[theforum] twitter

[Erika]

I have tried alotta these 2.0 social network sites.  Different ones are 
valuable for different reasons.

Twitter is valuable for a few reasons:

1. many people, esp tech types, use it.  So you can follow a bunch of 
people you respect, and if they do a good job w/ their account, you are 
privy to good links and news tidbits, in handy, bite sized pieces.

2. it feeds nicely.  You can feed it into your blog, into other sites 
like facebook.  Syndication, baby.

3. things like hashtags make it useful and fun to track trends.

4. it's just another way of letting people know you are around, and 
doing stuff.

I have found freelance work off of both my myspace and twitter networks. 
   Still waiting for LinkedIn to pay off, but then I'm new there.

I am challenged by using twitter, and making it useful, as well as 
interesting.  A lot of twitter is mundacity.  "I am having a coffee at 
Starbucks."  It depends on the writer.  It's like any medium that 
challenges you with its limits.  You experiment and figure out how to 
make it work.

As for evolt, twitter hashtags can build community, but I'm starting to 
think it would be nice to have an evolt account, since those who may not 
check into w.e.o may still check their twitter accounts, and follow us 
on twitter.  So if we publish new articles, that could go up there.  If 
there is a beervolt going on, that could go up there.  If we need 
feedback on something, *that* could go up there.  People might respond 
to twitter requests (rather than list requests) because twitter is not 
archived like the evolt lists are.  Sometimes it's good to have the 
space to communicate publicly without it being publicly and permanently 
archived.

I have put a lot of time into experimenting with stuff like myspace and 
twitter because my approach to the web is largely from a marketing 
background, and because I'm fascinated with networks, and how to create 
buzz and interest through networks. I am always looking for creative 
ways to get the word out, and also for creative ways to solicit 
feedback.  Twitter can do both.

Erika






Simon MacDonald wrote:
> I dunno, maybe it's an age thing, but I don't get twitter - life is too
> short to take time out and witter about rubbish in my life - I mean wtf do
> YOU care about it. I am  a great fan of the immaculate Stephen Fry -
> @stephenfry -and he is an inveterate witterer (Bless his little cotton
> socks) even from the wilds of Madagascar. I just don't have the time to
> twitter ..........
> 
> Enlighten me!
> 
> -S

>> -I wonder if, and how, evolt.org could use twitter to enhance
>> -communication in le community.  What could we do with a twitter
>> -account?
>> -
>> -Does anyone know who this is?
>> -http://www.twitter.com/evolt
>> -
>> -Erika
>