I didn't know what to expect. The guy was a complete stranger, yet here we were having a delightful and very natural conversation. We talked about our kids, observations about life and social media. A few days prior to our meeting, I saw a tweet from this guy saying he'd be in the Bay Area and asking if anyone wanted to get together.
If you believe Twitter is a place where only trivial information is shared, I invite you to read the "tweets" posted by Apple engineer, Mike Lee (@bmf) today. Read from the bottom up. Mike's friend, Vinay Venkatesh (@djgraphite) died today as a result of a motorcycle accident here in the Bay Area. I don't know Mike, but his pain is real and palpable. I can't begin to imagine his thoughts as he shared these updates on his friend's condition with anyone who might be listening. As Robert Scoble (@scobleizer) tweeted tonight, "Who the hell said 140 characters can't make a grown man cry?"
Twitter can be confusing, especially when you're just getting started. The Twitter website itself is fairly simple. It allows you to post messages (or "tweets"), view tweets from people you're following and run a search on everyone's tweets. That's about it.
After my post on 11 Sure-Fire Ways to Get Me to Unfollow You on Twitter, many asked that I put together some tips highlighting the best way to get started on Twitter. I'm very happy to oblige. Here are several recommendations to get your started...
At last, someone has taken the initiative to address the rampant and rapidly-growing problem of spam on Twitter.
The story is as old as technology itself: An electronic device which played an important role in the formative years of most Baby Boomers has been adopted, dare I say, commandeered, by the younger generation.
Blogs. Who doesn't have a blog these days? Many started a blog way back when, but may have since abandoned them for other pursuits.
I didn’t go to many high school dances, but from what I remember, they were rather uncomfortable experiences. I know they are very different today, but back then the scenario was always the same. Boys on one side of the gym, girls on the other. All of us waiting for someone – someone *else* – [...]
“Matchmaker, Matchmaker, make me a match. Find me a find. Catch me a catch.” Feel free to sing along; come on, you know you know the lyrics. Did we suddenly fall into the middle of a Fiddler On The Roof performance? No, you needn’t change the channel. We’re still here talking about networking. How though, [...]
So, you’ve just signed up for a Twitter account and are wondering one or more of the following: “What have I gotten myself into?” “What are tweeple and am I one?” “Should I tweet about business or social stuff?” “Do these people actually have lives away from their computers and cell phones? “How can I [...]