Twittering is for Birdbrains

RandallTodd said:

How would I know if twitter stinks?  I only follow people I care enough about that their humdrum moments resonate with me. Importantly, I appreciate they didn't use the phone for their last tweet because calling is almost impossible in the work environment I'm in.

KirkPetersen said:

JoeHageOnline's link above is well worth the clickthrough.  I use Twitter to announce new posts on my blog - usually just the headline and URL.  Each tweet brings in a few visits.  Most of my followers either ignore the tweets or don't see them, which is fine -- I'll take the few clicks I get.  Anyone who gets tired of seeing them can unfollow me.

I do get impatient with some of the people who tweet 20 times a day.  I'm not even that interested in what I'm doing.

JoeHageOnlinedotcom said:

Here are 15 ways Twitter made my life better.

(95 characters to spare.)

 

dahowlett said:

Love it Jerry. As I often say: content without context or purpose is meaningless.

JacobMorgan said:

hey jerry

a few weeks ago i wrote about where some of the value of twitter comes from.  i definitely agree that nothing will replace or should attempt to replace a real world friend.  however, i have made several friends through twitter who have helped me out quite a bit.  i'm more of a business twitter user.  i try to provide tips, tactics, ideas, and strategies for social media and/or seo.  im also on twitter to learn.

no question if i could spend time with my friends offline or on twitter i would definitely pick offline, by why do you have to choose?  you don't need to twitter 10 hours a day.  it's easier for some such as myself because i work from a laptop and can just have a twitter client such as twhirl open while i work. 

twitter wont make you taller or sexier (to be debated), however twitter can help you establish yourself as an authority in a particular field.  it can also help you connect with and build relationships with people that you can eventually do business with/collaborate with/learn from.  there is some fun involved, there is some business involved, and part of it a sense of connecting.  you know, i wouldn't have even found this post if it wasn't for twitter :)

i also wrote a post not too long ago on whether or not social networks are bringing us together or keeping us apart.  some of us do spend too much time online, but that is a personal choice.  im an avid traveler and i love people, so i spend more time offline (believe it or not) then I do online connecting with people. 

you may be at a different point in your life where you dont need to build anymore relationships, if you are happy with your current friends and family then that is great.  perhaps you don't need anymore business connections and contacts, but someone such as myself (who is 25) does. ive had the pleasure of interacting and engaging with a lot of smart people through twitter.  people who have influenced how/what i write, how i approach business decisions, what tools i use to measure succcess, etc. (and yes it does help to grow your personal brand).

Personally I like sharing and interacting with people, like when I went to turkey and posted up photos from my trip and then sent them out through twitter, or when I had my little issue with businessweek and the twitterverse supported me and made businessweek reverse a decision, or when I connected with the CMO of best buy re: seo work, or that other time I found out about a fire near my parents house in LA and was able to call them to make sure everything was ok.

for me twitter is a valuable resource, for you it may not be.  different strokes for different folks jerry.  I happen to love Miles Davis, but if I didn't then he's just not for me, just like twitter may not be for you. 

have you created a twitter account and participated?  have you spoken with robin re: the tangible results she has seen through twitter?  you know the only reason I was able to meet robin was because of twitter, tell her i say hello :)

Jacob

 

 

 

 

 

MarcMeyer said:

Jerry, thanks for finally responding to the comments, obviously it is a very hot topic to be discussed right now. One of the points which I think you are overlooking is that regardless of what the final iteration of Twitter will be, it is right now, one of the hottest social networking tools or platforms out there. With that being said, your comments and questions aside, you cannot overlook its influence, impact or growth.

But I think what was more perplexing was that you, of all people, given your role at Social Media Today, was questioning the validity of Twitter. It would be that same as if you had a site called Motorcycles Today, and you questioned whether Harley Davidson should be considered legit or had a chance to survive with it's obnoxiously loud sounding tail pipe. I think it caught some of us by surprise. I know it did me.

I see where you are coming from though. Because of the plethora of social sites, there are just so many places where you can hang your hat, and so many places where you can actually nurture relationships. I will tell you this, Twitter, if you give it a chance, and I know that you haven't, will give back in ways in which you never dreamed of.

With that being said, I do respect your opinion. I might not agree with it, but I respect it. Lastly, Twitter does not require hours, it only requires as much time as you choose to put into it. The more you put in, the more you get out.

 

JerryB said:

Thank you all for your comments.  Obviously, this is a topic that stirs a great deal of passion.  For me, it comes down to the question of whether Twittering is the most productive use of the time I have left on the planet.  Many people obviously spend hours a day tweeting and 'following' others.  There are only so many hours in a day and my cat needs his ears scratched a lot.  

ariherzog said:

I don't know how I missed this piece. Marc Meyer pointed me this way.

I respect you, Jerry, but I think you're off. The very fact you're quoting WaPo's Kathleen Parker's insane article is proof. I tried finding her on Twitter; no luck. But if she views the Twitter experience from the perspective of observing two people at a restaurant typing on their iPhones about "what they are doing," I'm not surprised Kathleen snorted.

You and Kathleen should look to John Byrne, editor-in-chief of BusinessWeek.com who not only writes what he's doing, but he's replying to people, and he's taken to being an internet radio DJ via blip.fm. You can see his profile at http://twitter.com/johnabyrne. John has followed me for I don't know how long, and I started following him back recently, and we've since tweeted back and forth. Nice guy. And gets it more than Kathleen.

But what do I know. I'm a bird brain.

stevenmhall said:

@jbowles well of course.

Of course I would know nothing about him in "the good old days" because I really started gravitating towards his stylings with the advent of Bitches Brew. The audacity of only picking up with Miles as of '69. So my poor, "un-Milized" self could know nothing about his time with Kenny Clarke, in France back in '57; or how he gigged with Red in St. Louis before he quartet officially got together in 1955. Probably would know nothing of the sounds he combined for with Coltrane, and their on-again-off-again collaborations before C left to start his own thing in the early 60's.

You're right, I'm simply a jazz bumpkin with no personal knowledge or valid opinion about Davis and Botti.

So then it *must* make sense, in the same vein, you're probably to old to be talking about twitter. Or would it be best left at, "we each have our opinions, which are both valid regardless of the fact we disagree...because they're *opinions*."

Not sure if you realize how condescending you come across, putting people on the defensive. With tactics like that, I'm trying to understand why you are in social media, unless you're just trying to get attention through shock and conflict?

-@stevenmhall

RichardStacy said:

Jerry,

You haven't quite 'got' social media.  Traditional media was (and still is) all about carefully crafted words.  Social media is about nonsense.  Its built on nonsense. It derives its power from nonsense - individual interactions that are of relevance to only the one or two people interacting.  But the power of this connected nonsense (sometimes called a conversation) is huge. 

The biggest mistake anyone can make is to assume that social media is just an extension of traditional media and judge it accordingly.  Don't make this mistake.

pchaney3185 said:

This really gets my dander up. Not because you feel so negatively about Twitter (though I think you're perspective is ill-informed), but because you're principal of a company whose sites have, according to Robin, several Twitter accounts and runs a Twitterfeed in the sidebar! Jerry, at best that's hypocrisy and ludicrous at worst. Most certainly incongruous.

DannyBrown said:

@ Trey Goff. I see it's not for you, Trey, and hey, that's all good - not everything is for everyone. And I would respond to your descriptions of my "activities" were it not for the fact that you seem to be someone who just wishes to be negative for negativity's sake (see your comment on Beth Kanter's piece toward someone just asking you a question). So I'll leave you with your own thoughts.

@ Jac Star. Thank you for a good laugh, always nice. :)

One thing that is also funny on here is how negative many people are. Not just about Twitter (although that was the subject of Jerry's post). About many things in social media. It does make me wonder why people would sign up to become a member of a social media discussion site and then proceed to dismantle it so vehemently.

If something doesn't fit with you, cool - leave it be and let others that enjoy it use it. Maybe you'll find similar use in something else. But as Jason Tryfon says, to go on the attack in the way that some in the comments thread here have done?

Bizarre...

 

 

JohnMatera said:

I agree with you. I am going to sign up for Twitter just so I can auto-respond "I don't give a Tweet about you" to everyone who sends me one. If everyone does this, it we can create a sort of "denial of narcissism" attack. Let's hoist those birdbrains with their own 140-character petards.

rlesser@directimpactnow.com said:

We know Twitter is great for emergencies but how about for the old fashioned house burgler!!!

Why check to see if your mail is piling up and the lawn is growing long, when your Twitter account tells all.

Will the next newspaper (or blog) headline be: 'Break & Enter Artist turns high tech and swears by Twitter'?

For a society that is so concerned about privacy and identity theft, Twitter is an ironic twist.

 

LoriFazio said:

Michael Dell says that the web is a zero sum game, and Twitter is part of that. Hearing people evangelize that you need to know how to use it right sort of reminds me of being chased down by the Moonies in airports when I was growing up. Do you really want to engage with people who want to convert you to a life reduced to interruption and 140 characters. I'm going to tell my pastor about this and maybe he will talk about it on Sunday.  

JacStar said:

OK So I've been following this little dialogue for sometime and I figured it was my turn to voice an opinion.

I don't know if "twitter is for birdbrains" per se, but I'm certainly not interested in finding out what's so great about it. I like the analogy to the hammer really. I'd be the person not even interested in touching the hammer or finding out how it works at all.

I love that Danny Brown has been personally attacked for voicing his opinions on why he thinks that Twitter isn't all about birdbrains. I gather that Jerry is too old and tired to find the good people, and quite frankly, I'm up there too. So Danny is a racist because he attempted an explanation on why China isn't interested in Twitter, he's anti-patriotic because he doesn't make passports, he’s imperialistic because he doesn’t show servitude to China or the US as far as I know, he's aggressive because he has an opinion, and he's a pimp because he uses Twitter.... I'm just trying to get all my facts here. I see that he also mentioned something about a little girl finding a kidney donor on Twitter. Does anyone want to take a stab at calling him a pedophile, because he did say ‘little’ girl after all. He didn't mention any mature women finding these organs.

Oh oh - and he's sexist too because I didn't hear him say anything about that man wanting a kidney, I can only imagine that means he thinks men are too strong to need kidneys and women are thus the weaker sex.

With all of this aggression, you must be physically abusive too - don't hold back Danny, everyone can see right through you. You're too intelligent for your own good, posting comments on why you think Twitter isn't always about drivel, and if you work at it you can find some good things and good rewards and so forth has opened my eyes.

I, like Jason, have been following Danny for a while. In fact, it was his impeccable taste in music, and his cultural differences that made me strike up a conversation with him in the first place. He’s completely professional, tasteful, and focused if nothing else. I don’t think I would respond so kindly to all these hateful things. So to you Danny, I love your work despite your racist, imperialistic, anti-patriotic, aggressive, abusive, sexist ways. And I love YOU even though you are a pimp.

Next time, try not to voice your opinion on social media so loudly – they might think you’re a rapist too.

Was I supposed to keep this under 140 characters? I didn't see the limit on here...

TreyGoff said:

Twitter addicts think they are a protected class, like the elites of TASS and Pravda during the Cold War. Entitled to the top seat in information dissemination. When Obama gets in, you can bet a new technology will be launched like the fabled "blue magic" heroin in "American gangster." Twice as strong, half the price. Where will the twitter pimps like Danny Brown go for their "fix" then? 

JerryB said:

@stevenmhall  If you didn't hear Miles between 1959 and 1964 (the Kind of Blue era) or from 1964-1968 (the Ron Carter, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Tony Williams period), you didn't really hear him. 

Robin Carey said:

It should be noted that Social Media Today has several twitter accounts which are regularly updated (but not by Jerry.)

LourdesAlvis said:

As an African-American female entrepreneur I am enough of a minority already so why be part of the Twitter minority that is clamoring for attention in this blog post.  Why should I adapt to being churched by Twitter evangelists. It's way too time intensive. There are plenty of ways to move information around quickly, and privately. Too bad  Twitter wasn't around when George Orwell wrote 1984. "What are you doing now" would fit in with the other social controls

ApolloGonzales said:

Just because a person can't swing a hammer the right way, and keeps missing the nail, doesn't mean that the hammer sucks, or that the nail is too small.

 Learn to use the tool the right way or move on. No one is twisting your arm.

Just saying.

nathanielperez said:

This is just plain nonsense... You are casting people's individualities onto a general expression medium... It's dumb, sorry. Some people need attention, other people seek intelligent expression, others just want to help, others just want to watch. Twitter is for all of these. Seek out what you like and stop shooting the messenger.

stevenmhall said:

@jbowles -- I think Chris is as close as we seem to have to Miles at this point. I've heard them both live multiple times. He's closer than you might think.

KevinHorne said:

Agreed. My two cents on whether marketers should get involved with Twitter. Pretty basic stuff using web analytics, not relying on all the qualitative mumbo jumbo...

http://lairigmarketing.typepad.com/lairig_marketing/2008/12/a-solution-to-the-twitter-dilemma.html

 

DannyBrown said:

@ Cameron. I'm sorry, Cameron, I'm trying to see your point here. What started out as a bona-fide discussion about Twitter seems to have become embroiled in an anti-Chinese rhetoric, which you seem to think I have. I mentioned it in my original response and I'll mention it again - this is not the case. I offered examples of why Twitter hasn't been taken up on a widescale use in China, and because of that I'm suddenly racist and aggressive? Now I'm imperialistic? I'm just wondering what it is I said that makes you feel this way?

Getting back to the points about social media, Twitter and others (which is the function of this site, after all), I'd disagree with the view of social media being an adjunct. While it's certainly enjoying higher visibility now, it has been around a lot longer. Susan Murphy makes an excellent case here:

http://suzemuse.netfirms.com/2008/12/01/socialmediashift/

I respect your pride and honorable servitude to, and for, your country - this was never questioned. If that is what you feel you would use Twitter to discuss, then I agree it would be difficult to get that across in 140 characters. But again, with all due respect, this wasn't the point I was making in response to either Jerry or Larry. Instead, I suggested that you get out of Twitter what you put into it (much like social media on the whole). If all that's coming across is noise, then perhaps some more filtering needs to be done on the user's side?

@ Jason. I appreciate the endorsement, Jason - thank you. And I'd wholeheartedly agree that perhaps in this case the whole point of social media and its tools is being missed? No offence to Jerry, but while Twitter may not be for him, it does seem to be a blanket statement that 99% of the stream is useless noise.

@ Charles. While I respect your point and opinion, I'd also have to say that if you're meaning yourself when you mention "I'm constantly taking inventory" on your followers, then you're probably not using social media properly to grow your brand. Isn't it more about the quality than quantity?

@ Kim. I'm a huge proponent of what Twitter has to offer in brand building. In answer to your question, I would suggest that instead of simply following blindly to get the numbers up (which many people do), use the Twitter search option. Also, see if that person's profile/bio fits your "needs" - and if there's a link to a blog or website, check that out as well. I've found that people's blogs are an excellent insight into the person they are - the extra time is worth it.

It's sad to see how this discussion has veered off Jerry's original point - hopefully we can get back onto it and discuss the relative merits/non-merits of Twitter's use for each individual or business.

Thanks for reading.

JerryB said:

I met Miles Davis.  I heard him play live a few times.  Chris Botti is no Miles Davis.

stevenmhall said:

I like what Gary Vaynerchuk (@garyvee) has mentioned--if someone has interest enough in you to follow you--on any of the social media scenes--why *wouldn't* you follow them back? When ROI appears to be at the forefront of everyone's mind these days, it's pretty clear to see that most people don't regularly "get" what your saying each time--but occasionally they do--and that could be a lead. Why remove yourself from that situation simply because they don't tweet, or whatever, the way you want??

Maybe you guys should get over *yourselves*.

As for sifting through the twitterchatter--I would take a look at twhirl or tweetdeck. They make much better usage of the Twitter search API and can let you find the information you really want. Which may make it easier to deal with the tweets you don't like. You can also check out "Monitter" at http://www.monitter.com/ which is a great listening tool.

You can also use those tools to search out more like-minded tweeps if you are looking for them. Or check out http://twitter.grader.com and look at some of the lists of elite users: scan their bios to find peeps in the same industry etc...

cheers,
@stevenmhall

 

www.ruthseeley.com said:

Having resisted Twitter for oh, a good year and a half, I've certainly observed some of the things you mention, Jerry, in the less than two months since I've got into it (even scarier to me is the fact that I actually know who most of the people you reference in this post are).

KimberlyPark said:

Interesting conversation fellas!  When I read this post I was laughing out loud because finally someone was writing what I've been thinking.  I've read all about how Twitter has aided in emergency situations and I totally get that.

What I don't get is how do I go about getting through the clutter to find the truly interesting and relevant people to follow?

To PRJack - how do you make those useful connections with like minded people?

To Jerry's point, I really don't care what most of you are doing right this second.  But I do care about marketing my brand and learning how any medium will help.

Thanks Jerry for going against the grain on this topic!

uhaveavoice.com said:

I'm totally perplexed about this post.  "Socialmediatoday" "The web's best thinkers on Social Media and 2.0" Yet we're saying one of the most widely used and recognized forms of social media "twitter" is useless? 

True there are many people cloging up twitter bandwith with useless postings and musings in their life about the hairball their cat just threw up, however the platform is easily one of he greatest forms of communication, expression and revolutionary forms of customer service handling in the world...if used properly.  Large companies are able to diffuse expressions of dissasatisfaction instantly (Comcast, JetBlue, Startbucks others) and twitter is changing the world as we know it almost overnight, whether we want to admit or not.  We now use Yammer internally (another twitter like tool for companies) and as a CEO I can firmly say that it has opened up communication far more than we have EVER had as an organization. 

Twitter needs to monetize and figure out what it is going to be when it grows up, no doubt.  However to shun it, ignore it and move on seems to be a total counter produtive point from "Socialmediatoday" "The web's best thinkers on Social Media and 2.0" Perhaps YOU yourself are the one not using the service properly and gaining value.  To throw a blanket statement out like "There are only a handful of people on the planet who can say something worthwhile in 140 characters.  The chances are good that you're not one of them." is totally self serving and reeks of journalist censorship. 

Question?  What is Social Media today if Twitter is useless? 

 Finally, I have been a fan of Danny Brown for a long time.  For someone to come out and call him racist when he was making a point, with proof statements included is utterly childish and it shows potentiall some sensitivity to the situation.  Can we all not just get along.  Please hold well I go type out 140 characters to my follwers on that individual...perhaps viral transmission ROI and the power of how twitter make or break people's brand perceptions can be shown in this instance?

 

I invite you to gladly follow me on twitter at:

twitter.com/jasontryfon

P.S I give you credit for having the chops to write this.  

 

 

 

EgoTweeter said:

Ego Stroking or Communication. 

Good blog. It reminded me of a thought that has been bouncing around in my head about all these so-called Web 2.0 technologies - blogs, FaceBook, Twitter, etc.  I wonder if people people blog, Tweet, post simply to boost their ego? I know I'm constantly taking inventory. How many followers do I have? How many friends?  How do I get more, more, more? After all, if people were really motivated by communication, would they write or tweet the things they do.  I mean, can you imagine walking up to someone at a party and blurting out, "It's raining outside."  Gee, thanks for the info.

In our celebrity culture, I think Web 2.0 technologies are really about giving people what they really, secretly desire: a little bit of fame and validation. 

And so I agree, get over yourself already. 

 

CameronSoong said:

Social media is an adjunct to the broader internet, so put it into perspective. And if I am being agressive calling you out on your internet cultural imperialism, so be it. When they start issuing passports to the global economic maybe then I can take you with a grain of salt. Until then, I am an American, I have served my country and I have a US passport. I respect and honor my traditions. You can not do that in 140 characters, thank you very little. 

DannyBrown said:

Cameron, you missed my point completely (and trust me, I am one of the least racist people you could meet).

First, I'm not sure where my question about Chinese government Internet policy is suddenly a racist attack on China the country. As numerous news sites internationally (including some Chinese sites) have mentioned, there is an inherent problem with privacy and free speech when it comes to Internet use in China.

These are simple facts reported in the media - does that make these points racist-led as well?

I'm also trying to see where the aggression part is in my question to Larry. If there is any "aggression" that seems to be coming across here, it could be construed in your view "leave China to the Chinese" - isn't that akin to a warning?

I have no qualms with Chinese people, just like I have no qualms with Asian, Japanes, Indian, American, Canadian, European and any other race or people you wish to mention. What I do have an interest in is how the Internet and social media is used, and that was the basis for my question in the first place.

 

CameronSoong said:

Danny Brown seems to have a racist problem vis a vis the Chinese people. A pity. His aggressions could be more useful to the stakeholders in Twitter. And leave China to the Chinese, please.

stevenmhall said:

Hello @jbowles,

As with anything socially driven, you have to interact to get the real benefit. At this time of writing I see you have 10 tweet updates. Did you *really* think that gave you the perspective and clout to trash a service and its people en masse? Quoting a couple of tweets for credibility doesn't achieve anything--your articles seems written merely for shock value to get some comments. Ironically, with >140 characters it wasn't as worthwhile as many tweets on twitter. I hope you'll actually spend time *using* it before the trashing continues. Otherwise I fear you're simply missing the point.

RickReno said:

Jerry makes some great points about Twitter. It has a very elevated level of self importance among its 3 million followers, who represent a low magnitude star in the galaxy of cyberspace. 

DannyBrown said:

Great points, Jack, and true of every aspect of social media. It is about the conversation and the interaction, and unless you put the time and effort in, then the "rewards" will be minimal.

PRJack said:

Funny thing is, I used to think the same thing. And was even nearly as vehement as you are. But since then I've gotten involved and I discovered a few things...

- Turns out there are people out there who can convey thought and a link in 140 characters. Even I do it sometimes.

- I don't follow those who have nothing to say... I only pay attention to those who are providing info or insight I want.

- Through Twitter, I've made connections with like-minded individuals who I can share thoughts and work/business/professional experiences with.

- Via those new connections I've been led to various blogs and articles that have provided me with very useful info.

And this has all been accomplished without any painstaking searching, but rather with periodic checking of information as I go about my working day.

Twitter is most certainly not 'a magic bullet' or 'the best thing ever'. But it truly has the capacity to be so much more than what you describe. It's all about the level of involvement the user is willing to put in.

 

 

DannyBrown said:

Would that be to do with the service itself or the Chinese government's Internet censorship policy, Larry?

If websites are being monitored for content that isn't "too kind" about the government, perhaps a service that allows instant views and opinions would be too difficult to monitor, hence the relative lack of Twitter activity in China?

http://asia.cnet.com/blogs/littleredblog/post.htm?id=63002980

http://www.thomascrampton.com/media/will-china-twitter/

 

LarryChoi said:

Nice to see a strong Twitter Trash. Let's put this in perspective. The tweetosphere is less than 3.3 million people and really small potatoes. In China where I come from, nobody tweets.

DannyBrown said:

I must be following the wrong people then, Jerry - I definitely don't see as much as 99% of Tweets from those people as "self-serving drivel". ;-)

I agree that there can be self-promotion on Twitter, but isn't that to be expected when the service is, essentially, a conversation tool? Just like favourite TV and radio stations, if we don't filter the noise channels ourselves then we'll be left with the parts and advertisements we don't want.

 

JerryB said:

No, I agree with you Danny.  Twitter is great for emergency situations where there is a specific focus on  common interests.  Dina Mehta's extraordinary coverage of Mubai last week, for example.  The problem is that 99% of the stuff that flows through is self-serving drivel.  I'm too old to spend a lot of time sorting it out.  Kathleen Parker has an interesting take in the WaPo today.

DannyBrown said:

Sorry to hear you think the majority of people don't have anything useful to say on Twitter, Jerry - perhaps you may need to look at who you're following and how you're using it?

I've seen little girls find kidney donors because of Twitter; I've seen worried families get good news out of Mumbai before a lot of news channels because of Twitter; I've seen homeless charities raise thousands of dollars because of Twitter.

Maybe I'm missing some point you're making?