The Social Networker

My first 5000 tweets on Twitter and what I will now do differently
by Chris Miller at 08:41:00 AM on Thursday, May 7th, 2009
In the last week or so I broke 5000 tweets.  Was there a parade or confetti? Nope.  Nothing came from it when I first broke 1000 followers either.  What I did suddenly realize is how it changed my workflow as well as what other changes I need to think about.

Here is what I did learn from 0-5000:
  • Twitter is about having communication with anyone. Cross balanced with some broadcasting of thoughts, links and stuff
  • Twitter transcends multiple platforms like no other tool right now.  SMS, web, desktop clients, mobile clients and huge numbers of add-on tools
  • Twitter can be a central communication point flowing downstream into other services
  • Twitter can be an aggregation point collecting flowing data from other services
  • Twitter allows you to have meaning in what you say or just randomly chat and communicate.  It becomes how you use the tool, not what everyone else uses it for
  • Twitter is a moving wave that you cannot surf on.  You must dive in and come up for air to get the most benefit
  • Twitter needs to be constantly data mined to get the most out of it
  • Twitter serves everyone in different ways and don't be offended when someone doesn't like how you use it
  • Twitter has an api that isn't having any limits right now.  Remember the company I posted that has their manufacturing machines tweet their statistics into private feeds that then get consumed.  This saved tons of man hours walking around collecting these same stats manually
  • Twitter will have a revenue model that we all won't agree with at some point.  When it happens look for a wave of complainers
  • Twitter uses hashtags as a sorting and locating mechanism, not as a game

Here are things I am changing for 5000-9999 and then re-evaluating:
  • EverythingTwitter is moving into it's own Twitter account. It is growing fast and needs to be it's own breathing entity that you can follow for the best and latest Twitter tools.  Corvida may still have updates in her own personal stream, but we will leave that whole idea up to her
  • I will engage in more conversation as that is where most of it is taking place.  I have not logged into public IM accounts in, what a year?  I am sometimes on the one for TheSocialNetworker but only because Google is set to log me into Google Chat when I check mail.
  • I have a semi scheduled routine to trim up who I follow.  Information overflow can ensue too quickly
  • I will continue to look for the best desktop, mobile and web interfaces for my needs, not what everyone else says is best.  It is why we throw new tools out each day.  There is too many cool new ones all the time
  • I am pushing more links through Diigo and sharing through Google Reader.  I know Google Reader needs some help in the social network space, but it makes following hundreds of feeds too easy.  Plus on the BB in a crunch.  Get on it and add my as a friend on both of those.
  • I keep trying to use Friendfeed more for viewing, but like the splitting of these couple tools for feeds and just tweets.  I have rooms, groups and lists in Friendfeed already, but maybe I need more
  • Microblog companies that are popping up need to focus more on what service they can bring to a group or enterprise and stop being direct competitors.  You will then start winning your own race

(before you ask:  I make it a point to test a tool for a week or two straight unless it really just disappoints me right away.  So you will see me in Twhirl most of the time.  I just finished two weeks in Tweetdeck and have to go back.  Seesmic isn't ready just yet.  Then Chrome/Firefox  for Google Reader.  Bit.ly for URL shortening and Diigo tools for social bookmarking)

I am going to keep adding more and hopefully some of you comment with your own education from your first tweet to now
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Location: St. Louis, MO		 Category:  Twitter 
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Yes this is a blatant theft of the outline that Jess uses on her page, but I asked permission. Why?? Because I am a hardcore admin and can make ugly tables to make you developers frustrated, but this was too nice to pass up.

Also Known As: Chris Miller (when awake)

Boring Certifications: (only because someone asked twice)

  • Workplace Collaboration Services 2.5 - Team Collab and Messaging
  • Domino 7 Certified Security Administrator
  • PCLP ND7
  • PCLP ND6
  • PCLP R5
  • PCLP R4
  • CLP Collaboration (soon to be retired Aug 2006)
  • random former R4 exams
  • CLI for numerous admin areas including Domino, Sametime and Workplace
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Yes, I write some of those dreaded admin cert exams you take. I won't say which ones so you don't come looking for me, but I will say they are the real good recent ones that have been coming out.

Weapons/Equipment:

  • At work an IBM 2 GHz
  • At home a plethera of 6 machines with various Windows versions and Red Hat on a wired/wireless LAN
  • A Toshiba E740 with 802.11b (yes geek toy)
  • An Apple 40GB iPod that is filled to the brim
  • Compaq RioPort MP3 player (now in storage)
  • An EBook (REB1100) also for travel (Love that darn thing)
  • Verizon and they always seem to know how to find me, damn cell

Animals:

One dog, a Pug. He has been on this world before and seems to understand slippers and a fine cigar. Mind you that is him in the chair and not me.

Let us now also add a deranged cat that is in the process of being toilet trained. Update: Toilet traning was very very close.

Music:

Non-stop. At my desk, in my car, walking to work and back to my car downtown. In the house there is a crazy zoned set-up for you home automation geeks.

I am a self-proclaimed MP3 fiend, to which I have tried rehab 4 billion times to no avail. Next is the MP3 hard-drive for the car that I found. Now what kind of music you ask? I will never tell.

Languages:

  • Incredibly fast English
  • Very slow Spanish
  • Emoticon-ese
  • Learning Korean
  • HTML
  • Advanced Sarcasm

Geek class special abilities:

  • Notes/Domino overdrive
  • Workplace
  • Sametime
  • Active Directory (huh? kidding)
  • Quickplace
  • LMS, LVC and the other L's of elearning
  • Windoze junk
  • MS Exchange versions
  • LAN
  • TCPIP
  • Server Iron
  • Yeah, yeah it goes on some

Skills:

Get back to you here

Spells:

Hershey’s Stomach of Holding: Jess and I are fighting over who eats more chocolate. TWDUFF can help me out and vouch for me.

Character Bio:

This will take far more time than I have today. I will start with I was born and still live in St. Louis, MO. Even though for a couple years I was never, ever here and always on the road, this is smack in the middle of the US. Everything is just a few hour flight. That part is nice. No beach/ocean/coast isn't the best. But with the travel I make up for it.

Don't Panic

Looking to find me in person? Here is where I will be.




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Mar 31 - Apr 4Lotus Notes and Domino 8 Upgrade SeminarCopenhagen, Denmark
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