Aug 9, 2007 | blog
One of my Twitter friends has posted a great article on getting started with Twitter. 1389 goes over what Twitter is, and how you can take advantage of using it yourself.
I’ll tell you I’ve met several hundred people on Twitter and find their input useful and interesting. While I follow mostly technical people in fields that I find interesting, I’ve also found many people in other fields that I never thought I’d be curious to learn about.
Good stuff that Twitter.
Via: 1389 Blog – Twitter 101
Aug 6, 2007 | blog
I really enjoy reading Robert Scoble. His blog, The Scoble Show over at PodTech, and of course, his Tweets (on Twitter). He usually has some good thoughts, and is usually on the money. Sometimes I really disagree with him and think he’s too close to Silicon Valley for his own good, but he is on top of everything.
So it was one of this tweets today that got me thinking on email more. I don’t disagree with him on this one, and I thought I’d expound a bit on some of the thoughts he was throwing out on.
It turned out to be an interesting thread on Twitter. Scoble started off with this tweet:
It’s amazing that in this age of Twitter that people still send email. I hate email. I hate direct Tweets. I hate Facebook messages.
Followed quickly (Twitter is great at fast follow-ups) with this Tweet:
PR people are the worst in the email regard. Speaker planners are close. I don’t answer a lot of my email anymore. If I did, I’d never do.
It’s interesting how the technorati are continually moving to an open communications model – where only their private communications are conducted through email. Private life requires a little bit of privacy after all.
But for communications where privacy doesn’t matter, and after all most communications fall into this category, why not use a fast, scaleable, mobile communications system? Who cares if everyone reads the message – most people ignore anything that is not of interest or of importance to them.
Robert answered one of his followers in this Tweet:
@dweezel: that’s the whole point. Most of my email does NOT need to be private. It’s far better to do most communication out in public.
This seems to sum up the growing perception in many people’s minds.
Chris Brogan asked this question in a Tweet:
@Scobleizer – agreed in the “get in contact” mode. What about the “more details” mode? What do you prefer for “payload?”
While Robert didn’t answer the question, I think that this question is being answered by many Twitter users themselves. Initially shortened URLs (using TinyURL or URLtea) helped link to blogs, news sites, YouTube, etc… In addition, creative users like Dave Winer come up with solutions like TwitterGram where you can upload an audio file, or call one in from your phone. This is where the payload of services like Twitter will be augmented.
Robert rounded out his perspectives in this Tweet:
Basically this is my gesture to the world: I am not answering my email and I’m not going to start. I’m overloaded. Tweet me.
The whole idea of not using email is possibly a bit extreme, but the reality is that we rely on email too much. We use it in place of face-to-face conversations, some use it in place of IM, some use it to spread viral marketing, some unwittingly help spammers and virus hacks by resending pictures and messages they find profound.
The fact of the matter is that email is abused and few messages are worth reading at all. Between the spam, poorly written lengthy messages, it’s a time-sink for many individuals and their employers.
I’d be curious how many hours any of you spend dealing with email – an old but still valid question.
I guess that I really don’t use email much myself, and through the use of instant communications services like Twitter/Pownce/Jaiku, I have gotten used to saying something in 140 characters, or being able to split it into two such posts. Being succinct is an art and an asset that many should practice.
Oh, and thanks to Robert for the post idea! 🙂
UPDATE: I guess that one of the things I wanted to point out though is that while email is abused and is a problem, it is going to be one of our “classic” communication methods. Like radio when television came out, there is still much value in it. There are many times you can absorb auditory information without a video stream and gain value from it. Also, newspapers – the morning ritual of reading the news with a cup of coffee, or on the commute to work is something that will never go away. The same for books – the more digital we get and how quickly we can send information, the more important the relaxing affect of getting lost in your favorite book is.
Email, like a good Whiskey, needs to be used in moderation.
Technorati tags: Email Abuse, spam, Twitter, Pownce, Jaiku, TwitterGram, TinyURL, URLtea
Jul 17, 2007 | blog
Shel Israel makes the point that blogging is normalizing, and I think he’s right on the mark here. The discussion among several bloggers is that blogging is “cooling off”, or becoming less popular. It may be true, but Shell posits the idea that there are additional social media tools and services that people are migrating to.
The social media webscape has changed in the last two years, not so much because people are becoming less enamored of blogging, but because of additional outlets. Micro-blogging services like Twitter (and Jaiku, Pownce, and Hictu) are making huge changes in the conversation. Social networking sites like the now-booming Facebook, or LinkedIn are bringing new ways to connect, network, and share in the conversation.
He points out that we all enjoy talking about the latest thing, whether its blogging, Facebook, iPhone or Harry Potter. Its what’s new that takes up a large part of the popular conversation and media attention. Many of us still use landline telephones even though we also have mobile phones. The analog clock is still popular even though digital clocks are abundant and easier to read at a glance. We still read newspapers despite radio, television, and the Internet.
Blogging is another medium that, at this point, is maturing. It’s entering that next stage, past fad, where it grows up a bit. Starts getting more respected, more widespread. The determined professional bloggers are what will emerge in the next months and years – many have been with it since the beginning, a decade ago.
As new technologies and ideas of new ways to communicate are developed, the conversation is naturally going to jump onto these platforms. Some will thrive, others will bust, but one thing is for sure. The conversation will continue.
Via: Global Neighbourhoods – Blogging. Not passe, just normalizing
May 16, 2007 | blog
Is twitter having problems today? I haven’t been able to log in all morning. Well, that is the growing pains of a beta service.
Mar 19, 2007 | blog
I’ve been thinking quite a bit on how to handle my Twitter page in addition to my blog. I’ve always had issues posting “inane” posts about myself or what I’m doing, preferring to post about news topics, items of interest personally or commenting on discussions in the blogosphere.
Since joining Twitter about two weeks ago and watching the Twitter explosion at SXSW 2007, I’ve started formulating a plan going forward. Similar to how Steve Rubel is balancing Twitter/blogging, I’m going to Twitter about daily events, opinions, comments, and things going on in the Twittershpere, and then will keep posting on my blog about things of interest that take more explanation and time.
My blog will be refocused back to writing about things of interest, commenting & interacting in the ongoing conversations in the blogosphere, and be an extension of my interests. It may be technical at times, it may be about hobbies and relaxation, but it will continue to have more robust content.
My Twitter page, however, will be the day-to-day stuff and interactions with my Twitter “friends”. There is a live conversation going on at Twitter, similar to attending a meeting where there is many discussions happening at once. Depending on who you follow or include as friends to your account, the discussion can range depending on the interests and whims of the group.
If you haven’t tried Twitter, I’d recommend gathering a group of friends and associates and get them all on the service. It’s amazing what kind of news and information get traded in real time – better than IM as you’re conversing as a group rather than one on one.
Technorati tags: Twitter, Social Networking
