My tweets
- @JoeyMcAllister Something bigger indeed. *WINK WINK* in reply to JoeyMcAllister 2 hrs ago
- Really dude? I saw you stare at the cart corral before you left your cart in the lot. It was only another 40 feet. Really? 4 hrs ago
- Took the Droid X to Verizon to gery checked out. We wiped it to be sure. Still waiting for backup assistant. Ugh. 5 hrs ago
- @megatronzinski Hey. Thanks. America. in reply to megatronzinski 19 hrs ago
- More updates...
Blog Archives
Blogroll
Archive for March, 2009
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Twitter: Training Wheels, Airbag, or Insurance?
Posted on March 22, 2009 | View Comments
I’m pursuing a number of job opportunities right now. If I’m hired, I might move away from Denver. I’m casting my net wide, so I’m not really sure where I might end up, but I know that before I get there, I’ll try to build up my Twitter network with local contacts – people who might be able to help me navigate the move and so on.
As I thought about how I could best leverage my current and future network, it occurred to me that we can look at Twitter in three distinct ways: as training wheels, as an airbag, or as insurance.
Training wheels – The world moves at about a million miles a second nowadays. It can be frustrating and time-consuming to enter the stream all at once without help. One of the much-touted uses of Twitter is helping people. We need to know where to go for Kindle support, or what kind of RAM our computers need, or even how to use Twitter itself. Other users can act as training wheels to help speed us along into the web and in real life.Airbag – Bad things happen. As an airbag, Twitter can help to insulate us against problems. Closely related to its use as training wheels, there are many ways that we’ve seen the community come together to help those in need, as it did when David Armano helped Daniela and her family. With many of our jobs in crisis, Twitter can be helpful for job-finders or even those seeking state and federal help to get by. An airbag is used to slow us down in an accident and prevent big hurts; Twitter, as a community of interesting and interested people, can be that airbag.
Insurance – Last but not least, we cannot ignore the power of microblogging to aid us in our most desperate…or our most powerful. Let me explain: Last April, a blogger tweeted about his arrest in Egypt. The message got out and so did he. Imagine witnessing a crime on a city street. Unable to stop the criminal, the best you can do is shoot out 140 characters describing his or her appearance. It’s a rough example, to be sure, and there’s no guarantee that it will necessarily help the situation, but at least it’s something. And in terms of power: a Twitter user snaps/uploads a Twitpic of an elected official engaging in questionable activity (let your mind wander). Boom! Lights out. Twitter in the hands of a disgruntled employee can also be wielded with frightful results, if that employee was so inclined.
Training wheels, airbag, or insurance. It can be one, all three, or none of these. How do you see Twitter?
Flickr photo from user kate at yr own risk
Read more on Twitter: Training Wheels, Airbag, or Insurance?…
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Religion on Twitter
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What is Twitter?
Posted on March 18, 2009 | View CommentsThis video explaining Twitter is awesome. I think it should replace the Common Craft version that Twitter uses: -
Shakespeare Factoid of the…Year?
Posted on March 17, 2009 | View CommentsI’m visiting home for spring break and a job interview. While sleeping on the couch very early this morning, my mother dropped what she called an “interesting fact” on the table next to me. Upon waking, I read this (apparently from a “Fact-a-Day” calendar, dated Wednesday, January 28th): -
Of Advertising and Return
Posted on March 12, 2009 | View CommentsA little while ago, I caught a tweet from @davewiner pointing out that super web-guy and blog-champ @jasoncalacanis was offering Twitter $10000/month to be on the “Suggested Users” list. I retweeted it and offered Mr. Calacanis $5000/month to relentlessly promote him and his work. I wasn’t entirely serious, and I’m convinced that my response was out of line. But that is neither here nor there.Calacanis responded to @davewiner, clarifying that the offer was payable in advance for two years’ standing on the “Suggested Users” list. Do the math. That’s $250000 for a presence on a list for a service that hasn’t completely figured itself out (this is largely due to the fact that Twitter morphs on an hourly basis!). Calacanis is entirely justified in wanting a spot – Twitter continues to explode, and as more and more people come to it, they’ll likely check the Suggested list for who to follow.
But I’m not so sure that dumping a quarter of a million dollars on the “Suggested Users” list is the best way to promote his stuff. If Mr. Calacanis was serious about attracting not only regular web-users but also the people new to the social web, he could find better ways to spend the money. Why not “blow” the money on anti-malarial bednets; 25000 bednets is a lot of safe families in the developing world. Such a gift would generate immediate mainstream media attention, and the story would certainly get around on Twitter. $250000 would also start a lot of businesses in the developing world (shameless plug there).
I’m not questioning his methods, and I’m certainly not complaining about his advertising budget. But if he wanted to make a big splash, both in terms of regular and web-media, there are many “Suggested Awesome Things” that he could do instead.
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FedEx Freebies
Posted on March 7, 2009 | View CommentsFedEx/Kinko’s will provide job seekers with 25 free copies of their resume (albeit for only one day, March 10). It’s a great example of socially-conscious marketing. The round-up is here at Microgiving.I oftentimes see companies doing things like this. My first reaction is always one of excitement and empathy. I immediately see the company in a better light. My second reaction is always one of suspicion. When my first reaction is not invalidated by the second reaction, as in the case of FedEx, I smile even wider.
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PeaceJam
Posted on March 2, 2009 | View CommentsThe 1010 Project was asked to present a workshop on poverty eradication at a PeaceJam conference here in Denver this past weekend. The Advocacy and Outreach Coordinator and I were going to co-present, but she fell ill and I flew solo. I think it went well. The room was packed, the kids asked good questions, and none of my multimedia fell through.Some of the tougher questions were about comparisons between microfinance institutions in the developing world and sub-prime mortgages in the US. It sounds crazy, but it’s a good question. I answered that we have to hope that our rosy vision for the future is correct, and that communities in the developing world have a better sense of…community…than the rest of us. Other good questions were about regulation of the informal sector in our world’s slums. It really was a lot of fun. I’ll include the description of the workshop below for your perusal: