winners |publisher=Mashable.com |date=21 December 2007 |
''[[CNET]]'' gave the Mac OS X version of Flock 1.0 the title of "Best Mac Software of 2007".<ref>{{cite web |last=Parker |first=Jason |url=http://www.download.com/8301-2007_4-9835869-12.html |title=Best Mac Software of 2007 |publisher=Download.com |date=20 December 2007 |
In February 2008, [[AOL]] announced that it would discontinue support for the [[Netscape (web browser)|Netscape browser]], and recommended Flock and [[Mozilla Firefox|Firefox]] as alternative browsers to its userbase of [[Netscape|Netscape 9]] users.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blog.netscape.com/2008/02/20/netscape-9-users-time-to-flock-or-firefox/ |title=Netscape 9 Users: Time to Flock or Firefox |publisher=Blog.netscape.com |date=20 February 2008 |
In May 2008, Flock won the Social Networking category of the [[Webby Awards]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.webbyawards.com/webbys/current.php?season=CURRENT_SEASON#webby_entry_social |title=2008 Webby Award Winners |publisher=Webbyawards.com |access-date
When Flock's discontinuation was announced in April 2011, reviewer Joey Sneddon of ''OMG! Ubuntu!'' offered the analysis: "Whether this was down to poor implementation design wise (one needs only glance at '[[Rockmelt]]' for an example of a social browser done right) or just general apathy towards having alerts from twitter, flickr, facebook, digg ''et al.'' in your face all of the time is moot: Flock has flocked off and for all its innovation it never quite lived up to its own hype."<ref name="OMG" />
==Awards==
Upon exiting beta, Flock won a number of awards:<ref name="awards">{{cite web |url=http://flock.com/press |title=Flock's press}}</ref>
*''[[Webby Award]]'' in social networking, 2008<ref name="best2008" />
*''[[South by Southwest|SXSW]]'' community Award, 2008 <ref name="awards" /><ref name="best2008" />
*''[[Mashable|Open Web Award]]'' for Applications and Widgets, 2007 <ref name="awards" />
*"Eddy Winner": Flock 2.0 24th Annual Macworld Editors' Choice Awards <ref>{{cite web|last=Michaels |first=Philip |url=http://www.macworld.com/article/137269/2008/12/eddyawards_flock2.html |title=Eddy Winner: Flock 2.0 |publisher=Macworld.com |access-date
== See also ==
* [[Comparison of feed aggregators]]
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==References==
{{
<ref name="2.0 release">[http://flock.com/node/64027 Official release announcement on Shawn Hardin's blog] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081018110317/http://flock.com/node/64027 |date=October 18, 2008}}</ref>
<ref name="
<ref name="best2008">{{cite web | url = http://flock.com/node/62277 | title = Flock Named As One of PC World's "100 Best Products of 2008" | access-date = 2008-06-17}}</ref>
<ref name="infoworld">{{cite web|last=Wayner|first=Peter|title=Top 10 specialty Web browsers you may have missed|url=http://www.infoworld.com/d/applications/top-10-specialty-web-browsers-you-may-have-missed-026?page=0,2#flock|publisher=[[InfoWorld]]|
<ref name="OMG">{{Cite news|url = http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2011/04/end-of-the-line-for-flock-social-browser/|title = End of the line for Flock social browser|
<ref name="
▲<ref name="infoworld">{{cite web|last=Wayner|first=Peter|title=Top 10 specialty Web browsers you may have missed|url=http://www.infoworld.com/d/applications/top-10-specialty-web-browsers-you-may-have-missed-026?page=0,2#flock|publisher=[[InfoWorld]]|accessdate=October 28, 2010|page=2|date=October 19, 2010}}</ref>
▲<ref name="OMG">{{Cite news|url = http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2011/04/end-of-the-line-for-flock-social-browser/|title = End of the line for Flock social browser|accessdate = April 15, 2011|last =Sneddon|first = Joey|authorlink = |date=April 2011| work = OMG Ubuntu}}</ref>
}}
==External links==
*{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110325151017/http://www.flock.com/ |date=25 March 2011 |title=Official website archives}}<!--- WWW is required! --->
{{Webby Awards|year=2008|cat=social networking|type=Winner}}
|
Latest revision as of 12:27, 18 May 2023
![]() | |
![]() Flock 3.5.3 running on Windows 7 displaying its new tab page | |
Developer(s) | Flock, Inc. |
---|---|
Initial release | April 11, 2005[1] |
Final release | |
Preview release | none (n/a) [±] |
Operating system | Windows, OS X, Linux[2] |
Available in | Catalan, Chinese (both Traditional and Simplified), English (US, Australian, British, Canadian), Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Japanese, Italian, Polish, Portuguese (Portugal + African Portuguese Speaking Countries and Brazil), Russian, Slovak, Spanish (Latin American and Spain) |
Type | Web browser Feed reader |
License | Freeware[3] |
Website | Official website archives |
Flock is a discontinued web browser that specialized in providing social networking and Web 2.0 facilities built into its user interface.[4] Earlier versions of Flock used the Gecko HTML rendering engine by Mozilla. Version 2.6.2, released on January 27, 2011, was the last version based on Mozilla Firefox.[5][6] Starting with version 3, Flock was based on Chromium and so used the WebKit rendering engine.[7][8] Flock was available as a free download, and supported Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X and, at one time, Linux as well.
Support for Flock was discontinued in April 2011.[9][10]
History[edit]
Flock was the successor to Round Two, who raised money from Bessemer Venture Partners, Catamount Ventures, Shasta Ventures and other angel investors. Bart Decrem and Geoffrey Arone co-founded the company.[11] Flock raised $15 million in a fourth round of funding led by Fidelity Ventures on May 22, 2008, for an estimated total of $30 million, according to CNET. The company's previous investors, Bessemer Venture Partners, Catamount Ventures, and Shasta Ventures, also participated in the round.[12]
In January 2011, Flock Inc. was acquired by Zynga.[13] The browser has been discontinued, with support ending April 26, 2011.[14]
Features[edit]
Flock 2.5 integrated social networking and media services including MySpace,[15] Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Flickr, Blogger, Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, etc.[16] When logging into any of the supported social services, Flock could track updates from friends: profiles, uploaded photos, and more. Flock 2.5 added Twitter Search functionality, multi-casting of status updates to multiple services, and the introduction of instant messaging via Facebook Chat in the browser.
Other features include:
- Native sharing of text, links, photos and videos[17]
- A "Media Bar" showing preview of online videos and photos as well as subscription to photo and video feeds[8][18]
- A feed reader supporting Atom, RSS, and Media RSS[15] feeds[19]
- A blog editor and reader, allowing direct posting into any designated blog[20]
- A Webkit-mail component allowing users to check supported web-based email off site, compose new messages, and drag-and-drop pictures and videos from the "Media Bar" or webclipboard into a new email message[21]
- Support for third-party add-ons, including a number of Firefox extensions[8][22]
Reception[edit]
- Download.com rated it 5 out of 5 [23]
- Ranked no. 6 on PC World's list of the 100 best products of 2008 [24][25]
In December 2007, Flock won the Mashable Open Web Awards for Applications and Widgets[26] and in March 2008, Flock won the South By Southwest[27] Web Award for Community.[28]
CNET gave the Mac OS X version of Flock 1.0 the title of "Best Mac Software of 2007".[29] PC World's Harry McCracken reviewed Flock as his "New Favorite Web Browser".[30]
In February 2008, AOL announced that it would discontinue support for the Netscape browser, and recommended Flock and Firefox as alternative browsers to its userbase of Netscape 9 users.[31] For the Netscape 8 userbase, AOL recommended only the Flock browser to its users.[32] In March 2008, Flock announced that they had seen "nearly 3 million downloads" and a 135% increase in active users in the first two months of 2008. They also announced "more than 70 percent of Flock users making it their default browser of choice".[33]
In May 2008, Flock won the Social Networking category of the Webby Awards.[34][35] Flock was nominated for this award along with Facebook, Bebo and Ning.
When Flock's discontinuation was announced in April 2011, reviewer Joey Sneddon of OMG! Ubuntu! offered the analysis: "Whether this was down to poor implementation design wise (one needs only glance at 'Rockmelt' for an example of a social browser done right) or just general apathy towards having alerts from twitter, flickr, facebook, digg et al. in your face all of the time is moot: Flock has flocked off and for all its innovation it never quite lived up to its own hype."[9]
Awards[edit]
Upon exiting beta, Flock won a number of awards:[23]
- Webby Award in social networking, 2008[24]
- SXSW community Award, 2008 [23][24]
- Open Web Award for Applications and Widgets, 2007 [23]
- "Eddy Winner": Flock 2.0 24th Annual Macworld Editors' Choice Awards [36]
See also[edit]
- Comparison of feed aggregators
- Comparison of web browsers
- List of feed aggregators
- List of web browsers
- RockMelt, a competing social web browser
- Push technology
References[edit]
- ^ Festa, Paul (April 11, 2005). "Start-up wants to improve on Firefox". CNET. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
- ^ "Flock Global Page". Softpedia. SoftNews. Archived from the original on December 15, 2013. Retrieved December 15, 2013.
- ^ "Flock (Discontinued) 3.5.3.4641 / 2.6.1". Softpedia. SoftNews. Retrieved December 15, 2013.
- ^ Flock Browser – Built on Mozilla's Firefox Archived March 9, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Flock 2.6.2 Release Notes". Flock. Archived from the original on February 22, 2011. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
- ^ "Powered by Mozilla". Flock. Archived from the original on October 30, 2010. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
- ^ Iedtke, Michael (June 16, 2010). "Flock Browser Gets Faster, Friendlier With Upgrade". ABC. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
- ^ a b c Wayner, Peter (October 19, 2010). "Top 10 specialty Web browsers you may have missed". InfoWorld. p. 2. Retrieved October 28, 2010.
- ^ a b Sneddon, Joey (April 2011). "End of the line for Flock social browser". OMG Ubuntu. Retrieved April 15, 2011.
- ^ Flock Inc (April 15, 2012). "Support for Flock browsers has been discontinued". Archived from the original on April 29, 2011. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
- ^ Flock Browser - Company Info Archived March 14, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Flock draws $15 million for social browsing". CNET. Archived from the original on November 16, 2011. Retrieved August 6, 2012.
- ^ Wasserman, Todd (January 7, 2011). "Zynga Buys Social Web Browser Flock". Mashable. Retrieved August 6, 2012.
- ^ Van Grove, Jennifer (April 12, 2011). "Flock Shutters Social Web Browser". Mashable.
- ^ a b Official release announcement on Shawn Hardin's blog Archived October 18, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Activate Services and Unite Your Social Networks in the People Sidebar". User guides. Flock. Archived from the original on October 20, 2008. Retrieved October 22, 2008.
- ^ "Share Pictures, Text, Audio and Video". User guides. Flock. Retrieved October 22, 2008.
- ^ "View and Share Media through the Media Bar". User guides. Flock. Retrieved October 22, 2008.
- ^ "Track Feeds". User guides. Flock. Retrieved October 22, 2008.
- ^ "Activate and Manage Blogs". User guides. Flock. Retrieved October 22, 2008.
- ^ "Review: Strong, innovative Web browsers emerge". Associated Press. Archived from the original on June 28, 2008. Retrieved June 26, 2008.
- ^ "Get or Build Add-ons for Flock". User guides. Flock. Retrieved October 22, 2008.
- ^ a b c d "Flock's press".
- ^ a b c "Flock Named As One of PC World's "100 Best Products of 2008"". Retrieved June 17, 2008.
- ^ "The 100 Best Products of 2008". PC World. May 26, 2008. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
- ^ Adam Hirsch 86 (December 21, 2007). "Open Web Awards Winners". Mashable.com. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Web Awards Archived March 23, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ McCarthy, Caroline (March 11, 2008). "Oh wait! SXSWi had Web Awards, too". cnet.com. Archived from the original on August 9, 2011. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
- ^ Parker, Jason (December 20, 2007). "Best Mac Software of 2007". Download.com. Archived from the original on February 15, 2008. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
- ^ I Have A New Favorite Web Browser: Flock Archived November 8, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Netscape 9 Users: Time to Flock or Firefox". Blog.netscape.com. February 20, 2008. Archived from the original on August 13, 2011. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
- ^ "Netscape 8 Update Forthcoming: You Can Flock Too!". Blog.netscape.com. Archived from the original on July 30, 2011. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
- ^ "Flock Browser Use Growing Dramatically". Reuters.com. Archived from the original on May 3, 2008. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
- ^ "2008 Webby Award Winners". Webbyawards.com. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
- ^ Flock Wins a Webby Award for Best in Social Networking Archived May 10, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Michaels, Philip. "Eddy Winner: Flock 2.0". Macworld.com. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
External links[edit]
- Official website archives at the Wayback Machine (archived 25 March 2011)