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Flock (web browser)

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Flock
Developer(s)Flock, Inc.
Preview releasenone (n/a) [±]
Written inC++, XUL, XBL, JavaScript
Operating systemWindows, Mac OS X, Linux
Available inCatalan, 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)
TypeWeb browser
LicenseProprietary Software and GPL, some components also LGPL+MPL
Websiteflock.com

Template:Fix bunching Template:Fix bunching Flock is a web browser built on Mozilla’s Firefox codebase that specializes in providing social networking and Web 2.0 facilities built into its user interface.[1] Flock v2.5 was officially released on May 19, 2009.[2]

The Flock browser is available as a free download, and supports Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux platforms.

History

Flock is 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 cofounded the company.[3] Flock raised $15 million in a fourth round of funding led by Fidelity Ventures on May 22, 2008. The company's previous investors, Bessemer Venture Partners, Catamount Ventures, and Shasta Ventures, also participated in the round. "The company plans to use the funds to expand its research and development, marketing, and global expansion efforts. To date, the company has raised an estimated $30 million," according to its press release.[4]

Flock was one of the twelve browsers offered to European Economic Area users of Microsoft Windows in 2010.[5]

Features

Flock 2.5 integrates social networking and media services including MySpace,[6] Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Flickr, Blogger, Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, etc.[7] Notably, when logging into any of the supported social services, Flock can track updates from friends: profiles, uploaded photos, and more. Flock's latest 2.5 version 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:

Reception

In December 2007, Flock won the Mashable Open Web Awards for Applications and Widgets[17] and in March 2008, Flock won the South By Southwest[18] Web Award for Community.[19]

CNET gave the Mac OS X version of Flock 1.0 the title of "Best Mac Software of 2007."[20] PC World's Harry McCracken reviewed Flock as his "New Favorite Web Browser."[21].

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.[22] For the Netscape 8 userbase, AOL recommended only the Flock browser to its users.[23] In March 2008, Flock announced that they had seen "nearly 3 million downloads" and a 135% percent 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."[24]

In May 2008, Flock won the Social Networking category of the Webby Awards.[25][26] Flock was nominated for this award along with Facebook, Bebo and Ning.

Awards

Upon exiting beta Flock has won a number of awards:[14]

  • "Eddy Winner": Flock 2.0 24th Annual Macworld Editors' Choice Awards [27]

See also

References

  1. ^ Flock Browser - Built on Mozilla's Firefox
  2. ^ Official release announcement on Shawn Harding's blog
  3. ^ Flock Browser - Company Info
  4. ^ "Flock draws $15 million for social browsing". CNET. Retrieved 2008-05-23.
  5. ^ BBC, Microsoft offers browser choices to Europeans, 1 March 2010
  6. ^ a b Official release announcement on Shawn Harding's blog
  7. ^ "Activate Services and Unite Your Social Networks in the People Sidebar". User guides. Flock. Retrieved 2008-10-22.
  8. ^ "Share Pictures, Text, Audio and Video". User guides. Flock. Retrieved 2008-10-22.
  9. ^ "View and Share Media through the Media Bar". User guides. Flock. Retrieved 2008-10-22.
  10. ^ "Track Feeds". User guides. Flock. Retrieved 2008-10-22.
  11. ^ "Activate and Manage Blogs". User guides. Flock. Retrieved 2008-10-22.
  12. ^ "Review: Strong, innovative Web browsers emerge". The Associated Press. Retrieved 2008-06-26.
  13. ^ "Get or Build Add-ons for Flock". User guides. Flock. Retrieved 2008-10-22.
  14. ^ a b c d "Flock's press".
  15. ^ a b c "Flock Named As One of PC World's "100 Best Products of 2008"". Retrieved 2008-06-17.
  16. ^ "The 100 Best Products of 2008". PC World. Retrieved 2008-06-17.
  17. ^ Open Web Awards Winners
  18. ^ Web Awards
  19. ^ Oh wait! SXSWi had Web Awards, too
  20. ^ Best Mac Software of 2007
  21. ^ I Have A New Favorite Web Browser: Flock
  22. ^ Netscape 9 Users: Time to Flock or Firefox
  23. ^ Netscape 8 Update Forthcoming: You Can Flock Too!
  24. ^ Flock Browser Use Growing Dramatically
  25. ^ 2008 Webby Award Winners
  26. ^ Flock Wins a Webby Award for Best in Social Networking
  27. ^ Eddy Winner: Flock 2.0

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Flock_(web_browser)&oldid=366476646"