Houston #15 for Twitterers

[RedScare]

ed is right about certain applications for it. I have relied on IM for a lot of things, this is sort of the next step. I could care less about how bloggers use it but there are a few things I like pushed to me, rather than seeking out myself.

After an evening of thought on this subject, and discussing it among friends, I have discovered two things about twitter. One, it may have been useful during Hurricane Ike to let friends and family know how you are doing, although can't you send out batch texts to accomplish the same thing? Two, I do not have any friends that tweet, or like twitter. In fact, they spent an inordinate amount of time trashing newscasters who do. Do you hear me, Rick Sanchez?

A possible third discovery, if I were to ask, would likely be that none of my family does either, though I doubt I would ask them.

The Facebook redesign illustrates what I would hate most about twitter, and why I do not think it is a killer app. What do you do about that annoying 'friend' who DOES insist on telling you how drunk they are getting, or what TV show they are watching, and how they luv Freebirds? My Facebook page (that I look at maybe once a week) is filled top to bottom with this annoying chick's boring chatter. I imagine my blackberry would fill with annoying twitter as well. And, what would we talk about at happy hour if you have twittered your entire day to me already?

Not to offend anyone, and especially those of you who twitter, but I doubt any of you have such exciting lives that I want to hear bits and pieces of it all day, and I really don't want word of my boring existence out there in writing either. To paraphrase a famous saying, "It is better to be silent and thought a boring soul, than twitter it and remove all doubt."

Oops, forgot the obligatory tweet...

Redscare just woke up and saw that he is out of coffee creamer.

Redscare is wondering what time Target opens. May just go to 24 hour Kroger instead.

Redscare is getting tired of the dog barking at the 2 balloons stuck in his crepe myrtle. Wishes he had a BB gun.

[houstonmacbro]

After an evening of thought on this subject, and discussing it among friends, I have discovered two things about twitter. One, it may have been useful during Hurricane Ike to let friends and family know how you are doing, although can't you send out batch texts to accomplish the same thing? Two, I do not have any friends that tweet, or like twitter. In fact, they spent an inordinate amount of time trashing newscasters who do. Do you hear me, Rick Sanchez?

A possible third discovery, if I were to ask, would likely be that none of my family does either, though I doubt I would ask them.

The Facebook redesign illustrates what I would hate most about twitter, and why I do not think it is a killer app. What do you do about that annoying 'friend' who DOES insist on telling you how drunk they are getting, or what TV show they are watching, and how they luv Freebirds? My Facebook page (that I look at maybe once a week) is filled top to bottom with this annoying chick's boring chatter. I imagine my blackberry would fill with annoying twitter as well. And, what would we talk about at happy hour if you have twittered your entire day to me already?

Not to offend anyone, and especially those of you who twitter, but I doubt any of you have such exciting lives that I want to hear bits and pieces of it all day, and I really don't want word of my boring existence out there in writing either. To paraphrase a famous saying, "It is better to be silent and thought a boring soul, than twitter it and remove all doubt."

Oops, forgot the obligatory tweet...

Redscare just woke up and saw that he is out of coffee creamer.

Redscare is wondering what time Target opens. May just go to 24 hour Kroger instead.

Redscare is getting tired of the dog barking at the 2 balloons stuck in his crepe myrtle. Wishes he had a BB gun.

It's not so much that I like hearing about people's intimate or boring lives all day, but I get information and news I otherwise wouldn't. Kinda like being on HAIF and watching the View New Posts link. I am not sure why there is so much hatred towards something especially when most of those doing the hating haven't even tried it.

If you're interested (probably not) in my tweets, you can follow me at http://twitter.com/houstonmacbro.

[BryanS]

It's not so much that I like hearing about people's intimate or boring lives all day, but I get information and news I otherwise wouldn't. Kinda like being on HAIF and watching the View New Posts link. I am not sure why there is so much hatred towards something especially when most of those doing the hating haven't even tried it.

If you're interested (probably not) in my tweets, you can follow me at http://twitter.com/houstonmacbro.

I checked your twitter page, and now I find this whole concept even more disturbing.

Following: 538

Followers: 527

The whole concept of having people follow you... and then you follow others... is just creepy.

Kinda like having over 500 facebook "friends." It doesn't work that way in real life. How many of those friends or followers, outside of your traditional network of close friends and family, would come help you change a tire on the side of the gulf freeway? ... I hope the answer is none. Because, all I would want is one of these anonymous

[houstonmacbro]

I checked your twitter page, and now I find this whole concept even more disturbing.

Following: 538

Followers: 527

The whole concept of having people follow you... and then you follow others... is just creepy.

Kinda like having over 500 facebook "friends." It doesn't work that way in real life. How many of those friends or followers, outside of your traditional network of close friends and family, would come help you change a tire on the side of the gulf freeway? ... I hope the answer is none. Because, all I would want is one of these anonymous "friends" to come "help" me... when I am vulnerable like that.

Likewise... I went to a party in Galveston a couple of weeks ago. I would say about a core group of 20 to 30 people actually knew each other and had formed friendships the old fashion way, over the past many years.

About a 150 people showed up and filtered in and out of the place over 6 hours. Why? Because of facebook and twitter (per the host). The party was ruined, really. The host didn't know 75% of the people that were trampling through his house. The problem wasn't that people were tearing up the place (that happens); but, that these were complete strangers. And I would also say that the mix of people seemed odd...

And I'm a novice really. There are people on Twitter with THOUSANDS of friends (followers).

But really, is it so different...

We collect HAIF friends and I certainly don't 'know' all of you. I've never met you in person, I've never been to your house (or you mine). It's really the same thing but on a bigger scale.

It's just different. Certainly not disturbing.

I will agree with the meet-ups though. I went to one for Technology Bytes on KPFT held at Coffee Groundz (I think that's the name) and it was odd. There were like a few people that knew each other and the rest (like me) were just kinda there, sitting, and not sure who to interact with. I left after downing a wine and sandwich.

LOL

[editor]

After an evening of thought on this subject, and discussing it among friends, I have discovered two things about twitter. One, it may have been useful during Hurricane Ike to let friends and family know how you are doing, although can't you send out batch texts to accomplish the same thing?

Yes. But unlike Twitter, text messages aren't free for most people. On the other hand, SMS is far more reliable than Twitter.

Two, I do not have any friends that tweet, or like twitter. In fact, they spent an inordinate amount of time trashing newscasters who do. Do you hear me, Rick Sanchez?

In 1982 you likely did not have any friends who had computers in their homes. Things change.

A possible third discovery, if I were to ask, would likely be that none of my family does either, though I doubt I would ask them.

It's not for everyone. Some people are better off with text messages. Some people with IM. Some people with e-mail. Some with Facebook. It's just another tool. You communicate with the one that is most comfortable or effective for you.

The Facebook redesign illustrates what I would hate most about twitter, and why I do not think it is a killer app. What do you do about that annoying 'friend' who DOES insist on telling you how drunk they are getting, or what TV show they are watching, and how they luv Freebirds? My Facebook page (that I look at maybe once a week) is filled top to bottom with this annoying chick's boring chatter. I imagine my blackberry would fill with annoying twitter as well. And, what would we talk about at happy hour if you have twittered your entire day to me already?

Twitter doesn't have to be a killer app to be useful. The calculator your operating system comes with isn't a killer app, but you still use the computer. You don't have to make Twitter the center of your life (though, some people do). You can just use it as an occasional tool like that desktop calculator.

Not to offend anyone, and especially those of you who twitter, but I doubt any of you have such exciting lives that I want to hear bits and pieces of it all day, and I really don't want word of my boring existence out there in writing either. To paraphrase a famous saying, "It is better to be silent and thought a boring soul, than twitter it and remove all doubt."

Again, Twitter isn't just about people's personal lives, but some people can't get past the stereotype they harbor. In fact, I'd wager that most tweets, even those from personal accounts, aren't about the person who's writing them -- they're sharing interesting newspaper articles, observations, news, and other useful information.

Oops, forgot the obligatory tweet...

Redscare just woke up and saw that he is out of coffee creamer.

Redscare is wondering what time Target opens. May just go to 24 hour Kroger instead.

Redscare is getting tired of the dog barking at the 2 balloons stuck in his crepe myrtle. Wishes he had a BB gun.

Editor notices police activity has Michigan Avenue closed; take LSD to the parade today.

Editor found a great fare sale on BA from ORD to LHR - $419ai, including two free good hotel nights.

Editor got a $50 discount on the ORD-FCO Alitalia flight he just booked using a code that came from Twitter.

Editor just wasted five minutes of his life trying to explain the same thing over and over again to people who refuse to believe anything other than what they already believe.

[RedScare]

Editor just wasted five minutes of his life trying to explain the same thing over and over again to people who refuse to believe anything other than what they already believe.

Except that you didn't explain anything that I don't already know. Of course I could use it occasionally if I chose to. My head scratching is aimed at those that swear it is the greatest thing, and the news articles that DO call twitter the next killer app.

I checked out macbro's twitter feed. Scrolled through several pages. Didn't see any real information or news. Did see a few commenting on the twitter 'haters'. I find it amusing that I am now a 'hater' for not finding the exchange of mundane statements exciting. I find it to be mundane. I think I would describe myself not as a hater, but a pitier.

[houstonmacbro]

No one (except you guys) are saying Twitter is anything. I use it but certainly don't try to initiate you are convince you to use it.

I would say that those who do not USE it but have all these ideas about it are haters. The same way I call haters of people that rag on me for being on HAIF all day, but have never used the site.

Use it (Twitter) or not. It's no sweat off my back.

Except that you didn't explain anything that I don't already know. Of course I could use it occasionally if I chose to. My head scratching is aimed at those that swear it is the greatest thing, and the news articles that DO call twitter the next killer app.

I checked out macbro's twitter feed. Scrolled through several pages. Didn't see any real information or news. Did see a few commenting on the twitter 'haters'. I find it amusing that I am now a 'hater' for not finding the exchange of mundane statements exciting. I find it to be mundane. I think I would describe myself not as a hater, but a pitier.

Red, people find it weird that people like us (HAIFers) that post so much don't have a life either. I beg to differ. I think we have a life, just a different life.

Also, looking at your HAIF count, of over 9,500 posts, makes you one busy little bee on this site, ranking you second only to music.

[editor]

I checked out macbro's twitter feed. Scrolled through several pages. Didn't see any real information or news. Did see a few commenting on the twitter 'haters'. I find it amusing that I am now a 'hater' for not finding the exchange of mundane statements exciting. I find it to be mundane. I think I would describe myself not as a hater, but a pitier.

Anecdote ≠ Data

[houstonmacbro]

A random sampling of recent tweets from my followers:

Mustang the original http://tinyurl.com/b3ypz2

Interesting Valuation of Web 2.0 properties http://tinyurl.com/bfptl5

One Million Followers On Twitter? Big Deal. (Perhaps A Very Big Deal Indeed.) | Twittercism http://bit.ly/ZKzgS

With daughter at indoor peewee baseball skills evaluation - Photo: http://bkite.com/05vfD

http://twitpic.com/23b2e - my new newphew lol...

RT @SusanCosmos Barack Obama:

[RedScare]

Anecdote ≠ Data

Correction...

Opinion=/= Fact

This is my opinion, one surely not shared by users of the technology, but nonetheless arrived at by looking at the technogy and being unimpressed by it. Which brings me to this:

I would say that those who do not USE it but have all these ideas about it are haters. The same way I call haters of people that rag on me for being on HAIF all day, but have never used the site.

One need not be a participant to develop an opinion of it, and the opinion is not uninformed just because one does not participate. Most of all, lack of interest in a subject does not equate to hate. It is simply lack of interest. I promise not to exercise my technology veto to kill off twitter. I will allow your technology to exist and I will allow you to use it freely. I just won't be a follower.

See, I really am a benevolent dictator, aren't I?

(Jeebus, you tech geeks get your feelings hurt SO easily!)

[houstonmacbro]

Correction...

Opinion=/= Fact

This is my opinion, one surely not shared by users of the technology, but nonetheless arrived at by looking at the technogy and being unimpressed by it. Which brings me to this:

One need not be a participant to develop an opinion of it, and the opinion is not uninformed just because one does not participate. Most of all, lack of interest in a subject does not equate to hate. It is simply lack of interest. I promise not to exercise my technology veto to kill off twitter. I will allow your technology to exist and I will allow you to use it freely. I just won't be a follower.

See, I really am a benevolent dictator, aren't I?

(Jeebus, you tech geeks get your feelings hurt SO easily!)

Like I said, no sweat off my back.

[TheNiche]

Twitter doesn't have to be a killer app to be useful. The calculator your operating system comes with isn't a killer app, but you still use the computer. You don't have to make Twitter the center of your life (though, some people do). You can just use it as an occasional tool like that desktop calculator.

The calculator is a killer app. On my Blackberry, I use it probably three times as frequently as I use SMS text, and back when I subscribed to data, probably about as often as I'd use the internet. And on my computer, the calculator is at the very top of my most frequently used programs on the Start menu.

[TheNiche]

Most of all, lack of interest in a subject does not equate to hate. It is simply lack of interest.

You sure spent a whole lot of time discussing something that you're completely disinterested in.

Me personally, I dislike it (and am willing to admit it openly in public to oversensitive techies). I dislike it much more than most of the other social networking media. So it is a strong dislike, and clearly I do have interest in the subject because I'm bothering to participate in this discussion. Even still, like yourself, I do not vote to abolish Twitter.

The more distracted people in society, the better it is for those not otherwise encumbered.

[cottonmather0]

I just crossed over and used to think similarly about it to what Red has said. I do think it's mostly useless still.

Nonetheless Twitter is all about visibility. There is a lot of potential for vanity, yes, but there is also a lot of potential for utility, too. It's good for rapidly disseminating information (like the USAir plane crash or during Ike or like Obama did during the campaign), it's good as a means of notifying people to more significant information elsewhere, like notifying people about new blog updates, and it seems to be a good way to stay connected to customers, which is why I decided to look into it as a marketing took for one of my retailing websites (ie "60 minute Twitter sale!"). Dell has apparently made not insignificant revenue in this way in the brief time it's been tweeting.

I also agree that it's good for being connected to like-minded people.

What sucks about it, though are all of the people who do nothing but post links all day long trying to look important or otherwise cogent in some way. That's. What blogs or for, IMHO.

[Montrose1100]

It's sort of interesting that HAIF doesn't have any rabid feminists that would pounce on this kind of gender-biased assertion. I wonder whether I could draw any heat if I expanded your generalization of high school archetypes to include the gay guys in the drama/theater department.

I've only met 5 cheerleaders who don't fit the sterotype... My best friend & joked about joining the UH squad just to give us something to do a long time ago.. After meeting some of them we quickly changed our minds.

And your statement about gays in drama is not offensive, it's true. Or the one guy who took dance. Go them, but they were always the obnoxious & annoying ones. So don't brand all of us as the girly drama types. Some of us played football, swam, and were nerds on the drafting club too!

I've never even heard of twitter until now. And if you wanted to be updated on a party or be joined for lunch, what happened to a phone call? Texting? Making plans?

I wouldn't want everyone I know to join me at a party, unless I would specifically ask them to. Seems like these "communication" tools are getting more & more impersonal.

[TheNiche]

I've only met 5 cheerleaders who don't fit the sterotype... My best friend & joked about joining the UH squad just to give us something to do a long time ago.. After meeting some of them we quickly changed our minds.

And your statement about gays in drama is not offensive, it's true. Or the one guy who took dance. Go them, but they were always the obnoxious & annoying ones. So don't brand all of us as the girly drama types. Some of us played football, swam, and were nerds on the drafting club too!

Thanks. You just proved the value of my post.

[memebag]

I started a Twitter account last week, just to reserve my name. I'm following Penn Jillette and woot.com, but woot is lame and I may stop following it. No one is following me. I say absolutely nothing. So if you do decide to follow me, I can promise I won't steer you wrong.

[editor]

Dell has apparently made not insignificant revenue in this way in the brief time it's been tweeting.

According to BusinessWeek, Dell make $500,000 in sales via Twitter in its first year, and another $500,000 in the six months following.

But I guess making a million dollars via Twitter proves that it's only for hyper-social teen-age girls, right, Red?

What sucks about it, though are all of the people who do nothing but post links all day long trying to look important or otherwise cogent in some way. That's. What blogs or for, IMHO.

Yeah, I don't like people who just post links and their thoughts. It makes them look self-important. Too many people are trying to by Guy Kawasaki.

[houstonmacbro]

According to BusinessWeek, Dell make $500,000 in sales via Twitter in its first year, and another $500,000 in the six months following.

But I guess making a million dollars via Twitter proves that it's only for hyper-social teen-age girls, right, Red?

Yeah, I don't like people who just post links and their thoughts. It makes them look self-important. Too many people are trying to by Guy Kawasaki.

During the holiday season there were a TON of 'marketing' experts on Twitter. They were all trying to show how to maximize sales, etc. They seem to have gone away of late or at least toned down their messages.

[RedScare]

According to BusinessWeek, Dell make $500,000 in sales via Twitter in its first year, and another $500,000 in the six months following.

But I guess making a million dollars via Twitter proves that it's only for hyper-social teen-age girls, right, Red?

I agree, ed, $500k for a company that does $16 Billion in sales ain't chump change. I need to use my killer app calculator to figure out what that percentage is.

Here we go. It would be 0.00312% of sales. I bet the person who thought of it got promoted to VP Of Insignificant Revenue Streams.

[BryanS]

Thanks. You just proved the value of my post.

Are you calling Montrose1100 a girly-man? I think you are...

[Montrose1100]

Thanks. You just proved the value of my post.

Well I thought you were making the statement that every guy in drama was gay... or that gay dudes only join drama, and are all sissies. Either way, I kinda agree. Most gay guys are girly

Are you calling Montrose1100 a girly-man? I think you are...

Please, the niche knows better then to say such things to his fans..

So is twitter just the "update status" part of facebook?

[BryanS]

Well I thought you were making the statement that every guy in drama was gay... or that gay dudes only join drama, and are all sissies. Either way, I kinda agree. Most gay guys are girly

I beg to differ.

Most gay people are invisible. And to the other tiny minority... that are a little more "out there" ... good for them. This world has many different colored flowers in it. Who really gives a rat's concerning who people are?

Also, pretty amazing how you can switch your position so quickly between posts. And not in the good way.

[TheNiche]

Are you calling Montrose1100 a girly-man? I think you are...

I was responding to Red, intentionally trying to draw heat so as to prove a point. It worked, eventually, and apparently really well.

[cottonmather0]

I agree, ed, $500k for a company that does $16 Billion in sales ain't chump change. I need to use my killer app calculator to figure out what that percentage is.

Here we go. It would be 0.00312% of sales. I bet the person who thought of it got promoted to VP Of Insignificant Revenue Streams.

Yeah, but what did it cost them to make that money?

I'm willing to bet that the ROI on that $500,000 is a lot better than the marketing cost on the rest of their revenues.

[editor]

Yeah, but what did it cost them to make that money?

I'm willing to bet that the ROI on that $500,000 is a lot better than the marketing cost on the rest of their revenues.

Exactly. Dell didn't have to spend millions on TV commercials to make those Twitter sales -- it had one employee doing it for five minutes every couple of days. If you've ever worked in a large company where sales are tracked based on how much time and money is calculated to make them, then you'd know that selling a million dollars of computers on Twitter is a big deal.

[sheeats]

And I'm a novice really. There are people on Twitter with THOUSANDS of friends (followers).

But really, is it so different...

We collect HAIF friends and I certainly don't 'know' all of you. I've never met you in person, I've never been to your house (or you mine). It's really the same thing but on a bigger scale.

It's just different. Certainly not disturbing.

I will agree with the meet-ups though. I went to one for Technology Bytes on KPFT held at Coffee Groundz (I think that's the name) and it was odd. There were like a few people that knew each other and the rest (like me) were just kinda there, sitting, and not sure who to interact with. I left after downing a wine and sandwich.

LOL

You went to a Geek Gathering (put on by Jay and Dwight, the hosts of Tech Bytes), not a "Tweetup" (the world's most annoying portmanteau combining "Twitter" and "meetup"). That may be why a lot of people were just sitting around not interacting. It's...a gathering...of geeks. Not knocking them, of course; I'm at every single one of them.

Next time you head out to a Geek Gathering or Twitter meetup, let me know. I can guarantee you won't be sitting and drinking wine by yourself after I'm done with introducing you around.

[crunchtastic]

Speaking of geeky groups: are there any HAIFers who are also part of the Houston Audio Society group?

[musicman]

Speaking of geeky groups: are there any HAIFers who are also part of the Houston Audio Society group?

i work with someone that is. if you're not interested in building your own speakers, forget it.

[citykid09]

Funny Twitter Video:

I look at Twitter like I use to look at Starbucks, I just don't get it. Why is it popular?