Tag Archive for 'twitter'

Rittenhouse Square - Looking for More Non-vagrants

Published by brian on July 23, 2008 in social media. 2 Comments

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If you live in the Philadelphia area & are active on Twitter, you may have recently received an email telling you that @rittenhouse is now following you.  While it is fairly obvious what @rittenhouse would be referring to, there is a good chance you were not quite sure what you would find.  Further extending their reach into the Social Media space, they have also created a Facebook page that allows members to become a fan. 

For those of you not familiar with Philadelphia, Rittenhouse Square is a small park in center city Philadelphia with plenty of open space, trees, park benches, a few statues & the obligatory floral landscaping.  It is a popular destination that offers a lot of versatility.  Parents with children, artists, musicians, couples, groups of friends, the daily lunch crowd, people watchers; pretty much anything you would expect traverses through the park each day. 

The underlying beauty is in the history.  The peripheral beauty, literally, is the immediate, surrounding area; fashionable & trendy shops, top-notch restaurants, bars, clubs, even a five-star hotel.  Well known to those who frequent Rittenhouse Square, you will also find your fair share of homeless people. 

So why the sudden foray into the Social Media space?  My guess is that more people who are looking for a place to relax &/or spend money need to come visit;  @rittenhouse is lonely & misses you.  I love Rittenhouse Square, but admittedly am not there enough.  Sure, life happens & you spend your weekends in Avalon; but if I feel I could be in & around the Square more often, there are definitely plenty of others who should as well. 

Did I mention they’re also creating buzz around an upcoming potluck picnic?  Seriously.  What a great way to bring attention to something different that could build a physical & interactive community.  Initially the interaction starts online, is strengthened in the real world, & then can continue both online & off afterwards.  Should you be looking for a great example of Social Media integration (& something that embodies the real value of it), you’d be well advised to observe what @rittenhouse is doing.


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Haiku Tuesday - 5.27.08

Published by brian on May 27, 2008 in haiku tuesday. 0 Comments

 

Conversation joined

Grownups argue on Twitter

We don’t do soy, k?

 


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How Connected Should You Be?

Published by brian on May 20, 2008 in social media. 3 Comments

If it wasn’t for Facebook, MySpace (zip it, Matt), Twitter & texting, I am not sure how I would keep up with everyone. Used to be things like email & instant message were enough. Now, I check my Yahoo email, Facebook, & Twitter accounts daily, use Yahoo IM for work, AIM for friends, & will occasionally update one or more of them from my Treo. Once in a while I check my site’s email & MySpace account. Add on to that all of my work emails & phone calls &, for some, you’ve got communications overload. However, I sometimes feel like it’s not enough.

How connected should you be? The quick & easy response is that there is no one, right answer. It depends on your wants & needs. But these change over time, thus affecting our habits. Both our professional & personal lives play important roles in this as well.

While connecting people quickly & in ever-increasing ways, is technology really pushing us apart?

As we become increasingly mobile, will our ways become inherently nomadic?

Normally, I’d banter on about this, but I want your opinion.


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What’s Your Twitter Style?

Published by brian on May 18, 2008 in social media. 4 Comments

If you don’t understand Twitter, it’s ok. Exactly one year ago today (did not plan that, I swear), I posted my first Tweet & literally had no idea what the point was. It didn’t help that Twittervision was my initial foray into this communication vehicle & caused massive information overload. That’s akin to ordering tako the first time you eat sushi; sometimes it makes sense to dive in without abandon…other times a more cautious approach is required.

It can be a little intimidating at first; Twitter is not the easiest place to assimilate yourself. It takes time & you will find, fairly early in the process, that it is good to have a balance of people you follow. Once you get a feel for the flow, you’ll see how easy it is to add people you know, find new people, & minimize the noise. You can change the voice & direction of conversation without much hassle.

I did not visit or log on to Twitter again until the end of March, this year. Now I get it…well, mostly. So, in the spirit of getting it & idea mashups, I dedicate a post to Twitter with a bit of Starbucks influence. While this is no Machiavellian approach, I’ve segmented things based on what I’ve seen thus far.

Solo

  • What they do: Literally answer the question, “What are you doing?”
  • Who follows them: No one…yet.
  • Why you should follow them: If your TweetStats tell you something along the lines of “get a life” or “you are supposed to use your vocal chords to communicate as well”. Their random posts with no replies will remind you what it’s like to be the low man on the Tweetem pole.

Dopio

  • What they do: Random status updates aimed at pulling people in…problem is, not too many are listening.
  • Who follows them: Mostly kind people who Dopios have added; many of them gleaned from or recommended by friends & co-workers. Maybe a few friends & old colleagues they have referred to Twitter.
  • Why you should follow them: If you’re tired of talking & want to listen to someone else talk about things like current events, sports, weather, Belgian beers, or why stupid people are the bane of their existence.

Tall

  • What they do: Multi-task; they tweet semi-frequently, but are more interested in on-demand access to people, information, answers, etc.
  • Who follows them: Industry peers, friends, airlines, news wires, bars, restaurants…usually a reciprocated follow.
  • Why you should follow them: Their multi-tasking nature & hunger for information will have inherent fringe benefits. They have a knack for pointing people in the right direction.

Grande

  • What they do: These are your industry & social leaders. Somehow, even the seemingly inane stuff they post is relevant & adds to the conversation or sparks an idea. Dopios aspire to be Grandes.
  • Who follows them: Those with a thirst for knowledge who seek inspiration on a daily basis.
  • Why you should follow them: If you are looking for cutting edge stuff, personally or professionally, these people have it. It will be difficult to keep up though as many others have identified this. Be prepared to retweet. Truthfully, I don’t know how Grandes keep up with it all.

Venti

  • What they do: If you’re not sure what’s on their mind this very second, give it a couple minutes, you’ll soon know. By day, they are solving the world’s problems. By night, they want you to know that what they’re doing & where they’re going is way cooler than anything you’ve got planned.
  • Who follows them: Industry peers, social media mavens, friends, Obama, your mom, your dad…just about everyone.
  • Why you should follow them: Because of their hyperactive involvement, Ventis have lists of followers that would make an aspiring Tweeter jealous. You want to get plugged in fast? Follow a handful of Ventis & add the Twitter RSS feed to your reader.

Barista

  • What they do: Have a following:follower ratio of about 15,000:1. Their lives are truly & fully open books. Random micro-blogging at its worst finest.
  • Who follows them: Not many, but mainly because people don’t want current or potential followers (or simple browsers) to know they follow people like this. While Baristas don’t have as many followers as they’d like, people occasionally read their tweets.
  • Why you should follow them: Keeps you on your toes & reminds you that everything you publish online can follow you forever.

So, which style best describes you?

Don’t have Twitter? Sign up, install twhirl, use Tweet Scan, TwitterLocal & Twitter Friend Recs, & when you’re bored, check these - TweetStats, Twistori, & Tweet Clouds.


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