Getting started on any social network takes a bit of ramp-up time, but joining Identi.ca is worth it! Here are seven steps to get you started quickly.

1. Fill out your profile - and don’t forget an avatar! Your profile is an excellent conversation jumpstart. Take a minute and complete it. You could copy and paste your profile from another site, or take the chance to refresh your bio and really make it shine.
2. Follow 50 new people. Click the Identi.ca logo in the upper-left to access to public timeline, which shows the latest messages from all users. Subscribe to the authors of the last 50 messages (so long as their message isn’t blatantly spam). You can always unsubscribe later, after your community has expanded.

   I’ve seen a number of experienced users from other services who pop over to Identi.ca, post one message, and then leave, complaining that it’s too quiet. Building a community requires effort. Once upon a time, you had five followers on that other network, too.

3. Track five terms. “Tracking” notifies you whenever a message is posted, regardless of whether or not you’re subscribed to that person. You can track using Instant Messaging or track using RSS.

   Tracking is a great way to find new friends and participate in interesting conversations.

   Five suggested terms to track:

   • Name of your city
   • Name of your favorite coffee shop
   • An author who writes about something you’re skilled at
   • The word “help”
   • The first word starting with the letter “K” that comes to mind
4. Turn on notifications. You can receive the Identi.ca stream via IM, SMS*, or RSS. This allows you to listen to the conversation in real-time.

   *Okay, it’s technically not SMS [yet], but most users won’t be able to tell the difference. Try it out and see!

5. Dent a lot! Messages on Identi.ca are called “dents.” Say whatever’s on your mind, as often as you can. The more content you create, the more opportunities you’ll create for people to engage you in conversation.
6. Reply a lot! In turn, make an extra effort in the beginning to reply to other people. Once or twice a day, take a peek at the public timeline and see if there’s a conversation you can contribute to. This will help the community grow in a meaningful way.
7. Follow me! I’m @marinamartin on Identi.ca and I’d love to be one of your first subscribers.

Still have questions? Ask in the comments!

Tracking allows you to listen to (and participate in) conversations that are relevant to your interests, no matter who is doing the talking.

You can track your name, your business, your dog’s breed, or your old high school. In “How to Get Started Using Identi.ca - Fast!” we suggested a few more terms to track.

Here’s how to start tracking:

1. Click “Search” at the top of the page and search for: your company name, your name, or a keyword related to the brand you’re monitoring. (Be sure to use either “People” or “Text” search as appropriate.)
2. Every search results page has an RSS feed attached. Add each one to your preferred RSS reader.

   (Hint: You can also add “/rss” right before the “?” in the URL of the search results. Your final RSS URL will look something like this: http://identi.ca/search/notice/rss?q=banana)

That’s it!

You can also track using IM.

Tracking allows you to listen to (and participate in) conversations that are relevant to your interests, no matter who is doing the talking.

You can track your name, your business, your dog’s breed, or your old high school. In “How to Get Started Using Identi.ca - Fast!” we suggested a few more terms to track.

Here’s how to start tracking using IM:

1. Sign into your preferred IM client and send the message “track [keyword]” to laconica@west.spy.net.
2. If you want to stop tracking a word, send “untrack [keyword]” to laconica@west.spy.net.
3. If you don’t remember everything you’re tracking, send “tracks” to laconica@west.spy.net.

That’s it!

You can also track using RSS.

UPDATE: Bwana (@bwana) put together this instructonal video on using Identispy.

Want to reach out to your favorite bloggers? Need tech support? The solution may only be an Identi.ca update away.

Something missing? Add your brand to the list.

You may also be able to find your favorites on the list of brands using Twitter.

Check back often for more updates!

FORTUNE 1000

• Adobe - @adobe - The best software on the planet. [Website]
• Comcast - @comcastcares or @comcastscott - Comcast Customer Outreach: we_can_help@cable.comcast.com [Website]

ARTISTS

• Magic Woodworks - @keithburtis - Woodturner & Sculptor who works on custom one-of-a-kind commissions as well as production-style turnings. Also an educator & speaker on social media techniques + tools for artists and art organizations. [Website]

BLOGS (HIGH-PROFILE)

• Ars Technica - @arstechnica - The latest technology news. [Website]

CHARITY

• Open Knowlege Foundation - @okfn - The Open Knowledge Foundation is a not-for-profit organization founded in 2004 with the aim of promoting open knowledge in all its forms. [Website]
• Remarkd - @remarkd - Remarkd is the easiest place to buy and sell things in the world; it’s is also the easiest way to make a difference. Using Remarkd, you can post items for sale and donate a percentage of what you make to the Causes you care about. [Website]

IDENTICATS (FAMOUS)

• Evan Prodromou - @evan - Father of Laconi.ca [Website]

JOB SEARCH

• nPost - @npost - Startup jobs at software and internet companies, startup interviews + tech networking events. Interested in posting startup jobs on the nPost startup job board? [Website]

LOCATION: WASHINGTON STATE

• Pacific Science Center - @pacsci - A non-profit science foundation serving 1 million people a year across Washington state, inspiring a lifelong interest in science, math and technology. [Website]
• Pacific Science Center Calendar - @sciencecalendar - The daily Calendar of Science is a service of Pacific Science Center in Seattle. [Website]

PRODUCTIVITY

• TypeAs, Inc. - @marinamartin - A truly organized person is never more than 56 minutes away from vacationing in Paris. Get closer to France with our a la carte efficiency consulting. [Website]

SERVICE PROVIDERS

• WeDoCreative - @wedocreative - Web design & development, public relations, and SEO. [Website]

SOCIAL MEDIA SERVICES

• Blippr - @blippr - Blippr is the easiest way to discuss, discover, and organize media with your friends. [Website]
• Identi.ca - @identica - Identi.ca itself! [Website]
• StumbleUpon - @stumbleupon - StumbleUpon discovers web sites based on your interests. Whether it’s a web page, photo or video, our personalized recommendation engine learns what you like, and brings you more. [Website]

VIDEO

• Elastic Lab - @elasticlab or @marinamartin - Crowdsourced video production company + digital laboratory. Actively recruiting filmmakers of all skill levels for paying film projects. [Website]
• Miro - @themirofolks - Free and open-source internet tv and video player [Website]

If you’re a brand on Identi.ca, we want to know about you! Email your name, Identi.ca address(es), and a description (160 characters or less) to: blog@ohidentica.com.

For example:

Elastic Lab - @elasticlab or @MarinaMartin - Crowdsourced video production company + digital laboratory. Actively recruiting filmmakers of all skill levels for paying film projects.

Links within the description are welcome and the HTML does not count against your 160 characters.

(A “brand” is defined here as more than just an individual’s personal updates - i.e. a corporation, a consultant, or a high-profile blogger. If you think you’re a brand, go ahead and email us.)

We’ll add your submission to the list of brands on Identi.ca within a week.

Not sure what to read next? Want an infrequent injection of literary classics?

Follow TwitterLit on Identi.ca and receive a few messages each day with the opening lines from different novels.

There’s also TwitterLitCA (Canadian-specific), TwitterLitUK (UK-specific), and KidderLit (kids’ books only).

Use it for a laugh, to plump up your Amazon cart, or to discover a new bedtime story for your kids.

Source: TwitterLit and KidderLit now on Identi.ca by Debra Hamel

A brief introduction to Evan Prodromou, the main brain behind Identi.ca.

I was certainly pleased to hear about his dedication to open source and to the future of Identi.ca.

Many thanks to Linux.com (specifically Robin Miller) for filming this interview.