Twitter saved my dinner party

Enchanted Broccoli Forest
Originally uploaded by siegel_jackie.

Ok, it was really lunch, but all the same...

We have some vegetarian friends. When they come over I try to prepare something new and different. We've known them for years so I've gone through quite a number of recipes. I happened to have had some broccoli on hand so as I was searching my recipe database I also posted on Twitter: "looking for ideas of what to serve vegetarian guests, have lots of broccoli and honeydew melon" I heard quickly back from a librarian I'd recently started following. I've never met her yet liked her simple suggestion:

"http://www.fabulousfoods.com/recipes/side/grains/brocforest.htmldelish!"

The link went to the recipe for "The Enchanted Broccoli Forest" by Mollie Katzen.

It was simple to prepare. The only caution I should add is that after 20 minutes of baking the broccoli was still pretty much raw. If I make it again I'll bake it for 30 minutes.

Explore Twitter!

I knew something like this would happen. This just appeared on Twitter this afternoon, on the right hand side, below my name is a box saying "Cool new stuff: Explore Twitter with a link to http://explore.twitter.com
Explore Twitter

What's interesting about this is the sponsor, yep, you guessed it, a wireless cell phone company, Motorola. They cell phone companies must just love Twitter.

23 Things on a Treo or web enabled phone

If I have the time I hope to see which of the 23 Things can be done from a smartphone, such as a Treo.

Awhile ago while waiting for a program to start I did try out Things 4 (Flickr) and 9 (Twitter)

Flickr on a mobile phone allows you view recently uploaded photos. You can also search photos by tags or keywords. While on the road I tried to sign in to my account to see what I could do and couldn't because my username has an underscore and I couldn't find the character on the keyboard. Back at the office I pulled out the manual and got signed in. Once signed in one can add comments and view photos from contacts. You can not see groups, sets, or collections. Uploading is done through email.

Twitter has a nice mobile interface. Simple, clean. You see the tweets, can update, can get to your followed.

Others looking at Twitter

Andy Ihnatko, columnist at the Chicago Sun-Times, reports on a second thoughts about Twitter (published yesterday) after reviewing it a few months ago. His comments mirror my opinion:

All a Twitter

The process of writing a column doesn't end when the column hits print. Additional time and experience often change my opinions. Take Twitter, for example. A few months ago, I gave it a pretty lukewarm review. I just didn't get it: You sign up for a free account on Twitter.com, and then you can send out 140 character text messages that the whole world can read. "A petri dish for galloping pointlessness," I sniffed, after duly discussing its possible attractions.

Still, it's so bloody popular, I determined to stick with it. Either I'd discover that I got it wrong, or I'd be armed with enough ammo to redouble my arrogance.

I'm sorry to report that it's the former. Twitter is indeed pointless . . . but only until a certain critical mass of your friends join up, and start Twittering regularly. I often think of little things that don't merit a phone call or a blog post, but are interesting enough to share anyway. Twitter fills that void nicely (twitter.com/ihnatko/) and posting or reading a Tweet often leads to an e-mail or a phone call. A Tweet isn't actual social interaction, but it's an enzyme that helps the process along.

Full article: Second takes on some first impressions

There are a few people at CSL using Twitter regularly. I've seen intra-bureau and intra-section communication open up due to Twitter. Staff get to know their semi-remote co-workers as people and friends, not just a name on the email list.

Twitter and the Los Angeles Fire Department

The Los Angeles Fire Department is using Twitter to broadcast emergencies it is responding to: http://twitter.com/LAFD

PC World Magazine has a very good article online describing how the LAFD is using Web 2.0 technologies. LA Fire Department all 'aTwitter' over Web 2.0.

Too much twittering

I decided to follow a library on Twitter. The Casa Grande Library in ?? (see below for the hunt to find out where they are located) uses Twitter to announce events, new books, etc. They provide nice links to the catalog records for the material. But they blast out way too many tweets. Just this morning they updated 17 times. I'm going to remove them as it is making it difficult to follow my librarian friends.

The search for Casa Grande Library: Looking at their catalog I still can't figure out where they are located. Finally going to their web page and scrolling WAY down to the very bottom is a map with their mailing address. They are in Arizona.

More on Twitter

Good article in InformationWeek on using Twitter as a communications tool:

Twitter as a Business Tool

Thing 9 - more Twitter

I'm obsessed with Twitter, not quite sure why. I still don't see a business case for it but am enjoying the learning, evaluating and discussing.

The July 2007 issue of Wired Magazine has a commentary by Clive Thompson on the social aspects and benefits of Twitter. Interesting reading. He makes some valid points. "How Twitter Creates a Social Sixth Sense."

Twitter only sales

Businesses seem to have embraced Twitter. The Dell Outlet has a Twitter presence. Become Dells' friend and you'll get limited time offers on refurbished equipment.

Is the concept applicable to libraries? I'm not sure. We don't want to restrict "this offer only to those that can see it" but maybe it could be a way to promote new books. "Just in - -- Bestseller, reserve it now" I'd probably friend my library if they did something like that, but is it worth their time and resources?

Commentary on MySpace, Second Life and Twitter

PC Magazine just posted a commentary by their editor, Lance Ulanoff, about the life expectancy of MySpace, Second Life, and Twitter. His thoughts mirror mine.

Read it at: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,2145408,00.asp

More on Twitter

I just received a notification in my email that someone added me as their friend in Twitter. I checked out their Twitter page to see if they might be a librarian or someone else I'd be interested in following. Nope, just some guy who seems to be collecting friends and followers. I guess he's adding anyone he comes across as a friend, having over 8,000 as of right now. He's got over 1,000 followers (I'm not going to be among them)

His website boasts of the productivity drain that Twitter has caused.

What's the point of collecting friends, especially those that have not even a remote relationship to one? I'm kind of sick of this racking up the friends thing.

I'm still getting invitations to "friend" novelists on the Library2.0 Ning. I ignore those. I haven't found a value for friending on Ning.

Thing 9 again - Twitter - great intro online

David Free, Public Services Librarian at the Decatur Campus Library of Georgia Perimeter College, has posted a wonderful video explaining how to sign up and use Twitter. He also offers suggestions on how libraries can make use of Twitter.

View it here: http://showcase.litablog.org/index.php/David_Free

More on Twitter and also on Google Alerts

I just signed up for Google alerts on a couple of topics, one being Twitter. It was very easy to set up the alert service. I get an email each day on each topic with links to articles on the web about the topic. I'm really liking Google alerts. It's turning out to be a great way to keep current on topics I'm interested in. Most of the links are very relevant.

Today's alert about Twitter included an interesting review of the service done by abc News. Twitter: Social Netoworking? or Cyber Stalking? Check it out.

More on Thing 9, Twitter

I've been having difficulty updating on Twitter. Each time I try it seems that their servers are having issues. Is it getting too popular and will the whole venture implode? How do they make money to maintain their equipment and Internet connection? There are no ads.

The June 2007 issue of Wired magazine has a short article about Evan Williams, the creator of Twitter. http://www.wired.com/techbiz/people/magazine/15-06/st_williams Here's a quote that I find telling about some of these free Web 2.0 services: "He's so confident, he recently spun Twitter into its own company, even though the software has yet to earn him a dime."
I'm still trying to find some value in Twitter. It seems very ephemeral.