Promulgating Ideas In Twitter Society PRESENTATION W/ NOTES
1. Promulgating Ideas in Twitter Society:
Our Purpose in Community &
Conversations
Tara L. Conley
(@taralconley)
Writer, Blogger, Snew Media Consultant
YouthNoise.com | HeatingOil.com | The Life and Times of a Blogger
October 2009
GoodâŠafternoon.âŠItâsâŠaâŠpleasureâŠtoâŠbeâŠwithâŠyouâŠallâŠtoday.âŠIâŠwantâŠtoâŠthankâŠBobâŠFine,âŠKevinâŠPowell,âŠandâŠtheâŠentireâŠCTCâŠfolksâŠforâŠinvitingâŠmeâŠtoâŠ
speakâŠwithâŠyou.âŠâŠLikeâŠBobâŠsaid,âŠmyâŠnameâŠisâŠTaraâŠConleyâŠandâŠIâŠwillâŠbeâŠtalkingâŠwithâŠyouâŠtodayâŠaboutâŠsharingâŠandâŠdispersingâŠideasâŠviaâŠTwitterâŠââŠorâŠ
TwitterâŠSociety,âŠasâŠIâŠlikeâŠtoâŠthinkâŠofâŠit.âŠ
4. Twitter Society
Characteristics of a
Twitter Society
â˘A space where cultural exchanges take place and un/written
rules, etiquette, and behaviors are thusly devised and supported
by the society.
â˘Written Language*
⢠@user, RT (retweet), # (hashtags), H/T (hat tip)
â˘Etiquette Rules
â˘Acknowledge the Tweeter before you RT!
â˘Social Clicks
â˘Politicking/Rules of Engagement
â˘Network Spaces
â˘Political, academic, entertainment, music, social issues/non-profit
â˘Twitter Jail!
*See: danah boydâs âTweet, Tweet, Retweet: Conversational
Aspects of Retweeting on Twitterâ (2010)
IâŠreferâŠtoâŠTwitterâŠasâŠaâŠâsocietyââŠtoâŠdenoteâŠaâŠspaceâŠwhereâŠculturalâŠexchangesâŠtakeâŠplaceâŠandâŠunwrittenâŠ(andâŠwritten)âŠrules,âŠetiquette,âŠandâŠ
behaviorsâŠareâŠthuslyâŠdevisedâŠandâŠsupported.âŠâŠPerhapsâŠwhatâŠmakesâŠTwitterâŠdifferentâŠfromâŠmanyâŠofâŠtheâŠotherâŠsocialâŠnetworkingâŠsitesâŠ(besidesâŠ
beingâŠconsideredâŠaâŠmicrobloggingâŠplatform)âŠisâŠtheâŠwayâŠinâŠwhichâŠwrittenâŠlanguageâŠisâŠoverwhelminglyâŠspecificâŠtoâŠthisâŠsnewâŠmediaâŠplatform.âŠâŠ
TweetâŠlanguageâŠ(i.e.âŠRT,âŠhashtags,âŠtheâŠ@userâŠacronym)âŠisâŠevenâŠbeingâŠadoptedâŠwithinâŠotherâŠplatformsâŠlikeâŠMyspaceâŠandâŠFacebookâŠ(FacebookâŠ
justâŠrecentlyâŠincorporatedâŠitsâŠ@mentionâŠfunction).âŠâŠLikeâŠinâŠanyâŠculturalâŠspace,âŠsocialâŠclicks,âŠnetworking,âŠandâŠtheâŠartâŠofâŠpolitickingâŠexist.âŠâŠTheâŠtrickâŠ
isâŠknowingâŠhowâŠtoâŠnavigateâŠwithinâŠthisâŠnewâŠspaceâŠwhileâŠremainingâŠpartâŠofâŠtheâŠconversation.âŠâŠIncidentally,âŠthereâsâŠalsoâŠaâŠTwitterâŠjail,âŠwhereâŠ
apparentlyâŠifâŠyouâŠtweetâŠmoreâŠthanâŠ100âŠtweetsâŠinâŠanâŠhour,âŠTwitterâŠwillâŠfreezeâŠyourâŠaccountâŠforâŠanâŠhourâŠorâŠmoreâŠuntilâŠyouâveâŠlearnedâŠyourâŠlesson.âŠâŠ
IâŠhaveâŠyetâŠtoâŠgoâŠtoâŠTwitterâŠjail,âŠbutâŠfromâŠwhatâŠmyâŠfellowâŠTweetersâŠtellsâŠme,âŠitâŠsoundsâŠabsolutelyâŠdreadful!âŠForâŠmoreâŠonâŠissuesâŠofâŠclassâŠandâŠ
languagingâŠviaâŠsocialâŠnetworking,âŠIâŠhighlyâŠsuggestâŠreferencingâŠdanahâŠboydâsâŠresearchâŠinâŠthisâŠarea.âŠItâsâŠfascinating.
5. Twitter as Community?
Is Twitter a False Sense
of Community?
â˘@seanpadilla: 140 characters @ a time
can't build community on its own, but it can
definitely plant a seed...
â˘@littlebrownjen: Hmmm..maybe a new
kind of community?
â˘When Twitter trends, so does the nation.
â˘Twitter has had one of biggest impacts on the news
cycle, firstly by often being the first media to break
news, in offering a discussion forum around
mainstream media coverage, and amplifying stories
that have appeared in traditional formats. (Dawson
2009).
Image: http://seaofstatic.tumblr.com
⢠#balloonboy
â˘âtweetupsâ
IâŠaskedâŠmyâŠtweepsâŠifâŠtheyâŠthinkâŠthatâŠTwitterâŠisâŠaâŠfalseâŠsenseâŠofâŠcommunity.âŠâŠIâŠwasâŠstrugglingâŠwithâŠtryingâŠtoâŠunderstandâŠthisâŠnewâŠkindâŠofâŠspaceâŠwhileâŠatâŠtheâŠ
sameâŠtimeâŠexperiencingâŠmajorâŠSEO/snewâŠMediaâŠexhaustionâŠ(itâsâŠmyâŠfullâtimeâŠjob,âŠmyâŠresearchâŠinterests,âŠmyâŠleisure,âŠeverythingâŠIâŠdo).âŠAâŠfewâŠofâŠmyâŠfollowersâŠ
respondedâŠwithâŠsomeâŠinterestingâŠcommentsâŠlikeâŠ@seanpadillaâŠwhoâŠtweetedâŠ[read]âŠandâŠ@littlebrownjenâŠwhoâŠtweetedâŠ[read].âŠâŠTwitterâŠisâŠcertainlyâŠaâŠdifferentâŠ
kindâŠofâŠcommunity;âŠaâŠnewâŠone,âŠinâŠfact,âŠwhereâŠactivists,âŠprofessionals,âŠpoliticians,âŠentertainers,âŠeducators,âŠandâŠotherwiseâŠstillâŠhaveâŠtoâŠnegotiate/navigateâŠ
withinâŠthisâŠspaceâŠinâŠorderâŠtoâŠbestâŠdisseminateâŠtheirâŠideas,âŠproducts,âŠservices,âŠandâŠvoices.âŠâŠTheâŠfollowingâŠimageâŠillustratesâŠthatâŠwhileâŠTwitterâŠmayâŠhaveâŠ
roughlyâŠ50âŠmillionâŠusers,âŠmostâŠareâŠnotâŠveryâŠactive,âŠifâŠatâŠall.âŠâŠButâŠthatâŠmayâŠbeâŠchanging.âŠItâsâŠexpectedâŠthatâŠTwitterâsâŠactiveâŠusersâŠwillâŠincreaseâŠexponentiallyâŠ
overâŠtheâŠnextâŠyear,âŠpossiblyâŠoutâpacingâŠitâsâŠelderâŠsiblings,âŠMyspaceâŠ&âŠFacebook.âŠAndâŠasâŠfarâŠasâŠtrending,âŠwhileâŠtheâŠTwitterâŠcommunityâŠmayâŠnotâŠbeâŠasâŠfullyâŠ
activeâŠorâŠgrandâŠinâŠsizeâŠcomparedâŠtoâŠFacebook,âŠwhenâŠTwitterâŠtrendsâŠsoâŠdoesâŠtheâŠnation.âŠâŠAâŠrecentâŠarticleâŠbyâŠbusinessâŠentrepreneurâŠRossâŠDawsonâŠanalyzedâŠ
SamuelâŠDegremontâsâŠresearchâŠonâŠTwitterâsâŠimpactâŠoverâŠtheâŠnewsâŠandâŠmediaâŠcycles.âŠDawsonâŠwrites,âŠâTwitterâŠhasâŠhadâŠoneâŠofâŠbiggestâŠimpactsâŠonâŠtheâŠnewsâŠ
cycle,âŠfirstlyâŠbyâŠoftenâŠbeingâŠtheâŠfirstâŠmediaâŠtoâŠbreakâŠnews,âŠinâŠofferingâŠaâŠdiscussionâŠforumâŠaroundâŠmainstreamâŠmediaâŠcoverage,âŠandâŠamplifyingâŠstoriesâŠthatâŠ
haveâŠappearedâŠinâŠtraditionalâŠformats.ââŠâŠTwitterâŠisâŠaâŠcommunity,âŠaâŠnewâŠkindâŠofâŠmicroâŠcommunityâŠ(comparedâŠtoâŠitâsâŠvirtualâŠsiblings)âŠthatâŠhasâŠaâŠprofoundâŠ
influenceâŠonâŠhowâŠweâŠgetâŠourâŠnewsâŠ(weâŠallâŠprettyâŠmuchâŠknowâŠaboutâŠtheâŠ#balloonboyâŠhoaxâŠatâŠthisâŠpoint.âŠRight?âŠThisâŠstoryâŠwasâŠveryâŠmuchâŠamplifiedâŠviaâŠ
Twitter).âŠTwitterâŠhasâŠalsoâŠchangedâŠhowâŠweâŠcommunicateâŠoffline,âŠlikeâŠinâŠtheâŠcaseâŠofâŠâtweetupsââŠwhichâŠareâŠofflineâŠgetâŠtogethersâŠarrangedâŠonâŠTwitterâŠoftenâŠ
withâŠpeopleâŠwhoâŠyouâŠrecentlyâŠbecameâŠacquaintedâŠwith.
6. Tweeting the Personal
When Tweeting
Gets Personal
â˘Pick your Twitter battles wisely.
â˘Log-off, take a walk, read a book,
watch a movie, have sex, eat, get some
other work done. Do what you have to
do to remove yourself from the
contention!
â˘âItâs been real, Tweeps. Gotta go!â
â˘RT @TheJLV: Clarifying gets
numbing on Twitter.
â˘Tone can at times get lost in Twitter
translation.
Image: http://activerain.com/
â˘Always remember what youâre
tweeting for in the first place.
ParticipatingâŠinâŠTwitterâŠconversationsâŠisâŠmoreâŠthanâŠaâŠrequirementâŠforâŠmyâŠjob.âŠâŠInâŠbetweenâŠtweetsâŠaboutâŠaâŠlatestâŠHeatingOil.com,âŠ
YouthNoise.com,âŠLifeâŠandâŠTimesâŠofâŠaâŠBloggerâŠpost,âŠorâŠupcomingâŠappearance,âŠIâmâŠengagingâŠinâŠconversationsâŠwithâŠfriends,âŠcolleagues,âŠreaders,âŠ
andâŠcustomers.âŠâŠSoâŠatâŠtimes,âŠtweetingâŠbecomesâŠaâŠpersonalâŠact,âŠparticularlyâŠwhenâŠIâŠengageâŠinâŠconversationsâŠaboutâŠsocialâŠorâŠpoliticalâŠissues.âŠâŠAsâŠaâŠ
selfâidentifiedâŠfeminist,âŠIâŠhaveâŠtoâŠnavigateâŠwithinâŠTwitterâŠsocietyâŠcarefully,âŠconsciously,âŠandâŠlovingly.âŠâŠIâŠrecentlyâŠwroteâŠaâŠpieceâŠforâŠSkirtâŠMagazineâŠ
thatâŠwillâŠbeâŠpublishedâŠnextâŠmonth,âŠentitledâŠâCanâŠSnewâŠMediaâŠMakeâŠâFeminismââŠMoreâŠFriendly?ââŠTheâŠassumptionâŠthereâŠisâŠthatâŠfeminismâŠisnâtâŠ
friendly,âŠ(whichâŠshouldnâtâŠmatter),âŠbutâŠwithâŠthatâŠquestionâŠIâŠtryâŠtoâŠunmaskâŠsomeâŠdangerouslyâŠhiddenâŠassumptionsâŠaboutâŠfeminism.âŠTheâŠpurposeâŠ
ofâŠtheâŠessayâŠisâŠtoâŠargueâŠthatâŠfeministâŠideasâŠandâŠadvocacyâŠworkâŠcanâŠbeâŠpromulgatedâŠusingâŠsnewâŠmediaâŠplatforms.âŠContentiousâŠissuesâŠlikeâŠhealthâŠ
care,âŠtheâŠwarâŠinâŠAfghanistan,âŠpatriarchy,âŠandâŠevenâŠObamaâsâŠNobelâŠPeaceâŠPrizeâŠhaveâŠallâŠbeenâŠdebatedâŠinâŠTwitterâŠSociety.âŠIfâŠIâmâŠpromotingâŠaâŠ
recentâŠblogâŠaboutâŠgenderâŠidentityâŠinâŠsports,âŠIâŠhaveâŠtoâŠacknowledgeâŠthatâŠthisâŠpostâŠwillâŠprobablyâŠinciteâŠsomeâŠlivelyâŠdebateâŠinâŠTwitterâŠSocietyâŠââŠasâŠ
itâŠdid.âŠâŠAndâŠofâŠcourse,âŠIâŠwelcomeâŠit.âŠâŠInâŠtheâŠend,âŠwhetherâŠyouâreâŠaâŠstaunchâŠfeministâŠtweetingâŠaboutâŠwomenâsâŠright,âŠaâŠpoliticianâŠtweetingâŠaboutâŠ
domestic/foreignâŠpolicy,âŠorâŠaâŠbloggerâŠtweetingâŠaboutâŠher/hisâŠlatestâŠposting,âŠweâŠmustâŠalwaysâŠrememberâŠwhatâŠweâreâŠtweetingâŠfor.âŠIfâŠyouâŠfindâŠ
yourselfâŠexhaustedâŠorâŠnumbedâŠbyâŠtheâŠprocessâŠofâŠtweetingâŠtheâŠpersonal,âŠitâsâŠprobablyâŠaâŠgoodâŠtimeâŠtoâŠlogâŠoff.
7. Tweeting Professionally
Pick your pitches wisely.
âTwitter is a marathon . . . Longer than a
tweet.â âDavid Patterson
We have to (re)member, as in reorganize and
recollect, the art of networking and conversing with
people.
Twitter makes us better aware of
our purpose in the conversation.
Images: www.robcubbon.com, www.clipartof.com, www.issnaf.org
LikeâŠwithâŠyourâŠbattles,âŠyouâŠmustâŠpickâŠyourâŠpitchesâŠwisely.âŠâŠEngageâŠandâŠdialogueâŠwithâŠyourâŠfollowers,âŠandâŠbyâŠallâŠmeans,âŠdoâŠnotâŠadvertiseâŠtoâŠ
them.âŠâŠIfâŠyouâŠwantâŠyourâŠfollowersâŠtoâŠcheckâŠoutâŠyourâŠnewâŠproductâŠorâŠpostâŠonâŠyourâŠwebsite,âŠtryâŠtoâŠincludeâŠwhyâŠtheyâŠshouldâŠclickâŠonâŠyourâŠ
shortenedâŠlink.âŠâŠAskâŠifâŠtheyâdâŠkindlyâŠretweet.âŠDonâtâŠexpectâŠyourâŠfollowersâŠtoâŠsimplyâŠclickâŠonâŠwhereâŠyouâŠwantâŠthemâŠtoâŠgo,âŠespeciallyâŠifâŠyouâveâŠ
neverâŠtweetingâŠwithâŠthemâŠbefore.âŠâŠEvenâŠ@iamdiddyâŠ(P.âŠDiddy)âŠhasâŠtoâŠgiveâŠhisâŠfollowersâŠsomethingâŠtoâŠworkâŠwith.âŠ(Incidentally,âŠShaquilleâŠOâNealâŠ
isâŠprobablyâŠoneâŠofâŠtheâŠmostâŠinterestingâŠTweeters.âŠHeâŠactuallyâŠhasâŠhisâŠfollowersâŠgoâŠonâŠrandomâŠgooseâŠchases,âŠtweetingâŠcluesâŠtoâŠhisâŠwhereabouts!)âŠâŠ
SoâŠthisâŠisâŠwhereâŠtraditionalâŠbusiness/advertising/marketingâŠsenseâŠsortaâŠgoesâŠoutâŠtheâŠwindow.âŠâŠWeâveâŠbeenâŠtaughtâŠthatâŠtheâŠbestâŠwayâŠtoâŠadvertiseâŠ
isâŠtoâŠcontrolâŠtheâŠconversation,âŠbutâŠwithâŠtheâŠadventâŠofâŠsnewâŠmedia,âŠparticularlyâŠTwitter,âŠweâŠcanâtâŠnecessarilyâŠonlyâŠcontrolâŠtheâŠconversation,âŠsoâŠweâŠ
mustâŠalsoâŠengageâŠinâŠaâŠconversationâŠandâŠlearnâŠhowâŠtoâŠmanageâŠitâŠthroughâŠdialogueâŠââŠenablingâŠourâŠfollowersâŠtoâŠbeâŠapartâŠofâŠwhatâŠweâreâŠpromoting,âŠ
notâŠsimplyâŠconsumersâŠofâŠit.âŠPoliticians,âŠnonâprofits,âŠandâŠentrepreneursâŠareâŠlearningâŠhowâŠtoâŠ(re)member,âŠasâŠinâŠreorganizeâŠandâŠrecollect,âŠtheâŠartâŠ
ofâŠnetworkingâŠandâŠconversingâŠwithâŠpeople.âŠItâsâŠbasicâŠcommunicationâŠatâŠitsâŠfinest.âŠâŠItâŠisnâtâŠsimplyâŠaboutâŠtellingâŠpeopleâŠwhatâŠyouâŠwantâŠthemâŠtoâŠ
know,âŠbutâŠshowing,âŠexplaining,âŠencouraging,âŠandâŠengagingâŠinâŠaâŠconversationâŠinâŠ140âŠcharactersâŠatâŠaâŠtimeâŠ(whileâŠavoidingâŠTwitterâŠJailâŠinâŠtheâŠ
process).âŠâŠ
WhileâŠTwitterâŠcertainlyâŠhasâŠitsâŠdrawbacksâŠwhenâŠitâŠcomesâŠtoâŠcommunicatingâŠwithâŠpeople,âŠoneâŠthingâŠTwitterâŠisâŠgreatâŠforâŠprofessionallyâŠandâŠ
personallyâŠ(andâŠperhapsâŠwhereâŠallâŠtheâŠotherâŠsocialâŠnetworksâŠfail),âŠisâŠitâŠmakesâŠusâŠbetterâŠawareâŠofâŠourâŠpurposeâŠinâŠtheâŠconversation.âŠâŠAndâŠforâŠ
activists,âŠpoliticians,âŠadvocates,âŠeducators,âŠnonâprofits,âŠthisâŠideaâŠofâŠfindingâŠpurposeâŠinâŠaâŠconversationâŠtakingâŠplaceâŠwithâŠoverâŠ50âŠmillionâŠpeopleâŠ
worldwideâŠisâŠquiteâŠprofound.âŠâŠTheâŠbrillianceâŠofâŠTwitterâŠisâŠthatâŠ140âŠcharactersâŠatâŠaâŠtimeâŠforcesâŠyouâŠtoâŠwantâŠtoâŠengageâŠinâŠlonger,âŠbroaderâŠ
conversationsâŠhappeningâŠwithinâŠyourâŠstreamâŠandâŠonâŠotherâŠstreams.âŠDevisingâŠaâŠtweetâŠtoâŠbecomeâŠpartâŠofâŠtheâŠconversationâŠisâŠlikeâŠwaitingâŠforâŠtheâŠ
rightâŠmomentâŠtoâŠjumpâŠinsideâŠaâŠdoubleâŠDutchâŠrope;âŠyouâŠinstantlyâŠbecomeâŠawareâŠthatâŠwhatâŠyouâŠsayâŠinâŠ140âŠcharactersâŠmustâŠbeâŠmeaningfulâŠtoâŠ
thoseâŠthatâŠchoseâŠtoâŠfollowâŠyou.âŠâŠYouâŠrealizeâŠthatâŠifâŠyouâŠcanâtâŠaddâŠmuchâŠtoâŠtheâŠconversation,âŠyouâŠbecomeâŠaâŠpassiveâŠobserver,âŠpotentiallyâŠlosingâŠ
outâŠonâŠcustomers,âŠreaders,âŠfollowers,âŠandâŠnetworks.
8. Letâs Converse!
Twitter.com/taralconley (@taralconley)
The Life and Times of a Blogger (www.taralconley.wordpress.com)
Youtube.com/friday025
Huffington Post (www.huffingtonpost.com/tara-l-conley)
Myspace.com/tarasmusicspace
Facebook.com/taralconley
LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/in/taralconley)
YouthNoise.com/playcity
HeatingOil.com
AndâŠwithâŠthat,âŠIâllâŠendâŠbyâŠsayingâŠletâsâŠconverse!âŠPleaseâŠfeelâŠfreeâŠtoâŠkeepâŠinâŠtouchâŠwithâŠmeâŠonâŠTwitter,âŠLifeâŠ&âŠTimes,âŠYouTube,âŠTheâŠHuffingtonâŠ
Post,âŠMyspace,âŠFacebook,âŠLinkedIn,âŠYouthNoise,âŠorâŠHeatingOil.com.âŠâŠThanksâŠsoâŠmuch!
9. Cite/Site References
â˘âTwitterâs Impact on th News & Media Cycleâ by Ross Dawson
â˘http://rossdawsonblog.com/weblog/archives/2009/08/twitters_impact.html
â˘âTweet, Tweet, Ka-Ching: Twitter is Changing the Way Non-profits Make the Askâ by
Lydia Dishman
â˘http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/lydia-dishman/all-your-business/tweet-tweet-
ch-ching-twitter-changing-way-nonprofits-make-ask-0
â˘âTweeting the Electorateâ by Kate Paul and Daniel Stone (Newsweek)
â˘http://www.newsweek.com/id/214901
â˘â10 Ways Twitter Will Change American Businessâ by Douglas A. McIntyre (Time)
â˘http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1901772,00.html
â˘âSocial Pulpit: Barack Obamaâs Social Media Toolkitâ (Slideshow)
â˘http://www.slideshare.net/montelutz/social-pulpit-barack-obamas-social-media-
toolkit
â˘âTwitter is a Marathon . . . Longer Than A Tweetâ by David Patterson
â˘http://activerain.com/blogsview/1167420/twitter-is-a-marathon-longer-than-a-tweet
â˘â7 Amazing Twitter Visualizationsâ 10,000 Words Blog
â˘http://www.10000words.net/2009/09/7-amazing-twitter-visualizations.html
â˘Danah Boyd Publications on Social Networking
â˘http://www.danah.org/papers/