Twitter?

[Ron H.]

Originally posted by Wayne02:
How about this new fangled Twitter deal? Anybody use this or know people who do? Is there a specific hand-held device to use the service or do you use your cellphone and computer?

Maybe it's just the grumpy old guy in me, but I guess I don't see how this is productive? I suppose if you had a small circle of friends who you frequently go to lunch with it would be more efficient to send a 'tweet' then having to call all of them.

'Following people' seems odd to me, and one wonders why people feel the need to follow others lives? Is there something missing in their own lives perhaps? Seems like Jr. highschool with the whole most popular girl/guy syndrome.

Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read other users' updates known as tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length which are displayed on the user's profile page and delivered to other users who have subscribed to them (known as followers). Senders can restrict delivery to those in their circle of friends or, by default, allow anybody to access them. Users can send and receive tweets via the Twitter website, Short Message Service (SMS) or external applications.

Sir, my boss's boss wants us to start using Twitter at work, so I'm in the process of learning about it. You can use it from your regular ol' computer or a mobile device. "Following" is basically a filter--it allows you to focus on people who actually matter to you (important to your business or whatnot) rather than wade through a gazillion people who don't.

In a business context, it seems like it would be most useful as a marketing tool to get your message out, drive traffic to your Web site, that sort of thing.

Hope this helps, and Semper Fi.

Ron H.

 

[Gov]

Originally posted by wuluf:

First off, a little respect for the youth today, who, believe it or not, have to deal with issues that simply didn't exist when you were growing up. Just because we approach problems in a seemingly different manner doesn't mean we're incompetent idiots, so lighten up on us younger folks!

Just curious about these. I had it pretty easy (only the 60's to deal with, then a jimmy carter recession while trying to raise a family) but my folks survived the Depression, and are Holocaust survivors.

The depression, holocaust and Vietnam era were all pretty heavy stuff (I'm probably preaching to the choir here) but I think the big difference and challenge for younger generations is the constant and nagging expectation to produce, produce, produce. While other generations certainly had expectations of production as well, the type of things being produced today are very different. The US is no longer a manufacturing country, or certainly not the manufacturing export country it once was. Production intellectual property (our main export) today requires creative ability, knowledge of multivariate technologies and the ability to work within a libraries upon libraries worth of legal and regulatory frameworks. You're not just a welder today...

 

[Wayne02]

Originally posted by glypnir:
For the application above, I use e-mail, not twitter. I can ask more detailed questions, and some of my colleagues answer their e-mails very promptly. The other ones wouldn't answer twitter either.

And e-mail has lots of benefits - you can use attachments easily, for one thing. And the company I work for has a corporate culture that emphasizes e-mail.

And vast numbers of people seem to be interested in the day to day doings of famous people.

My wife's company is the same way, they make aggressive use of e-mail, instant messaging, and conference calling as the main means of communication. She has to have her blackberry with her at all times as the unwritten expectation is that people will be available 24/7 (except for scheduled vacations). Anybody who is not answering emails or IM's (you can tell who is logged into the system with IM's) is given counsel.

The few people I know who are using twitter do so to follow 'famous' people and talk about themselves and their daily activity to their core group of contacts. I think in some respects it is tied in with some peoples sense of self-worth.

 

[Wayne02]

Originally posted by Ron H.:
In a business context, it seems like it would be most useful as a marketing tool to get your message out, drive traffic to your Web site, that sort of thing.

I can see that I suppose, although as a marketing tool it would rely on me actively searching out the particular subject, as if I'm not on the companies list of contacts I will not receive any messages from them (if I understand the concept correctly).

The thing that will drive people to this technology is if job openings/opportunities are somehow integrated into this means of communication. I've worked in business for some time now and while the product or services you provide are important, in the final analysis its the 'relationships' that are often the critical factor. Business is about relationships in addition to product and service.

What I'm not clear on is how much overlap this twitter communication method has with other already established methods, and is there enough differentiation there to make it more than a passing fad (business or personal). From a business standpoint all business tools need to be evaluated from an efficiency and cost-effectiveness standpoint to assess their true value-added potential. The difficulty sometimes with assessing tools like this is identifying and separating out the truly value added use of the technology vs. the fluff.

btw, if I send a tweet out that I'm going to be disassembling, cleaning, and lubing my M1 and 1903 on the back deck this afternoon would anybody come over to help?

No?

ok, how about if my tweet included beer and burgers, would anyone come over then???

 

[wuluf]

The depression, holocaust and Vietnam era were all pretty heavy stuff (I'm probably preaching to the choir here) but I think the big difference and challenge for younger generations is the constant and nagging expectation to produce, produce, produce. While other generations certainly had expectations of production as well, the type of things being produced today are very different. The US is no longer a manufacturing country, or certainly not the manufacturing export country it once was. Production intellectual property (our main export) today requires creative ability, knowledge of multivariate technologies and the ability to work within a libraries upon libraries worth of legal and regulatory frameworks. You're not just a welder today...

Interesting response, thank you.I think every generation begins adulthood with a burden of expectation that is hard to satisfy. I have 3 kids, 25-30 and none of them are slackers.....anymore!

 

[tennexplorer]

I will say this about twitter. I just watched a relationship go ka-FOOM because someone was not where she was supposed to be and twittered about it. Boyfriend saw it.

 

[Bassamatic]

I say we nuke them from orbit. Its the only way to be sure." Ellen Ripley

Hey man, none of my business but Ellen Ripley did not say that. It was uttered by Dwaine Hicks (played by Michael Biehn).

 

[Ron H.]

Originally posted by Bassamatic:

I say we nuke them from orbit. Its the only way to be sure." Ellen Ripley

Hey man, none of my business but Ellen Ripley did not say that. It was uttered by Dwaine Hicks (played by Michael Biehn).

Sir, they both said it. Hicks said it first, the corporate suit dismissed it because "he's just a grunt," and then Ripley repeated it.

Hope this helps, and Semper Fi.

Ron H.

 

[Grayfox]

One of the consistant themes in Science Fiction is people giving themselves over to technology. It never ends well.

 

[truckemup97]

Originally posted by Gov:
Not because it is a "dumb" tool (there are no dumb tools), but because I personally have no use for it.

You're right, there are no dumb tools. Each has it's place. They can be used in a dumb way, though. I use Twitter to let my customers know where and when I am available. It works well. I know people (blocked) who use it to tell everyone where they are eating dinner. Quite frankly, I don't give a d@mn where you are having dinner.

A gun is not a dumb tool, but if you use it in place of a hammer....

 

[bobcat]

Thanks jmtgsx, for making me snort iced tea when I read your post

.

I don't twitter, text, facebook, my space, or any of that stuff, I'm such a communication curmudgeon that the only cell I have is one my employer gave me, and it sits in the console of my car collecting dust, I hate 'em. I barely can tolerate a land line, other than my family, it's just calls that piss me off mostly, and I let the machine answer. I'm not anti-social, I just hate phones, but I do like the internet tho.

Take care...

 

[reerc]

I have a Twitter account, but only halfway use it; I follow some people, but I don't <STRIKE>post</STRIKE>, I mean tweet myself.

I LOVE FaceBook; check in on it all day long on the Blackberry. Keep in touch with relatives, old classmates, former workmates, and (gasp) even my own kids!