Twitterings

Twitterings are the brief status messages and conversational snippets which I issue via Twitter. For a brief period starting 11 March 2008, I published a daily digest. Eventually I decided that was a bit wired: looking at one half of the conversation was wrong. I still post the occasional summary of interesting tweets, however. You can always follow ,e live at twitter.com/stilgherrian.

Another week according to Twitter

29 June 2008 in Twitterings by Stilgherrian | No comments

On Wednesday my Twitter stream was dominated by the Politics & Technology Forum, and I’ll write more about that later. The other highlights this week:

MYOB continue to flood me with far too much promotional material, even when specifically requested not to. Losers.
People continue to install new software on the very day of its release, discover that it’s still buggy or insecure, and then complain. Do you never learn?
The Aurora Hotel in Surry Hills and the C Bar on the corner of Pitt and Campbell Streets in the Sydney CBD have free Wifi.
The comedians on stage at The Sly Fox Hotel on a Monday night are 300% more bitter & disturbed than I am.
There is no evidence that 17 Massachusetts schoolgirls became pregnant because of a “pregnancy pact”
There is not, but should be, continuous 3G or HSDPA phone coverage on the highway between Sydney and Canberra. In some places there isn’t even GSM!
“The 7 categorises of satedness: Food. Sexual pleasure. Alcohol. Music. Visual appeal. Amphetamines. Blue cheese. Agreed?”
The Concourse Bar at Wynyard Station has Coopers Ale for $4.70 a schooner and a choice of six cocktails for $7 each.
“Backpacking” has descended from “travel world for enrichment” to “global party by indulgent drunken arseholes”. Hence, “gas them”.
Automatic weapons really do solve so many everyday problems.

[Credit: Cartoon Twitter-bird courtesy of Hugh MacLeod. Like all of Hugh's cartoons published online, it's free to use.]

Twitter versus Del.icio.us versus blog posts

18 March 2008 in Blogging, Daily Links, Internet, Twitterings by Stilgherrian | 2 comments

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?

Twitter updates for 2008-03-17

17 March 2008 in Twitterings by Stilgherrian | No comments

@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? #

I’ve just noticed that the daily Twitter digests are missing some items. Between the end of 14 March and the start of 15 March, for instance, it’s missing my morning haiku and four others: 1, 2, 3, 4. Must fix. Or must I?

17 March 2008 by Stilgherrian | No comments

Twitter updates for 2008-03-16

16 March 2008 in Twitterings by Stilgherrian | No comments

@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. #

Thoughts on Twitter

16 March 2008 in Internet, Twitterings by Stilgherrian | 11 comments

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 »

Twitter updates for 2008-03-15

15 March 2008 in Twitterings by Stilgherrian | 3 comments

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. #

Twitter updates for 2008-03-14

14 March 2008 in Twitterings by Stilgherrian | 1 comment

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. #

Twitter updates for 2008-03-13

13 March 2008 in Twitterings by Stilgherrian | No comments

@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. #

Twitter updates for 2008-03-12

12 March 2008 in Twitterings by Stilgherrian | No comments

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! #