DUKKY

Editor’s Note: Today’s post was written by David Finch and originally published on the Social Media Explorer blog.  It is reprinted here with permission.

OK, I admit, social media has influenced me. I can’t recall the last time I purchased something because of an advertisement I’ve seen or heard. Every decision seems to be influenced by conversations I’ve had or overheard from social media channels.

Think about how social media has influenced you. What was your last purchase? How about the last new restaurant you ate at? What was the last thing you read? What was the last electronic gadget you bought? Have you purchased a car recently? If you think about it long enough you agree that most things you do and buy have been influenced by conversations you’ve had both offline and online.

While on vacation last week, I began to take note of the things I was using that I have been influenced by because of social media. I thought I would share my list with you, as well as who brought it on my radar.

iPhone Apps:
BrightKite – Brightkite is a location-based social network. In real time you can see where your friends are and what they’re up to. (@chrisbrogan)
Loopt – Loopt shows you who’s around, where to go and what to do. (@geoffliving)
Gypsii - Gypsii allows you to create places, locate people, explore the world around you. (@jasonfalls)
iTalk – iTalk allows you to turn your iPhone into a high quality-recording device. (@cc_chapman)

Tools:
Feedly – Feedly takes the content from your Google Reader and weaves it into a magazine style start page. (@hallicious)
Seesmic Desktop – Seesmic Desktop is an application that allows you to follow and converse with your Twitter and Facebook friends all in one place. (@loic)
Friendfeed – FriendFeed enables you to discover and discuss the interesting content your friends find on the web. (@scobleizer)

Gadgets:
iPhone 3G S – Do I really need a description?? It’s the ultimate phone on the market.
Kindle 2 – Amazon’s wireless reading device that allows me to read books, blogs, magazines and newspapers all from one portable device.

Books:
The Power of Less by Leo Babauta – The Power of Less is a blueprint for taking our lives back from the clutter, noise, and unnecessary work that fills a modern day. (@jasonfalls)
Ignore Everybody by Hugh MacLeod – Ignore Everybody takes you through the process of how new ideas emerge in a cynical, risk-averse world? Where does inspiration come from? What does it take to make a living as a creative person?
Emergency: This Book Will Save Your Life by Neil Strauss - Amazon describes this book as, “It’s one man’s story of a dangerous world-and how to stay alive in it.” (@justinlevy)

It’s pretty amazing when you begin to make a list of the things around you that you began to see the effectiveness conversations and social media can have.

Where have you been influenced? What tools, books, gadgets, applications, food, conferences etc has social media been influential to you? What brand has influenced you because of their involvement in social media?