Twitterings

I’m starting to think that my “here’s what I’ve found” items should move from Twitter to Del.icio.us or maybe even Tumblr [no account there yet, will explore soon] and just be summarised here daily. Then Twitter can be just the day-to-day status stuff — which needn’t be archived here at all, but maybe elsewhere.

Are you OK with that one, Mat F?

There seems to be a surge in “RSS aggregator” products like FriendFeed to create a unified “life stream”. But the more I think about it, the more I think “one stream that contains everything” is wrong. It might be fine for archiving — for your needs. But what about those following you? Dumping everything into a single sewer of undifferentiated crap seems to throw the burden of understanding you onto you audience. And all successful media creation is about what the audience wants — no matter what the scale.

It’s better, I think, to separate out the threads into different streams. People can subscribe to the combination they want. And they can choose to view them in the aggregator of their choice.

Business contacts get your business posts. Family and friends get the status reports about your lunch. A select few choose to view the reports of your illicit camel sex. where they want them, when they want them.

Well, that’s what I think today, anyway. What do you think?

• @NickHodge I, for one did not say that. Maybe we do just elect a new dictator. I word my questions very, very carefully… #
• @andrewbarnett Has the Lynx deodorant caused you to fall thru the floor into a room of semi-naked women, as advetised? #
• @Spinopsys I think that’s my point: despotism is about moving the money to the top of the food chain, so businesses are run that way. #
• @duncanriley Well done, sir! A good story and exactly what Crikey loves. And it IS a good story. #
• Oh, I forgot a "Monday plan" tweet earlier. Says it all really. Well, after a ragged 0415 start I reckon my afternoon is reading & tea. #
• Gawd I see the bloody Dalai Lama is in the news AGAIN. He’s like the Bono of Buddhism. [sigh] <– Another friend-winning comment, eh? #
• @rosshill Web start-up cf shuttle mission very bad analogy. Space missions are planned & rehearsed to the last detail. #
• @triviabot You have been very repetitive over the last few days. I want… nay, DEMAND some new trivia. #
• @ApostrophePong & I are off for dinner etc. AFK. #
• WTF are we doing in an Irish pub on St Patrick’s Day? #

• @ApostrophePong and I are about to leave for Courthouse Hotel: his "New Australian" lunch & drinks from 1pm. AFK from 1230 AEDT. #
• The afternoon at the pub was glorious, but now it’s later and I must sleep. The world will be updated tomorrow. G’night. #

In just two months, Twitter has become one of my core communication tools. Non-Twitter instant messaging and Facebook have all but disappeared from the mix. Here’s why.

Actually, before that… If you don’t use Twitter, or if you’ve taken a look but don’t “get it”, watch this 2.5-minute video Twitter in Plain English from those wacky Canadians Common Craft. Love their style.

OK, back?

Like the character in the video, I was sceptical about Twitter. Why do people need to know every little detail of my life? Who cares? I said as much to Perth’s Twitterati late last year. But then I actually tried using it — and I “got it” immediately.

Read the rest of this entry »

• I’m departing for the gym. I’ll be there before the Platypus, which means a certain moral superiority is gained. Bow down before me! #
• That Platypus needs a good spanking, he got to the gym before I did. Oh well, the gin may help. #
• @fulltimecasual Only about one Merakai in 10 needs to be connected directly to the Internet. #
• Relaxing at home on a bright Saturday evening, AFK. #

• Friday plan 2.0: lunch soon; arvo meeting moved, research/writing instead; should that happen in The Afternoon Office(tm)? #
• Migrating to The Afternoon Office (Kelly’s On King, Newtown). Free Wi-Fi and good food and Irish beer, how can I resist? #
• The women at the next table are discussing the rigours and dangers of childbirth in just a little too much graphic detail post-lunch. #
• @zhasper Just for you, I now have a "contact" page on my website: http://stilgherrian.com/contact/ #
• @emoodicon Hello new Twitterstalker(tm). Where did you find me and why have I joined your posse? #
• @Fifikins Is the 70yo in the Playboy t-shirt a man or a woman? I mean, it might not be as wrong as you imagine. #
• @Fifikins I bet everyone’s expecting me to say something really inappropriate now. #
• @mspecht You didn’t grow up in Adelaide by any chance? I knew a Michael Specht there… #
• How "Telecom Australia" (nee Telstra) in 1992 envisioned the broadband revolution of far-future 1996. http://tinyurl.com/2twvg9 #
• @mspecht I declared it pub o’clock at 1400, though I did start at 0530. I also therefore declare it pub o’clock in Sydney. Kelly’s On King. #
• Speaking of which, the latest TVC for VB: http://tinyurl.com/2fcpap A hard-earned thirst… gawd I should demand sponsorship! #
• @emoodicon "Following random people" is as good a reason as any. Like your braziers too! (That’s NOT "brassieres", for poor spellers.) #
• Collapsing for the night. #

• @bck It’s illegal for employers to monitor employees’ private communication, so what happens when private communications are public? #
• Off to brunch on Enmore Road, AFK. #
• Note to Ticketmaster: If it’s a routine list of events you can buy tickets to, sent at the same time every week, then it’s not an "alert". #
• @SilkCharm From Saudi, please bring a map of the public transport system, if they have one. #
• Still plodding thru the "paperwork". Not really paying attention to anything else. It is not exciting, however. #
• Mac vs PC choice is irrational: a good start to a sensible debate! http://tinyurl.com/3736qa #
• Starting to explore del.icio.us … unless someone can think of something better for me to do tonight. #
• @garthk Glad to be of service! Miro TV looks like a goodly thing. RSS and BitTorrent-capable, VLC the under hood, FOSS goodness throughout. #
• @bck Ta for the offer of your del.icio.us script, but will use this method as an experiment first. http://tinyurl.com/ec7gw #
• @bck Agreed, customisation would be nice, but hey I’ll see how I go with this for now because it was a no-brainer. #
• I’m not happy with today’s blog posts. I feel very uninspired. So does half the city, I’m told. #
• @duncanriley Interesting. Channel 10 is shit digital reception for us too, in Sydney, tho all channels are dodgy here in Enmore. #

• New rant: "Australia 2020: The Disillusionment". http://tinyurl.com/2tfwfq #
• @juancarzola Welcome new Twitterstalker(tm). May I be suitably informative, entertaining, controversial, boring or erotic, as you need. #
• @bck Our toilet seat is up: we’re an all-male household. #
• 2web Crew talking about my favourite man, Jason Calicanis… #
• @ApostrophePong magickally turns into an Aussie at 1730, errands and pottering until then. #
• Eric TF Bat has written a glorious response to my mention of Westpac ATMs yesterday. http://etfb.livejournal.com/119093.html #
• ABC (Aust) launching 3 new internet TV channels, 60 (yes sixty!) local websites. http://tinyurl.com/3doeq7 I will have commentary tomorrow. #
• @zhasper If is IS Windows-only I’ll have even more vitriol for my commentary. Then again I watch ABC happily on Mac now. F’ing .rm or .wmv t #
• @artywah @duncanriley I’ll chase those tech issues in the morning, prob writing a Crikey piece on it all. #
• @ApostrophePong and I heading off to turn him into an Aussie. Brain-scoop in hand, beer in the other… #
• Note to self: Do not try to joke with Immigration officials about Cornelia Rao. #
• About 50 ppl being sworn in as citizens. #
• Just saw that they sell souvenir photos. They’d better not try to stop me doing my own! #
• All cool, joking with official photographer. #
• @zhasper They’re still explaining procedure, @ApostrophePong in holding pen. #
• @ApostrophePong is #38 in queue, all done individually for photos etc. #
• Where tf is the Mayor? We have a room full of impatient immigrants! #
• Oh here he is… Afk. #
• @AstrophePong is now an Aussie, we’ve chatted politics with the mayor, and drunk their wine. Pics later. #
• @ApostrophePong that is. #
• @garthk Thank you for the DVD of Max Headroom series 1… Cabaret Voltaire! Japan! FTW! #

• An hour on the phone fries one’s brain, even when it’s with a good friend and colleague and "delivered good outcomes". #
• I wish people would stop sending me interesting things to read. Just for an hour or so, so I can make a client a bit happier. #
• Apparently yesterday was "Commonwealth Day". Did this actually have any relevant to anyone? #
• We can all give up this web development and media stuff now, check these guys! http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/239803/ #
• Hmmm… reducing a client to tears just how wasn’t quite the intended outcome. And there isn’t a field for that in my CRM system… #
• How daft is MYOB? Just sent me a promo fax (3 copies!), headed "Start the year fresh". START? It’s the MIDDLE of MARCH! FAIL! #
• @NickHodge Which "data gone"? MYOB’s of the tear-filled client? #
• @NickHodge Data OK. Had kept morn free for client, but no call. Now committed until day’s end. They called wanting instant fix. I vented. #
• @mpesce No, children of your cousins are "cousins once removed". #
• Twitter is excellent. Instead of having to look up Wikipedia, you just ask here and someone else looks it up for you. #
• Hey this so-called "National Binge Drinking Strategy" is to STOP binge drinking! WTF? #
• @Fifikins Re Westpac ATMs, you may like this little sketch then… http://youtube.com/watch?v=OAknJSsXQRY #
• Hmmm… is there any way to FORCE Twitter to use something like tinyurl.com, even if the URL fits into the message? #
• @zhasper "Michelle the bank-slut" LOLZ. Yeah her logic is shitty. Offers a receipt and then says I can’t have one so there. Ignorant bitch. #
• @mpesce Careful what you say, or you’ll end up sounding like what I write. #
• About to disconnect the client-whinge feed… #
• @aglick35 Hi, new Twitterstalker(tm)! I hope you find something entertaining, controversial or at least mildly erotic. #
• OK, already I don’t like seeing a daily digest of my tweets. Too scary! http://tinyurl.com/2mwv2u #
• @NickHodge Don’t worry, you fucking bastard, I’d never censorship myself! Arsehole! #
• @Fifikins Just take a deep breath and remember, with Westpac we’re… saving penguins or something. With harmonica music. #
• Ah! Absinthe and Bickfords Lime works quite nicely. Genius! #
• @NickHodge My pleasure. There’s a few more words I can use, if you like. Some of them are truly excellent. #
• What’s wrong with this headline? "Govt invites sports chiefs to binge drinking conference." [smirks] http://tinyurl.com/33pwdb #
• @Fifikins This is what you need then! http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/c/r/crownhim.htm Crown HIm with Many Crowns! And lots lots more! #
• @Fifikins Oh dear! I Keep running into choristers! And I wasn’t even a Catholic! #
• @NickHodge The LOLbible has already been started, running on MediaWiki somewhere.\ #
• Indeed the lolcatbible is at http://www.lolcatbible.com/ and I blogged about it 9 October: http://stilgherrian.com/religion/lolbible/ #
• 1. Oh hai. In teh beginnin Ceiling Cat maded teh skiez An da Urfs, but he did not eated dem. #
• 2 Da Urfs no had shapez An haded dark face, An Ceiling Cat rode invisible bike over teh waterz. #
• @kcarruthers @kcarruthers nickhodge I am a prophet to my people! #
• @NickHodge Thoroughly agreed re the importance of Ada Lovelace and Alan Turing, but sorry, never could get into the nasal, droney NZers. #
• @kcarruthers Sorry, but as a Discordian I am forbidden to believe anything I read. All hail Eris! #
• @crispin_harris @vandra Twitter needs a wall-to-wall display mode - though certainly not in this specific instance. #
• OK, Twitterverse, you are my moral compass. Should I have another drink before bed? #
• @Fifikins Didn’t think Catholics did the Bible? Catholics will do ANYTHING. And you don’t even need to buy them a drink first. #
• @kcarruthers Oh, yes, I quite frequently commit random acts of discord. What’s "DS9"? #
• @bronwen ‘Pong http://www.outtospace.com #
• @bronwen Yep, that’s @ApostrophePong and his current obsession with abandoned furniture. The portfolio is more representative though. #
• I find it very scary that I’m at least acquainted with 6 of the Top 100 at Tweeterboard. #

[Note: Although labelled as the tweets for 10 March, the current Twitter Tools date function isn't localised properly and this appears to be for 10 March UTC, not AEDT, 'cos the one starting "Emerging" (3rd from bottom) was the morning of 11 March for me. They're in chronological order, top to bottom.]

• Finally! Zukerberg’s speech at SXSW has pushed the JCal war off the top of Techmeme. #
• @crispin_harris Thanks (though you missed an "r" in my name). Did you see the longer piece I posted about an hour ago? #
• @crispin_harris Cool. It’ll be interesting to see how the Cult of the Internet Start-up fundamentalists respond to such an open challenge. #
• @ApostrophePong Useful meta-review of Nikkor 18-200mm DX lens. http://memex.naughtons.org/archives/2008/03/09/4901 #
• @duncanriley Welcome back to Oz. Time for you to trigger another shit-fight on teh internetz! #
• Monday re-planned (well, re-chaos’d): Heading to St Ives to fix client problem. #
• Waiting for a cab at Pymble. School (all private) is out: noisy! #
• Schoolchildren interfere with cab-hailing gesture. FAIL! #
• @mpesce Agreed, but last I checked I’m not authorised to shoot children under 15. #
• Reinstalling 2007 Microsoft Office system which failed to activate properly. FAIL! #
• Ah, my work St St Ives is, essentially, done. Now to potter for a moment and de-stress before re-stressing in the traffic. #
• Latitude decreasing… stress neutral… back aching… sun shining… earth turning… #
• @eskimo_sparky Welcome, new Twitterstalker(tm)! Twittering on a laptop at the bus stop is weird. That’s me, not you… #
• @eskimo_sparky Let’s drink to weird people then! One shot each for each one we know. #
• Monday re-plan, v3.0: gym & dinner cancelled; on train returning to civilisation; evening options open #
• @SilkCharm Does your sister also have a flower name? A psychic told me you do. #
• Oops… Nokia N80 battery about to fail. Laptop to Internet via Bluetooth to said N80 about to fail. I NEED MORE VOLTS! #
• Home! #
• @SilkCharm Psychic was a he, didn’t specify partic plants, just that I’d met a woman with a plant/flower name, who had sister with one too. #
• @zhasper Am I that pedant? *slightly confused* I mean, I AM a pedant… #
• @SilkCharm Apparently Plant woman is important to my next major change(s) in life! (Keep your ego in curb, girl!) #
• @SilkCharm He said that I’d been to a meeting or something with this woman, and also described @nickhodge and @mpesce (sort of). #
• @NickHodge Shortly after that dinner in December, a psychic happened to mention a "meeting" I’d had and you match the photofit. #
• @NickHodge Yeah @Fifikins is so right, H O T Z ! @ApostrophePong is so dumped! #
• @bck Tempting, but nah @nickhodge still wins. It’s those superb rolls of fat and the saggy y-fronts for me! And especially the back hair #
• As a random thought, how long are Tweets archived for? #
• Oh shit! My Tweets also go on my website, and the National Archives keep my website FOREVER! #
• @kcarruthers Nah I’m actually quite used to what I say being on the public record. Too much time as a broadcaster. #
• @bck Maybe you could show us a different part of your body each weeknight, and then on weekends… #
• @weatherbot sydney australia #
• Emerging. Today is all tea, no coffee. Wonder when headaches will start. (I’ve previously done 1yr no caffeine. Time to do it again.) #
• Dumping planned breakfast meeting. Just a supplier wanting to whore new products. Why START the day with crass commercialism? #
• @jjprojects guess I’d better start following you. Half the people I see talk to you and I’m getting confused. Or tantalised. #