Comments on: Total Twitter Capitulation

By: lfamous

lfamous — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 06:46:35 +0000

Twitter is like the high dive at the swimming pool when you were a kid.

You watch people doing it and having fun, but you don’t get the attraction-climb up, jump in, so what? Are they just showing off? It can’t be that much fun.

You think you’ll try the low dive (you sign up for an account) and you do once or twice (a few updates) and it’s ok but you still don’t see the attraction. But it bothers you. You need to know what it’s like.

Then one day, you get up the nerve to try it. The high dive.

You climb up the ladder and look around, urged on by those in line behind you. You walk out onto the board, still not sure it’s for you.

Then, closing your eyes and taking a deep breath-you jump in!

Then, and only then, do you get it. Now, you’re part of the high-dive crowd. You’re part of Twitterville. And you can’t imagine how the pool was ever any fun without it.

By: Starbucker

Starbucker — Tue, 13 May 2008 13:25:23 +0000

Many thanks Steve, David, Rick, Amy, Chris, Joanna, Ruth, Michelle, Steve and Ann for your great comments.

Steve, head first is better than feet first.

David, you are most welcome. Please keep me posted on how integrating your new tools is helping your business.

Rick, ditto, ditto!

Amy, you WERE in Chicago – now your person just has to follow next year!

Chris, thanks for the inspiration of your excellent (yes, “very very” worthy) post.

Joanna, I’m glad you mentioned the word “fun” – on top of everything else, I do have a blast Twittering!

Ruth, I’m going to experiment with “backchanneling” in the coming months at my day job – stay tuned!

Michelle, connections are key, aren’t they? I never would have seen your bear picture!

Steve, I like “twonked”. That has a nice ring to it.

Ann, let’s hope we never get up – it’s too much fun!

All the best to you all!

By: Ann Handley

Ann Handley — Mon, 12 May 2008 16:52:31 +0000

Ah… so Twitter has claimed another victim… welcome.

Like you, I expressed reservations — even dissed! — Twitter. Now, I’ve, too, “fallen into Twitter and I can’t get up.” I could go on and on this topic… but suffice to say, I’m with you.

By: steve sherlock

steve sherlock — Mon, 12 May 2008 01:17:28 +0000

Terry, twiter is a useful tool. I have declined to fully take the plunge only to keep my head above water with everything else going on. It can be addictive!

If Blackberry’s create Blackberry thumb, what will we call the twitter disease?

twinked?
twonked?
twiddlead?
??

BTW – love the verse!

By: Michelle Vandepas

Michelle Vandepas — Sat, 10 May 2008 15:27:12 +0000

I’m new to Twitter, but have found new ways to connect with people in my own community. – both online and in my hometown… I loved how we were getting real time thoughts during SOBCon. My relationship with Twitter borders on addictive – luckily I’ve got a child to distract me, but hey, there are worse things I could be addicted to. And without Twitter, I never would have made it to SOBCon08. Joanna Tweeted me, “Come” she said, “Come”. So I did.

By: Ruth Marie Sylte

Ruth Marie Sylte — Sat, 10 May 2008 14:31:26 +0000

I *loved* the backchannel use of Twitter at the conference. Being able to let the organizers/MCs right away about things like speaker volume, temperature, etc. meant that attendees did not need to interrupt any presentations or spend unnecessary time trying to physically track down someone who could help (just tweet in less than 140 characters!). It helped to keep the presenters and audience focused on the important topic at hand.

As the Twitterverse expands to include new groups of people, I will be interested to see how this backchannel use will technically impact *non-technical* conferences in the future.

By: Joanna Young

Joanna Young — Fri, 09 May 2008 22:31:47 +0000

Terry, I thought your engagement with the twitter feed was an excellent example of how to use it. A lesser mortal might have been a bit freaked by seeing comments and feedback live – warts and all, including criticisms or gripes – but jumping in, learning from it, and making some of the points part of the show helped to involve and include people as well as inform your learning.

On a side point – I like David’s comment on the market place. That’s how it feels to me too, not like blogging where you feel you’re ‘pitching’ (often awkwardly), it’s a rapid fire place where you can say I’m doing some of this, anyone help, anyone interested? I’ve got some of this but need some of that, can we fix it?

I’ve had feedback, marketing suggestions, business enquiries through twitter as well as a heck of a lot of fun. It really does feel like a place of barter, banter and exchange.

Joanna

PS The song is priceless!

By: Chris Cree

Chris Cree — Fri, 09 May 2008 20:40:02 +0000

Thanks for the kind link, Terry. I’m thinking the double-very might be a bit over the top, though.

And I agree with you in that Twitter is far more “useful” than I ever thought possible when I first heard about the idea way back when.

By: amypalko

amypalko — Fri, 09 May 2008 18:51:21 +0000

I love Twitter. In fact, I would argue that it has enhanced my life in significant ways. However, there was a time in the not too distant past when I too believed Twitter to be no more than a passing fad catering to arch-procrastinators. How wrong I was! One of the best outcomes of my Twitter use is that I have met some of the most wonderful people and struck up friendships which span the globe.
Thank you so much for sharing how you used Twitter at SOBCon. I loved listening in on those SOBCon tweets. It helped to make me feel a part of the event even although I was many miles from Chicago.
Thanks again, Terry.
Amy
xx

By: Rick Mahn

Rick Mahn — Fri, 09 May 2008 17:52:03 +0000

Terry, love the song. It seems we Twitters are constantly finding useful ways to repurpose Twitter to our needs. I enjoyed meeting you at SOBCon and look forward to keeping up with a new blogging friend.

Rick