cynicalgrl's blog

I'm falling in love with Twitter. Again.

I've dabbled with Social Media for years. RSS feeds for news, a blog here (Blogger), or there (LiveJournal), started a MySpace that didn't really excite me, all - nice - but nothing really exciting. I loved learning new technologies, systems - but my real passion was testing productivity applications and services (much more fun than that looks written down here).

Then came Twitter. I joined in Dec 2006 - don't remember how, although I blame/thank Daring Fireball - and I was instantly hooked. Love at first Tweet.

I wasn't completely faithful. I was one of the people that followed Leo Laporte the night he left for (and broke!) Jaiku. Then came Pownce. I'm enjoying my Powncing and my friends there, but Twitter is still where I end up.

I also like the Twitter crew. They use their own product, are smart, they work hard and seem to treat their employees (and others) with respect. Not just because they gave them all iPhones (although that didn't hurt). I wish them much success.

Twitter has opened me up to an entirely new sphere of influence. It has introduced me (not actually - in a stalker-kind of way) to developers, strategists, bloggers and personalities that I'd have not met (easily) elsewhere. Through these contacts and 'friends" (in the social networking sense) I have expanded my knowledge, made significant contacts, started two blogs, changed jobs, have been asked to speak on Social Media and also contribute to a book.

In a very real way, Twitter changed my life.

Is Mark Zuckerberg the New Bill Gates?-- bub.blicio.us

When you're 23 and getting billion dollar offers for your company, people will crawl out of the (legal) woodwork. bub.blicio.us has a great post about all this Facebook Drama. ConnectU, houseSYSTEM...many of us who lived through the 1st Bubble (NOT that this is a second...) have seen this before.

We'll see who has a case and who doesn't-but there's no denying that Mark Zuckerberg was able to bring it to market first and surround himself with the right people. Which is more than half the battle.

(Via bub.blicio.us.)

Taste of Victory: Online Outcry Revives a Chocolate Bar - New York Times

Another example of the power of Facebook. Cadbury Schweppes (UK) has agreed to bring back it's Wispa candy bar in October. 14,000 people (93 Groups) joined "Bring Back Wispa" Facebook groups and other online petitions.

(Via NYTimes.com.)

The Next Email - Twitter - Jaiku - Pownce

Robert Scoble is the most prolific and influencial blogger in the Tech space today. From his time as the "Microsoft Blogger", Robert has shared interviews on new tech advances, processes and people. He's also a HUGE proponent of Facebook and uses it extensively as a means of communication - he posts videos (exclusive content), links, wall posts and comments each day.

I was on Twitter for a few months before I found Scoble through someone I was "following". Through his Tweets (and blog, Facebook, etc.), I get an insight into Silicon Valley culture and personnel, that as a Silicon Alley girl, I would never have.

In this Fast Company article, Robert discusses the Twitter, Pownce, Jaiku microblogging services and their applications in business. I'm on all three and use them each differently - but Twitter has my heart.

(Via Scobleizer.)

Sharing with and messaging those non-Facebook (are there any left?) just got easier. Facebook now allows you to send messages to both your Facebook and Non-Facebook People(NFP) and save the NFP email addresses to your "friend selector". Of course, once these NFP get a taste of La Facebook, they will be sucked in like the rest of us. Part of the collective...

(Via Facebook | The Facebook Blog.)

Twitter Blog: Searching Twitter

One of the frustrating things about Twitter is finding people - especially people you know are using the service. Tonight Twitter launched a new "People Search" feature. I'm sure that this is just the first of new features pending (In the last few days I've seen a lot of lists detailing what users are looking for).

(Via Twitter Blog.)

Social Media White Paper - "Tracking the Influence" (Factiva of Dow Jones)

Jeremiah Owyang has graciously shared a white paper he co-wrote with Mike Toll of Factiva of Dow Jones. It discusses Social Media Measurement and anyone who has an interest in launching a social media program should read it. Also - read the post which has the link to the white paper. It's chock-full of links to the roundtable event this paper is based on. I also enjoy keeping track of the comments for each of Jeremiah's posts - some very smart people engage in conversation there.

(Via Web Strategy by Jeremiah.)

Facebook Grows Up: Can It Stay Relevant?

interesting article through the perspective of Newsweek (and it's demographic) of Facebook and The Social Graph.

(Via MSNBC.)

PRWeek Interviews PR Pros on the Ascendancy of Facebook

I love the initial proposition: "Facebook should first be viewed as a personal reputation management system. It really is, in its most simplistic sense, an online hub for your personal brand for you as individual or person within a company." I've much more aware of "personal branding" since becoming more involved with Facebook - not only the viral componet of what app/group my "friends" are installing/joining, but what I do on my profile says about me professionally. I'm looking forward to reading the whole article.

(Via PR 2.0.)