Twitter’s Artistic Sheen

Special art.

On Sunday afternoon, after catching up on one of my favorite podcasts, I noticed an exchange that I wanted to make sure you didn’t miss: a moment of almost pure commerce on Twitter.

Taking inspiration from the very public unravelling of Charlie Sheen, Mule Design Co-founder, designer, and artist, Mike Monteiro, created another one of his signature pieces of art. He posted it on Twitter. It was publicly admired. And it sold. Quickly. Very quickly.

Sold.

Now, the application I have been churning on for months would be very helpful here, if I ever get it finished. Information was shared, interest was expressed, and a transaction was conducted. But both parties still needed to leave the Twitter interface to complete it. Why can’t we implement something that allows the transaction inside Twitter?

This is the problem I have been trying to solve. I think it would be a huge advantage for non-profits, small businesses, and corporations alike. Think of it as the same democratization that Square is bringing to vendors. Or what texting donations did for disaster relief. The advantage for Twitter is that it will enable users to complete any transaction from within their framework, keeping users on their site, in their application, and, potentially, seeing their ads.

Mike Monteiro’s art sale exemplifies why I think building a transaction engine into Twitter is important, and why I have been spending considerable time and effort on it. While it won’t be ready for release in time for SXSW, I hope to have it done soon. I’ll be sure to keep you updated on its progress when I see you on the ‘morrow, on the Web.

Twitter iPology

Quick barred.

Twitter launched its new applications for the iPad and iPhone on Thursday afternoon. The announcement touted new features including easier photo uploading, link shortening, and friend finding. And one more thing: the Quick Bar. Then the backlash began.

In the new versions of the apps, the Quick Bar lets you see Trending Topics displayed in a bar at the top of the screen. The constant stream of topics was ostensibly designed to keep people informed about what was going on in the world right now. But instead, it seemed to—
at best—distract, and—at worst—annoy.

Twitter’s Communications Team responded to reporters who were echoing user criticisms of the new changes, but they did so from their own accounts, not the Twitter Comms handle. But what I think is most interesting about this is the fact that Twitter used its own service to improve itself.

Twitter Creative Director Doug Bowman sent out a message that illustrates this best. He acknowledged the feedback he was seeing, and let everyone know publicly that Twitter was talking their opinions into consideration while designing improvements.

Twitter for iPhone users, hang in there. We're listening. http://t.co/CCW5pgYless than a minute ago via Twitter for iPhoneDoug Bowman
stop

In the fall of 2010, the iPhone made up only 8% of Twitters usage. Now, Twitter for iPhone ranks third in the list of how we access Tweets. But the public discourse that erupted about the new applications wasn’t limited to just iPhone and iPad owners; it made it into everyone’s streams of updates, no matter how they were logged on.

By late Friday, Twitter had submitted a new version of the applications to the iTunes store. As we wait for Apple’s approval process, let’s remember that this rapid response is an excellent example of the type of customer service available through Twitter. In a very public forum, Twitter is able to transform an imperfect product into a product perfected.

I’m anxious to see what they come up with as a solution, since this will presumably be the framework upon which they build some sort of advetising model. But that still seems a little bit farther off. Maybe we can discover it together when I see you on the ‘morrow, on the Web.

Selecting a Social Solution

Twitter versatile.

Today’s post is only tangentially related to Twitter. Embedded below, thanks to Storify, is something I constructed quickly for a client who was recently contemplating whether or not to implement a social media campaign. They were asking a lot of the same questions about adding a social layer to their existing marketing and public relations efforts that many non-profit organizations are finally asking. I want to share it with you for a couple of reasons:

I want to know what you think.
I want you to use it for yourself.
I want you to improve on it.





There’s a lot to digest for newcomers to the social landscape, and I tried to point out the benefits of diving in while addressing some of the potential hurdles.

If you have thoughts, I would love to hear them. Otherwise, I’ll get back to sharing some more Twitter-specific information when I see you on the ‘morrow, on the Web.

Vanity Square

Status conscious.

This month’s issue of Vanity Fair features a great piece about one of Twitter’s founders and former CEO, Jack Dorsey. Writer David Kirkpatrick talked to friends, family, mentors, and collaborators to create a profile of a introverted innovator obsessed with simplifying patterns for a more elegant every-day.

“I think Twitter is the future of communications, and Square will be the payment network. We’re going big.”
Jack Dorsey- Vanity Fair, April 2011

Believe it or not, I met Mr. Dorsey once. He was quiet, polite, and gracious with a few moments for me—all before going onstage to fill in for a delayed Biz Stone at the first @SFGiants Tweetup.

In my brief time with him, I was able to discern Mr. Dorsey’s desire, as the article points out, to do good with gadgets that are great. But what surprised me most about the insights in the article—besides finding out Mr. Dorsey had a nose ring, too—is the personality similarities evident in those responsible for the early days of Twitter.

The visionaries behind Twitter all seem to place emphasis on similar things: simplicity, ingenuity, urbanity, and generosity. These qualities seem imbued in the partners’ product as well as the company’s culture. No wonder so many want to work there. And all Jack wants to do is run New York City. It’s good to have goals. One of my short-term objectives is to see you on the ‘morrow, on the Web.

Dude, Where's My Cryptology?

Locks of love.

Where are you reading this post? In a coffee shop? The lobby of your hotel? At an airport? There’s a good chance that if you are using a public WiFi spot for your access, your Twitter account might be vulnerable to attack.

Just look at what happened to Ashton Kutcher while he was at the TED Conference today in Long Beach, California. While logged in to his Twitter account over the Long Beach Performing Arts Center’s network, someone hacked into his account and sent a couple of updates.

Socket to ya.

Now, there was no real harm done; in fact, the prankster used the opportunity to point out the vulnerability in sharing private credentials on public networks.

The basic issue is not where you use the Internet, but what protection the sites you use provides. Ever since Firesheep was unveiled a few months ago, this issue has gotten more coverage. Facebook, Twitter, and Google have added SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) options to their processes, but wider-spread changes have been slow, and not all users are taking advantage of them. Even Twitter had to point out its availability after the Kutcher stunt.

As our expectations for constant connection grows, the burden for keeping our confidential information safe falls not just on our common sense, but also to the entities we choose to entrust with it. So, before you log in here to leave a comment, make sure your connection is secure. If it’s not, hold your thoughts, and share them with me when I see you on the ‘morrow, on the Web.

Getting the Message

Censored.

Yesterday’s dawn of a new political reality in Egypt grew in no small part from the ingenuity of its people. When President Hosni Mubarak sealed off channels of transmitting communications out of the country, he thought he had contained the growing tide of rebellion against him. Through innovation, determination, and courageousness, the enraged Egyptian people were able to dodge the digital blockades put in place by their repressive government. Sharing opinions, preparing plans, executing action, they forced the world to take notice. Right?

How many populations of repressed people were able to follow what was happening in Tahrir Square? Do farmers in China know they have the same power to overthrow their leaders? What about workers in North Korean? Or Buddhists in Burma? Knowledge is like a conversation; it’s a two-way street. For someone to share what they’ve learned, someone else must be listening.

I’d like to go on and on about how Twitter, and other evolving information networks, will eventually bring freedom and the end of oppression to nations across the globe. But if ruling regimes are censoring what knowledge their people have access to, how will these populations discover what else is possible? And without this knowledge, how can they put any of it to use?

I am ecstatic about the gains the people of Egypt and Tunisia have carved out for themselves. But my enthusiasm is tempered by the realization that not everyone was free to see these steady strides to sovereignty. Despite the best efforts of these recently deposed dictators, information leaked out. Now, we need to find a way for information to leak in. It’s a new dimension to this inspiring story that I’ll keep in mind as I see you on the ‘morrow, on the Web.

Wow. #jan25 #feb11 #egypt #18days

At the risk of my clumsy and quickly composed words getting in the way of the real, raw, revelatory emotion of Egypt’s momentous shift in government today, I share with you a moment of from one of the "أصوات مصرية." Here is Wael Ghonim’s reaction to the announcement that Hosni Mubarak is stepping down as president of the country he has ruled for almost 30 years.

Here's to an even more free ‘morrow, on the Web.

Soulless Soles

Kenneth Cole reaction.

Previous posts have focused on how people handle mistakes on Twitter. There are plenty of other posts about just one recent NPR incident. But what happens when your mistake is that of poor taste? Thanks to Kenneth Cole, now we know.

Earlier today, the Kenneth Cole account—featuring updates from both the brand and the man—sent out an unseemly Tweet, seemingly trying to turn the chaos in Egypt into consumption of their new collection.

Consuming chaos.

And then the Internet went crazy. And rightly so. But before we go too far, I want to point out that unlike some other corporate accounts, this post was populated by the man behind the brand. Sure he has a staff which sends updates on the company’s behalf, but as noted on the account’s page, Mr. Cole does some of the Tweeting himself. When your name is your brand, you run the risk of saying—or doing—something stupid, hurting both.

“Thoughts that end in -KC are from me personally; others are behind the seams insights from my inspiring associates.”
Kenneth Cole- Twitter, 05 October 2009

As any “Communications Consultant” worth their salt will tell you, it’s what you do after a mistake that matters. In Mr. Cole’s case, he sent out an equivocating update. Then, presumably upon additional reflection, he sent an apology pointing to a Facebook explanation. And then, he deleted the offending Tweet. Let me repeat that: he deleted the offending Tweet!

Twitter’s importance in the events in Egypt, and many of the recent ”Twitter Revolutions” is—and will be—argued for a while once stability is secured. But the one thing that is not debatable right now is that because of our non-stop monitoring of these events, Twitter is being watched. And watched closely.

As an attention-getter, yes, sending an update referencing Egypt will make waves. But mentioning Egypt solely to sell products is a marketing misstep that a huge number of people will notice. And discuss. Deleting the Tweet isn’t going to eliminate that conversation. It just makes people look further into what caused the ruckus in the first place. And when people can’t find the source, they look elsewhere for an explanation. And then controlling the narrative disappears.

Controlling Cole.

People make mistakes. We all have. It’s how we handle them which illustrates whether or not people will be able to trust us in the future. By deleting the initial update, Mr. Cole—and his brand—create an air of untrustworthiness, essentially saying, “When we make mistakes, we’re going to try and hide them.” The ensuing Facebook discussion is an attempt at transparency, but it’s really just window dressing. If Mr. Cole wanted to take full responsibility for his error, he would leave it up for Web searches to find, and engage in an effort to explain his thinking, apologize for the offense, and make overtures to make amends. As this is only a few hours old, there’s still time to recover, but it’s going to take a lot more than an apology on a Facebook page. Especially since we’re still watching Egypt so closely. On Twitter.

We’ll see what steps Kenneth Cole takes towards mollification in the next days and weeks. Until then, we have more important ideas to discuss. I’m almost ashamed at wasting this many pixels on Mr. Cole’s faux pas instead of pointing you toward coverage of obviously more important topics. My advice to the Kenneth Cole brand is to try regaining the narrative by making some grand gesture to Egyptians everywhere. If they do, we may hear about it on Twitter, on the ‘morrow, on the Web.

Marshaling Malcolm’s Message

Writing a wrong.

Jesus Christ, he’s done it again. As if to prove that he cannot admit to being wrong, Malcolm Gladwell has weighed in, again, on whether or not the people of an oppressed country really need Twitter.

In a new online article for The New Yorker, Mr. Gladwell’s most-recent misguided missive completely contradicts Marshall McLuhan’s argument that the form of communication informs the communication.

“People with a grievance will always find ways to communicate with each other. How they choose to do it is less interesting, in the end, than why they were driven to do it in the first place.”
Malcolm Gladwell- The New Yorker, 02 February 2011

In the current case with Egyptians looking to oust their president, Mr. Gladwell is missing a number of important points which make Twitter a large part of the story. Granted, without Twitter, protesters would still be protesting. But the ease and availability of information distribution through Twitter has allowed Egyptians to broadcast their grievances, rationale, and actions more quickly to a world watching the dominoes fall.

Yes, people can organize without Twitter. Yes, protesters can voice their concerns using traditional media outlets. Yes, eyewitnesses can share their accounts with anyone who asks. But our new information tools bring speed, relevance, and attention to growing unrest with remarkable alacrity.

Even when the Egyptian government tried to limit the way people communicate, information still escaped. I can’t emphasize enough how significant it is that Google set up their Speak to Tweet service over the weekend. For a company whose mission is to “organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful,” it’s very telling that Google focused their resources on a way for the Egyptian people to stay in touch with Twitter.

I almost feel bad for Mr. Gladwell. The more he dismisses Twitter as a means for communication, the more out of touch he sounds. No, Twitter is not the reason for recent revolutions. But without it, we would not be watching. Or listening. Or learning. Which will continue when I see you on the ‘morrow, on the Web.

Tweeting a More Perfect Union

Elected to Twitter.

By now you know that I have an affinity for using Twitter as a platform for a more open democracy. There are two events today that I want to point you to which use Twitter to bridge the gap between the people and our government.

First, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs again took questions from followers for about an hour today. An interesting answer Mr. Gibbs gave concerned the Twitter account he‘s currently using: François Larouche asked about the status of the account after Mr. Gibbs leaves his post in early February. In his reply, Mr. Gibbs said that he’s leaving the account to his successor, and hoped that the next Press Secretary would continue using it in a similar manner.

Next, Florida’s new governor, Rick Scott, is hosting what he’s calling a “Twitter Town Hall.” Now, I’m no fan of Governor Scott, but I applaud his attempts at open government. We’ll see how many probing questions actually get answered. But for now, all we can do is put hope in the power of Twitter, and Florida’s Sunshine Law.

If you want to follow the conversation later, take a look at the site Ron Sachs Communications has set up (especially since the Twitter link on the governor’s home page connects you to the wrong account). You’ll be able to see all the questions posted, in addition to the answers Governor Scott chooses to answer.

I’ll be watching, and I hope you will be, too. We can talk about the results when I see you on the ‘morrow, on the Web.

Was Tunisia a Twitter Revolution?

Twitter will be televised.

Have you seen any of the news coverage of the events in Tunisia? Where is the press getting all this, only from Twitter? Have they been fact-checking any of these updates? Do they need to fact-check the updates they see on Twitter? Do journalists look into other eyewitness reports? Or are they just reporting them verbatim because they’re on Twitter?

And, doesn’t it seem like their only source for breaking news these days is Twitter? How many stories did you see on television in the past week that used Twitter as at least one of the information sources? Are you even watching televised news any more?

Is this such a bad thing? Can you think of the last time you heard about breaking news first on any other source? Sully on the Hudson? Michael Jackson’s death? The latest earthquake?

Doesn’t it seem like newspeople are investigating fewer leads? Are they just turning to Twitter because they’re lazy? Do they explore their curiosities about anything else? Have they missed any important local stories because they’re too busy watching their Twitter stream?

Who is gathering your news? Should we be gathering it for ourselves? From Twitter? All these interrogatives leave me wondering, “will I see you on the ‘morrow, on the Web?”

Any Other Name Would Smell as Sweet

Name dropping?

Today, I give you just a quick word about the name of this blog: “Twittard.” The simple story is that it’s the name one particular friend of mine calls me every time I tell him a story about Twitter. Or based on something that I read on Twitter. Or one that I tie back to improving Twitter. Which—I have to admit—covers most of my stories.

Now, this name-calling could have ended there, but it kept happening. One afternoon as I was creating this new blog, he started a chat with me. I told him what I was working on, and his reply was simply, “Twittard.” Thus, a name was born.

I’d love to debate whether using “-tard” as a suffix is offensive or not, as well as the ramifications of the evolution of language, or the censoring of works of art so they mollify malleable, modified norms of acceptance. But this blog is about Twitter. And if that makes me a Twittard, then so be it. I’ll still be one on the ‘morrow, on the Web.

I Pledge Allegiance to the Stream

Of, by, and for the people.

Yesterday, I wanted to share a couple of things with you related to authenticity on Twitter. But, due to the limitations of WiFi here in the woods, I was unable to get those links to you. Disappointing for everyone, I know.

Without further adieu, here’s what I would have told you yesterday, had I not wasted all of our limited data availability reading about font felons and streaming stories about a damaged-but-endearing forensic expert from Miami:

Corporate Counsel’s Nicole Hong [no Twitter profile!?] posted a short interview with Twitter’s General Counsel Alexander Macgillivray. He came over from Google to help build and run the department responsible primarily for employment and contracts issues at Twitter. The interview is not very probing, but it does highlight many of the aspects that make working at Twitter so attractive to me, including its emphasis on openness. Mr. Macgillivray seems to be building a team that will actively advocate the continued freedom and independence which make Twitter so indispensable.

Openness is obviously very important to the company, both for users and for its employees. For users, we have to be able to trust the sources that we’re relying on for our news and information (well, except for that one asshole; he’s Portuguese, ya know). But for Twitter’s growing staff, transparency is a vital start to ensuring the longevity of the service. Co-founder Evan Williams emphasized this point at his otherwise less-than-informative SXSW Keynote interview in 2010.

“A window is transparent; a door is open. A window lets people see what you’re doing. A door lets them enter and play.”
Evan Williams- SXSWi 2010 Keynote Interview

This top-down policy of openness is apparent in how Twitter operates. And by building out its legal team with open-Web advocates like Mr. Macgillivray, Twitter is betting its future on the constant and uninterrupted exchange of information between its users, no matter under which regime they reside.

The publishing world recently discovered the importance of Twitter’s authenticity. Viv Groskop posted a piece earlier this month on The Observer detailing Twitter’s role in the publishing world’s hottest topics this year. Since a great deal of the exchange of information occurred through Twitter, the urgency of accurate information grew, and authors and their fans relied on the service to suss out nuggets of truth.

“Unlike some other social media sites, Twitter is fairly bullshit-proof, since it's mostly obvious who the person is and whether what they're saying is genuine.”
Viv Groskop- The Observer, 19 December 2010

Twitter is fast becoming the primary place where we openly debate ideas. It’s one of the most important ways we transmitt and gather information. And this importance is growing every day. As more conversations move to this online platform, relevancy becomes an even larger part of the equation. There is much still left to discuss about building increased relevancy into Twitter, and much left to build. But that is a conversation for another day—maybe on the ‘morrow, on the Web.