Micro-blogging is a form of multimedia blogging that allows users to send brief text updates or micromedia such as photos or audio clips and publish them, either to be viewed by anyone or by a restricted group which can be chosen by the user. These messages can be submitted by a variety of means, including text messaging, instant messaging, email, digital audio or the web.

While Twitter is getting the lion’s share of all the social media and micro-blogging sites from the press and the blogosphere, there are other alternatives. So let's take a look at 15 of the key players.

1. Dailybooth

The next micro-blogging platform we’ll be looking at is Dailybooth and deals only in pictures. The concept behind Dailybooth is to take and upload a picture of yourself everyday

2. FriendFeed

If Posterous makes micro-blogging quick, easy and useful, FriendFeed is at the complete other end of the spectrum, filling your data stream with lots of noise, data, and in this author’s opinion being completely unusable.

3. Tumblr

Tumblr is another micro-blogging platform that is very similar to Posterous. It allows you to post text, pictures, video, audio, chat and links. Currently the only other micro-blogging platform it interfaces with is Twitter.

4. Identi.ca

Identi.ca is a microblogging service that runs on an open source, Creative Commons framework.

5. MySay

MySay is what it says. Instead of text updates, users call MySay and say how they are doing today. Then, friends or family can listen via phone, e-mail, or the web.

6. Jaiku

Jaiku is considered by many to be Twitter's closest competitor. Most features and functions are similar. It will be interesting to see how the company plans to emerge from the shadow of its main rival.

7. Hictu

Hictu is a service for video microbloggers. A webcam and a mouse-click are all that is needed to create a videopost. This streamlined solution saves time and effort for traditional vloggers.

8. Posterous

Posterous is my favorite micro-blogging platform in this article. It’s extremely easy to set up and use; the only thing you need to get started is a working email account.

9. 12 Seconds

12 Seconds is a micro-blogging video website. We’ve all been sent links to 8 minute YouTube videos where there is really only a small bit of content that’s entertaining.

10. Brightkight

Brightkite is about connecting with the people and places around you. We'll help you spend more time with your friends, show you new places and introduce you to people in your neighborhood.

11. utterli

Utterli is a hybrid social media posting site where you can upload multiple types of media and post on a timeline. And before you say, “This is starting to sound a lot like Pownce”, let me point out one big difference. On Utterli, you can create and upload voice files.

12. Frazr

Frazr is also very similar to Twitter. The main difference is one of language. Frazr is focused primarily on the French and German markets.

13. Rememble

Rememble is a 'washing line' for your digital bits and pieces. Thread together texts, photos, videos, sounds, scribbles, scans, notes, tweets... so they're not drifting in a digital wasteland.

14. Mixin

mixin is the place where people can easily share their micro-agenda. By micro-agenda we mean all the small info that is interesting when it is about getting organized with friends.

15. Plerb

Plerb.com is a simple, free microblogging service and chat community. You can connect with friends, meet interesting new people and find new business contacts.