Do You Twitter??

There is a phenominon spreading like wild-fire through the internets: Twitter.

Such a simple idea: tell your friends and the world what you are doing right now in 140 characters or less. And your friends can "hear" about on thier computer screens, their mobile phones or the IM screens.

Great, you think, Deb. But why?? What's the point?

--One of the points, I believe, is to stretch your communication skills. How entertaining can you be in a brief format? This is a great way (140 characters used) to practice honing your lines to their juicest parts.

Or: One twitpoint is to stretch your communication skills. How entertaining can you be in a brief format? You hone to your juiciests parts. (3 characters left).

Examples of great honed lines:

StephenColbert There's nothing wrong with stretching the Truth. We stretch taffy, and that just makes it more delicious.

chrisheuer Def: ADD = abundance of distractions and disruptions.

Can you write either of these concepts more succinctly and more entertainingly? I didn't think so.

--Another point of Twitter: sharing news in real time.

During the recent earthquake in Mexico City, while one person on the ground twittered about what was happening from his perspective, those removed from the excitement provided information such as USGS reports. It was news in real time for the world to see.

And last month when I walked the Bay to Breakers, I stopped about every half mile or so to update with my location and whatever things were happening around me. People got to "know" to the race from the inside. If I had taken the time to immediately send my photos to Flickr, they could have read and seen in nearly real time.

Now a number of news agencies such as NPRNews are using Twitter to broadcast their news feeds. And politicians are signing on so interns can Twitter thier daily calendars.

An aid for the sleepless: Because every single post is published on a public page, you can while away time reading what's going on around the world. (here is where it would help to be poly-lingual.) Can't sleep? See what's happening on the other side of the world.

There are interesting applications being added to Twitter all the time: You can twitter from inside FaceBook, or check the public timeline on a Twitter world map (it moves you around the world as each twitter comes in). Twitter from your browser while on a different website. (a moment to refresh your mind while working on a difficult edit? Priceless.)

OK.. so there is stuff happening there.. why would it interest me??
Maybe it wouldn't.

However, if you have social contacts (family, friends, associates) and you all (or most) decide to sign on, you have the chance to know quickly about something from someone. Imagine just one 140 character post to tell everyone you know that you're a grandmother! Or that you were just in a car accident and will be heading to ER for some stitches, but you're OK.

Imagine being at a HUGE show or conference, finding the perfect something.. and wanting to share it with all your friends attending the show. Right. Now. If you all had twitter accounts and activated your phones, one message could tell them all where to come. Or where to meet for lunch. Or where the best freebie is being handed out.

No phone tag.

This is an application in it's earliest iterations. Yet the ways people will choose to use it in the future are limitless.

A brilliant example: You know when you're at college and you want to most efficiently time your access to the dorm laundry? (yeah.. when you're not shipping the laundry home to Mom??...).
Someone has put their dorm's laundryroom on Twitter with the explanation:

• I am a laundry room at Olin College. I have two washers, two dryers, and a condom dispenser.
• Location: Third floor, West Hall.

Each half-hour or so, the laundryroom lets the world know how many machines are available.

Granted, this can't help me, but if someone decided to start Twittering the average commute times on the freeway (the ones that are posted on the freeway signs), I'll be checking that out. (Can you here me, CalTrans??) Remember.. I can get these updates on my phone to know how to plan my travels.

Think about the possibilities for a minute.. and wonder what should you be Twittering?

I am (ofcourse) darinhercules on Twitter...

New Moon: 5/16

From AstroWisdom's notes ... on this week's NEW MOON IN TAURUS:

Taurus is the great procrastinator of the zodiac. It can always find more than enough distractions: shopping, cleaning, cooking, laundry, carpooling, errands, paying bills, caring for loved ones, and never-ending yard work. If you are a procrastinator, use this New Moon to make some serious commitments to setting goals for getting your work done…and adhering to them. Since Taurus rules procrastination, work on taming this demon and you will see your success rate soar!

Taurus needs to enjoy its work. So if you make your living doing what you love, you are way ahead of the game. But if you spend your time at a job you despise because you can't figure out how to get paid to do what you love, this is the New Moon to work on changing that reality. This basically comes down to building self-confidence, believing in the value of your talent and then doing the work. Creativity isn't about genius; it is really about giving from the heart. Anything, when done well (even sidewalk sweeping) can be satisfying and creative work. Chiron in Aquarius asks us all to look at our wounding around issues of originality and staying ahead of the curve.

Ok, so this woman is living in my head or what? If you don't know what I mean check out today's post from A Stitch A Time. I actually do have an Accomplish This This Week list on my white board in my work room. I've accomplished about half the things on the list, and accomplished some things that I didn't write down.

I need to get back to daily "to do" lists and hold my feet to the fire on them.

Wednesday's A Winner

Color Saturated Sunset, April 10, 2007

Tuesday was fairly normal day until sometime between 2 and 3 pm.

I woke up (and for the first time in ages remembered I'd dreamed), found a cool story to write for BlogHer, fed the dogs, did some straightening up.

Late morning workout. I was so good. I admitted that I will not do abs on my own (I hate abs!!), so now they will be a regular part of my training sessions. Guido will not let me out of doing the hated abs!!

Home from gym for lunch, check some email and some sewing. Then take the dogs for a walk. Time for change.

When we returned to my car at the end of the walk, I had been vandalized!

Some punk kids had smashed the driver's backseat window in and took one item from the car. For the record: they did not steal the money in the car; they did not steal the CDs in the car; they did not steal the wallet stashed in the glove compartment (or the credit card); they did not steal the car registration (useful info there for identity theft)!

They stole a backpack I use when I take the dogs for long walks. In it: a couple old tennis balls and some canine waste disposal bags. SURPRISE!!

The police report has been filed. The insurance claim has been made. The broken glass will be replaced sometime this morning.

Edit: Later Wednesday morning. While I commented that I'm glad they didn't break the rear window of my stationwagon, I just realized something key: if they had broken that window, I'd have a rear window sans inches of dog snot!

The policeman who took the report suggested that after the window is fixed, I take the car in to be detailed as they might be able to vacuum most of the glass out of the secret hiding places it's in now. Maybe they would be able to scrape that dog snot off, too.

Hey, spouser... how about an early birthday present of a professional detailing??

Looks like I have the perfect time to start packing for AQC.

Twittering Away....

This wild turkey lives in the woods behind our house. Taken with major digital zooming.

I've been playing with Twitter for about a week now. I swear I don't know why. It's just folks writing what they are doing at that moment. You are limited to 140 characters (letters, punctuation or spaces).

So if a blog is like a short story, Twitter is a running haiku.

If you find folks you know (close, distant, work, friends, business, etc.) you can make them your twitter-friends and find out what they are doing. Who's eating what, when? What they watch on TV or listen to on the radio. What's the weather like AT THAT MOMENT.

It's oddly addictive, but not intrusive. Maybe that's it??

And then there is TwitterVision... just watch the twitter-bubbles rising from the world map...

Anyway, if you twitter away..I am darinhercules @ Twitter.

Tags: twitter, distractions, web2.0, social media