Filed under: Comment
Twitter is the new media darling on the block.
Before that it was Facebook and before that it was MySpace … but today, the 140 character digital media broadcaster is being lauded by all and sundry as the next big thing.
BOLLOCKS!
I know it can be useful occasionally [pub quizzes for example] … I know it doesn’t have to make money to be regarded as useful [though it does have to make money to be regarded as a valid business] and I know someday, someone will find a use for it that goes beyond just telling the socialphobic every boring poxy detail of their life because they think they’re soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo important … but let me get something straight, it is not this all conquering media tool, at least not yet.
The problem with the marketing media community is that they are continually searching for the next big thing – not because they are bothered about its effectiveness, but because it helps them feel relevant and important and – most vital of all – keep scared and unsure brand managers spending their money each and every day.
Just like the industry thinks the ONLY way to communicate with the World’s youth is via digital, they are now claiming Twitter is the tool that can revolutionise business and company communication.
Well maybe it can but it’s nowhere near there yet – and the companies being lauded as ‘geniuses’ seem to be adopting it more as a cheap PR stunt than something that has genuinely and totally infiltrated how the company operates.
Someone told me recently Twitter was all about ‘ambient friendships’ which I find one of the greatest justifications since “I was only following orders”.
I appreciate not everyone has the same definition of friendship as I do, but letting your conversations be seen by any sad twat who decided you were worth ‘following’ doesn’t seem very friend-like to me, which is best demonstrated by Marcus’ evil genius ‘twitter readings’.
People who use Twitter [and write blogs and update their MSN/Facebook ‘status’ 15 times a day] are like people who used to write letters into ‘Points Of View’ … they are not, as the ad and blog industry like to believe, the social majority or even the ‘trend setters’ … they are a bunch of ego maniacs who think they are part of some elite group who has its finger on the pulse and have a million people hanging onto their every word.
So yes, I am one of these sad bastards – which explains why my beloved Andy signed me up to this …
[Click to visit]
He also made a rather interesting comment as he was happily telling me of my official ‘twatdom’ status …
“How can the fuckers in adland say powerpoint is shit for it restrictive way of communicating but treat Twitter like it is the 2nd coming of Jesus?”
Now I know people will respond to this by saying Twitter forces you to get to the point because of its limited 140 characters – whereas Powerpoint lets you blather away adnauseum – but the power of Twitter [as a communication tool] is very similar to powerpoint because ‘what you say’ and ‘how you say it’ are key ingredients to its effectiveness – equally as important as the method of distribution [unless you’re a twitter star, and then just like Dr Drew, you’ll have millions hanging onto your every word even if you’re talking unmitigated shit] though few people seem to talk about that because like most things, no one likes the idea of having to accept that even if we have all the tools, we may still not be able to rise amongst the crowd.
For me, Twitter isn’t the future, personality and life experiences are.
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careful campbell, youre going to make joro and dodds have a fucking melt down with this post.
and look forward to being a member of shitter as soon as katerina can find it for me 🙂
Comment by andy@cynic March 4, 2009 @ 7:23 amIs JoRo my nickname? Thank you Andrew, that’s very flattering particularly because I know some of the monikers you give your other colleagues.
This post doesn’t make me melt down, indeed some of the observations are very accurate but there are organisations who use Twitter to great effect and I am sure we will see this develop as companies identify opportunities where its utilization can lead to greater business efficiencies as per George’s virtual brainstorm application.
I do like Twatter though. Very amusing.
Comment by Jonathan Rosenberg March 4, 2009 @ 8:35 amI must admit, I’m one of the people you mentioned, but I’m not sure whether it’s because I’m an egomaniac or rather I just like expressing myself to whoever gives a shit. Regardless, I’ve just jumped onto Twitter and so far it’s failed to prove why everyone is going crazy over it. It just seems like an endless (and most of the time, meaningless) parade of jibber-jabber. It’s Facebook status’ without the other bullshit. Or maybe I just don’t get it…
Comment by Age March 4, 2009 @ 8:41 amIt’s not earth-shattering, no-one ever said it had to be. But it’s one to many on a quasi one to one basis (where you define how many is many) and that is interesting.
Two years on, I’m not so keen on some of the “business” intrusions but it daily adds something to my life (be that news of friends on a skiing trip losing one of their number, impromptu bar gatherings or something in between).
The virtual brainstorming has been going on for a long time George/Jonathan and the whole thing is filled with personality and tangential life experiences and like the blog world it leads to real meetings/life experiences. I’m having one next week. It won’t be on a par with the meals and drnks Andy’s going to buy me as a result of our ambient intimacy on this blog, but it will be informative.
Comment by John March 4, 2009 @ 8:59 amCan I ask you Age whether you see writing a blog is like writing a diary?
Maybe it is for you because you cover many topics on yours, but on many blogs I get the distinct impression they are being written for ego gratification as much as any personal expression of thought.
Not this blog of course. Not Robert “my boss” Campbell. 🙂
Comment by Pete March 4, 2009 @ 9:04 amHello John. For the sake of George’s ego and my personal credibility I need to point out the virtual brainstorm application I referred to is not simply posing a question and awaiting multiple responses from those within your own network. Obviously that use of Twitter has been going on since the technologies inception, this is something a bit more complex that required us to further develop Twitters technology so that we could utlize it as an internal tool to aid clarity in technological issues.
Comment by Jonathan Rosenberg March 4, 2009 @ 9:17 amHi John.
You obviously have positive and beneficial experiences with Twitter but I agree with Robert when he say’s the praise being bestowed on it by the media is out of proportion with the number of people who use it and the reasons why they actually use it.
Blogs, twitter, SMS, aren’t they all bits of technology used by people who want to spread their word with minimal interuptions? If it is then could we not say it’s more about declaration than communication?
I should confirm that is a question not a point of view.
Comment by Pete March 4, 2009 @ 9:24 amtwitter:
news for the lazy.
twitter:
when picking up the phone is too much of a fucking hassle.
twitter:
feel part of something you plainly are not part of.
like it pete, get them on the fucking phone
and dodds the only way ill be buying you lunch is if you have somehow conned some babes to join you and then ill insist on different tables
Comment by andy@cynic March 4, 2009 @ 9:35 amjoro: you can buy me lunch and dont even need to bring any babes. i know im too kind
Comment by andy@cynic March 4, 2009 @ 9:37 amIn order to learn about Twitter, I decided to join up and Tweet. I wanted to know if it really might be “How the narcissistic stay in touch with the feckless.” as stated by The Ad Contrarian… so far, I think he’s right. Maybe the challenge of direct human contact is too much for some. I agree, pick up the fucking phone for Gods Sake! So far, I’m not seeing the point of being a Twit.
Comment by adchick March 4, 2009 @ 10:51 amwho the fuck is adchick? whoever. i like you. come back
Comment by andy@cynic March 4, 2009 @ 11:02 amI must be Derren Brown because I knew you’d say that Mr Dodds.
Hello Adchick, it is lovely to have you pop by – please ignore my perverted old colleague, his comment is actually a compliment but I completely understand if you don’t see it that way or want it. 🙂
And I know Twitter has helped people interms of their social/personal networking, I just think for many that is their convienient exuse when the reality is they either want to demonstrate their ego tendencies and/or be a starfucker to someone they think can help them in the future.
The issue – like facebook, blogging and countless other next-big-thing tech – is that the marketing and advertising community will probably end up fucking up all it’s potential by trying to infiltrate and overwhelm [which, lets not forget, is wholly encouraged by the tech developer] which ends up driving more people away than encouraging to embrace.
For me Twitter has no business model – that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have value or potential – but like MSN and Facebook, it’s revenue capabilities will never match its audience figures because its role in our lives is quite superficial and more one way than any true definition of communicative dialogue.
Paul Colman was right …
Comment by Rob March 4, 2009 @ 11:34 amPete, I think you’re right… my blog is part diary (or outlet for personal thoughts/feelings) and part adstuff. In fact I sometimes struggle to find a balance im comfortable with.
Back to Twitter, this is a great conversation and I agree 10000% with the last point you made in your last comment Rob. This might be a naive question, but WHY does Twitter need to make money? How come it can’t just “be”? Is it maintenance costs? etc… Why is the first question with all of these new technologies “how do we make money from it?”
I think one of the reasons why i appreciate Google so much is because they (dont seem!) to have this attitude. It feels like the first question they ask whenever they’re developing new innovations is “how will this enhance lives/the experience” rather than a money question.
Comment by Age March 4, 2009 @ 11:54 amIt’s not naive – it’s a fair question – but all companies need to make some money, if only to keep things working as they should – the issue is how much is enough.
Trust me mate, if Google did not make so much cash from “search/adwords” they wouldn’t spend so much time inventing/investing in cooler things like Google Earth, Youtube, Flu Tracker and errrrm, cynic/Google ventures – and even then, they are looking for ways for it to make it pay for itself, nothing – especially a listed company – is done just for the ‘good of it’, infact it’s a legal requirement for CEO’s to do whatever is in the best financial interests of the shareholder, which is why BP didn’t go pro-all energy to help the World, it was because they had the foresight to see that relying on oil/petrol for their income only had a limited lifespan.
Twitter is no different to the millions of .com’s of the mid 90’s that had good ideas but no model for revenue – except they have tapped into a category that attracts more numbers than things like pet.com which is why they will continue to get investors in the hope it will one day find the magic solution.
If you read ‘fucked company’ you’ll know the odds are against them …
Comment by Rob March 4, 2009 @ 12:24 pmYep, that all makes sense… especially Google. In regards to Twitter and most of these newish technologies, “when is enough” is the key I think. Personally, I can’t see what Twitter might be able to do, but then again if i did know, i wouldn’t be sitting in this boring ass research room in Sydney.
Comment by Age March 4, 2009 @ 12:48 pmIt’s probably the most important evolutionary leap in communication models since TV.
Which has nothing to do with advertising.
Comment by Charles Edward Frith March 4, 2009 @ 1:55 pmI would rather vomit thumb tacks through my nostrils than read people’s facebook updates (yours included Rob)
Comment by Tom from Perth March 4, 2009 @ 1:55 pmGiven you’ve written on this blog Tom, I would beg to disagree …
And Charles, do you REALLY think that? I agree it has little to do with marketing/advertising but the most important evolutionary communication leap since TV? More than email? Internet? Mobile phone?
And I am buying into Pete’s view that Twitter [and blogs etc] have little to do with communication, more to do with isolated commentary that gives the illusion of 2 way interaction and occasionally enables doors of opportunity to be opened and discussed.
Are we doing blog table tennis now? 🙂
Comment by Rob March 4, 2009 @ 2:08 pmTwitter is like the movie Slumdog Millionaire. A fantastic little product that got over hyped for a whole host of reasons and now leaves a trail of underwhelmed users in its wake.
As an application I think it has amazing capacity and potential to drive and spread ideas, information and efficiency but as an advertising medium it will be a total disaster. Not that media agencies will agree.
You raise many very valid points Robert and Pete, but that’s the fault of the users rather than the technology. Well it is until the developers try and promote its media dollar distribution value.
Comment by Bazza March 4, 2009 @ 2:35 pmWhile the media hype around Twitter is ridiculous (shock and horror, mainstream media over-hyping something!) I’ve found Twitter really useful, both in terms of being informed of interesting stuff online and exchanging ideas.
Just saying.
Comment by Ben March 4, 2009 @ 3:11 pmInteresting comparison there Bazza.
Someone rather close to me is very enthusiastic about twitter and believes it has real marketing value but only for brands who have something to say rather than just something to sell.
I assume the reason this works for us (open to interpretation) is that we are in the fortunate position of having plenty to say and a mass of people who seem rather interested in hearing and contributing to it. This leads me to the conclusion it’s current marketing potential is limited primarily to opinion brands rather than those operating in the FMCG category but I am sure P&G will do their level best to prove me wrong.
Nice post Robert and excellent comments from both Pete and Baz.
Comment by Lee Hill March 4, 2009 @ 3:25 pmYes I do Rob.
But mostly when I’m trying to get people to take it seriously as a discussion subject. We had decades of what Clay Shirky calls cognitive surplus which is a nice way of saying couch potato and if you compare that to a tool which has unlimited uses, has already saved lives, broken news faster than Sky/CNN/Fox, introduced more people in a shorter amount of time to each other than any other application, created cultural movements, put the backs up of the security services because of its potential “security threat” applications and on and on and on and on it goes.
The more theoretical discussions on Twitter I”ve joined are over here:
http://tinyurl.com/b96n4d
Yes, Twitter pisses me off sometimes. No I don’t like everything it introduces into my life but I’ve tried to push the boundaries of it’s potential.
For example I think I hold the land speed record for Twittering.
http://tinyurl.com/atlgou
Which I wrote more about over here
http://tinyurl.com/cumj2d
I think I may well have had another first here
http://tinyurl.com/cxvf8x
For very good reasons that I will only ever repeat in real life.
I also don’t try to portray myself as something I’m not. This costs me money because I’m well aware that while the speculation is damaging from inebriated tweets such as this:
http://twitter.com/charlesfrith/status/1134296081
It’s what I learning from the interaction that counts. Call it the Planner in me. I do however revel in the wild speculation that goes on around this ongoing investigation I’m having because nobody ever picks up on the really outrageous shit I get up to.
http://tinyurl.com/cxvf8x
And none of you have ever joined in the real reason I love twitter so much. The ace conversations that go on with some really talented people I learn so much from without really trying.
Charles Olive (Studying existentialism in his own time)
http://tinyurl.com/cv6qxn
Humphrey: Yet to read Atlas Shrugged
http://tinyurl.com/b4r9kr
Me explaining why Humphrey is wrong
http://tinyurl.com/bvthhp
And on and on it goes. But if there’s anything that really confirms for me the “group-think” that the ad industry slavishly engages in, it’s the opinions that many give from something they’ve either rarely used, used for a short time or pick up again when the hype is kicking off in the main stream media.
Don’t be media sheep?
Sometimes I think the flock here are guilty of being a wee bit too quick to agree with the opinions of this blog despite my own propensity to rarely disagree.
This is however an occasion I most certainly don’t 🙂
Comment by Charles Edward Frith March 4, 2009 @ 4:01 pmHi mate – I think you’re missing my point.
I know I took the piss in my post [don’t I do that in all my posts?] but my main issue with Twitter is not about how certain people use it … it’s how some individuals and media are talking about it interms of the 2nd coming of Jesus and that it will fundamentally revolutionise business, advertising and pretty much the World as a whole.
As Baz said in his comment [even though he was agreeing with you more than me] people are the power of Twitter, not the technology and so it is reliant on a particular attitude of person to make it fly rather than the technology causing it to happen all by itself.
Don’t get me wrong, Twitter does have an ability to influence that interaction, but at the end of the day it is down to the motivations and attitude of the person using it.
I know how much of a genuine aid it can be to individuals and certain groups/organisations, however despite this I don’t believe it will find a financial model that will make it a viable standalone business [well, not one where the figures it generates are anything like the ones talked about] … I don’t believe it will become the primary method of communication for the masses [though I do accept it will grow in massive terms] and I certainly don’t believe it is the most important technological evolution since the television.
That doesn’t mean it – or the people who use it are bad, anymore than than someone sending an SMS is bad – however just like people claimed mobile marketing was the future of communication, I think this will be another very valid tool that will exist and thrive but not in a way that is being currently talked about by too many of the media out there.
I certainly hope people don’t agree with me for the sake of it – I know Andy certainly doesn’t and on this post Baz, John, Ben and Lee haven’t either – but whilst I accept I haven’t been using Twitter for long, I have been blogging a while and I feel the same way about that.
The real value, according to me, of blogging is when people discuss and collaberate … same thing with Twitter … and whilst some people ‘get it’ and ‘do it’, there’s a hell of a lot who don’t and certainly not enough to say this is going to change the World.
Tech doesn’t do that – people do – people like you Charles, which is why it can be as dangerous to proclaim technologies potential based on your own high standards as it is to judge it within limited exposure.
[And you’ll NEVER be a sheep – that was aimed, as you well know, at the people who say the stuff the trend leaders say in a bid to look as cool, despite the fact they don’t have the faintest understanding of what they’re talking about. These people http://robcampbell.wordpress.com/2007/11/09/chinese-whisper-presenters/ ]
Comment by Rob March 4, 2009 @ 5:15 pmIt has its uses, but people get way too over excited about being on the next big thing.
I treat it like the NME, always proclaiming “The Best New Band in the World”… and they turn out to be shite.
Comment by Rob Mortimer March 4, 2009 @ 5:17 pmwhy the fuck weren’t we having a conversation about twitter 3 fuckin’ years ago when it really was a new thing? i am incredibly biased about this little app, but i have to say, the reason that people don’t get it is because it has been hyped up to the eyeballs by people who have no true idea about what the fuck authenticity means. and they’re also seeing a twitter that is the slight bastardisation of the original concept (you could choose to receive/send messages by text on your phone). in fact it feels a little like angkor what, just after lonely planet published their book about cambodia. it’s very quickly feeling like all the goodness is being strangled out of it by people trying to ‘capture’ something.
i can categorically say that twitter changed my life – it is pretty much the reason that i have half the friendships i do, which wouldn’t have happened on email or text (and was around before facebook). and why don’t i just call them? because they all live in england, germany and france and i can’t fuckin’ afford the cost and lack of sleep in dialing up 100 little snippets of interestingness.
one of the other misconceptions which pisses me off is that ‘conversation’ (because somehow that word has become the rationale behind absolutely everything media is getting its hands on these days) needs to have a start, middle and end. that is has to be meaningful, deep, useful, obvious, saleable, etc.
what about having whimsy, slightly odd, extremely human and of no use whatsoever?
Comment by lauren March 4, 2009 @ 5:30 pmYou’re actually kinda proving my point Lauren …
The things Twitter is being hyped for is not what it is really about and that’s why I get the shits because it has power and potential but not in the areas that people/media keep talking about.
I still think it is devolving friendships to a more fickle type of relationship, but no more than SMS or MSN has and I do accept I have some pretty fucked up attitudes as regards what constitutes a real friend.
I do have to say you sound very much like someone who liked a band in their early days and then gets shitty when everyone else starts to like them. 🙂
PS: Twitter didn’t change your life – you did, Twitter just helped you get there. Sounds wanky and Oprah like but fuck me, stop underestimating your part in the journey.
Comment by Rob March 4, 2009 @ 5:45 pmCharles – I have read Atlas Shrugged. Call me populist, but I love the Fountainhead.
I’m on a Graham Greene kick at the moment; for pure ideology, can’t beat the Power & The Glory.
Lauren – too fucking right. It was new in 2006.
And Rob – I like twitter, I like my group of folks, but life changing? No chance. I approve of twatter. Genius.
Comment by Will March 4, 2009 @ 5:57 pmIf you love Twitter and think it’s changed your life – good on you – but that doesn’t mean EVERYONE will get that same benefit … and whilst I know no one here is saying that, there’s a fuck load of media folk who are, mainly because they think it’s a cool thing to say rather than something they genuinely believe.
Saying that – the fact it has caused such an emotive response means there is something in this human technology, which shows how much Nokia missed the point and opportunity.
[Should of listened to our Charlie boy!]
Comment by Rob March 4, 2009 @ 6:06 pmGreat response Rob and Lauren. All valid points but I will say one more time that we keep thinking of revenue models from an historical point of view.
The most evident flaw is greed. Everyone wants to be the next Google and it’s not going to happen. But if Twitter, Facebook, Brightkite and Blip.fm (for example) scaled down their revenue ambitions, partnered up with interesting products and services, and thought about the people side of things there’s a business model there and terrific brand opportunities.
A bit of pluralism for revenue streams and creatives sitting in the Finance Department for a few days and it’s waiting to be cracked.
Here’s one off the top of my head. All those pay phones that people hardly use these days? Ever thought about ways they could be brought back to life?
It’s not hard. The challenge is in finding both clients and agencies who know how to say yes, when the reality is most don’t even really have the balls to say no.
Comment by Charles Edward Frith March 4, 2009 @ 6:23 pmAnd yes of course not everyone likes the idea of instantaneous and global micro publishing. A lot of people will never go near which is fine.
But we don’t expect everyone to enjoy Coca-cola or Colemans Mustard or HP Brown Sauce or Nike or Apple or Virgin or whatever. It’s just life. It would be dull if everyone liked the same stuff.
Comment by Charles Edward Frith March 4, 2009 @ 6:33 pmYou raise a great point there Charles …
Google wasn’t created to be this money sucking machine – sure they knew they it would make cash but their goal was to make something better rather than to make shit loads of cash.
On another scale completely – we started cynic to do work we felt people [and clients] would react more powerfully to, hopefully make some money along the way, but basically do something good that people will pay for rather than just focus on the cash. Maybe that’s why if we came up with an idea for phoneboxes we wouldn’t wait for a client – we’d give it a go ourselves – but then we’re not exactly hard-core business people and the shareholders in our organisation bought into who we were as people rather than expect ever glorious returns on their investment.
Without doubt business needs money to survive, but like you said, “how much” is the critical factor. I’ve said it many times, anyone with a share is as guilty as a CEO but few people seem to either realise that or want to accept it.
[You’re going to love my post tomorrow by the way!]
Whilst I am not some business tycoon, I do know you need to make some profit to survive/thrive my issue with Twitter is – as Baz said – is more to do with the hypers than the developers or the people who genuinely use it.
And you’re right Charles, the world would be fucking boring if we all liked the same things and thought the same way – which is why I like to think we’ve been put on this Earth, hahaha
Comment by Rob March 4, 2009 @ 6:54 pmI can’t believe you’re having this discussion.
Comment by Marcus March 4, 2009 @ 7:24 pmi cant believe anyone comes here. what the fuck is this post you claim charlie will like tomorrow? phone number of single chicks in beijing?
fucking hope so its going to better than this shit
Comment by andy@cynic March 4, 2009 @ 7:55 pmJonathan – that’s a given, George would never come up with anything so simplistic. But the evolution of how even the simplest manifestations of crowdsourcing and group discussion have evolved has been terrific. And it’s happened without the tech developments that you rightly suggest will move this on to a different level. We don’t always need to focus our ingenuity on changing the technology, we can use it to change how we use existing technology.
As for the idiocy of how some busineses and individuals are spammin on it – well that’s annoying and won’t work, but individual representatives of companies being open and/or actively solving customer poblems – that is going on and can only grow – it helps the customers and in a way that is cheaper for the company and also gets them real feedback rather than focus goup nonsense.
I’m happy to discuss any of this over lunch anytime anywhere at anyone’s expense.
Comment by John March 4, 2009 @ 8:22 pmyou wont get a free lunch from me
you wont get a free flight from lee
you wont get a free mac from baz
you wont get a free google search from jonathan
but you might get a job as a fucking suit at jwt
crowdsurfing? for fucks sake dodds your marketing panties are showing
Comment by andy@cynic March 4, 2009 @ 10:34 pmafter everybody has raised very valid points, i ll just leave my two cents. i agree that twitter as the next ‘big thing’ is over-hyped. at the current state is see twitter being useful for companies in two ways (there might be more):
– as a monitoring and tracking tool (via serach.twitter.com or else): what is said about your product/company and who says it
– as a tool for customer service, using ‘brand ambassadors’.
and, of course, for media companies as a news ticker/teaser.
the issue i see with a corporate twitter stream is that it constantly has to be filled with relevant information. that might be a problem.
Comment by peggy March 4, 2009 @ 11:30 pmWell if all that is true, then what’s the point of this blog?
Comment by John March 5, 2009 @ 1:13 amit keeps you away from the real world people
Comment by andy@cynic March 5, 2009 @ 7:08 amWho the fuck is “adchick”? I love you guys! 🙂 Seriously, in our tiny part of the world, Twitter sounds like a dirty word! Tonight, in fact, I met up with some 30 something’s who hadn’t even heard of it…so there I am, old enough to be their mom, drinking wine, telling them what I think Twitter is, what it might become….and I realized after watching their faces go blank that Twitter is there because it can be, not because it should be.
Comment by adchick March 5, 2009 @ 1:39 pmAnd one more thing…Visit me at adchick.wordpress.com for a peek inside advertising in Hooterville! Shameless plug, sorry…but now you know. Best! Keep up the good commentary…I love it!
Comment by adchick March 5, 2009 @ 1:41 pmAdchick, I love you.
Not as much as Andy or John Dodds no doubt will – nor as much as Lauren, Angus or Peggy [at least for now] but I love you all the same, especially because you have brought Clara into my life.
Infact, I’ve just written my post for Monday and you will get all the plugs you need … though there’s no real point now because I’m sure people will click on your name and make my bigging up of you and Clara totally redundent.
Bugger.
Comment by Rob March 5, 2009 @ 3:10 pm@ Charles
I will always be indebted to Robert, George and Andy but I will never agree with something they say if I don’t think it’s right and I doubt anyone else will either. In my 3+ years working with them they always pushed their teams to debate even though many times it ended up in an all office brawl that Katerina had to settle when people realised I was right again. 🙂
Comment by Bazza March 5, 2009 @ 3:26 pmBazza it’s a tough life being consistently right but I know the score 🙂 Either way this has turned into a worthwhile bazaar on Twitter emotions which is interesting if only because it does get people going.
I wont go on again and I’d best also apologize to Will for assuming he’d not read Atlas Shrugged although Will…. populism is most definitely not my metric. Try Kissingers Years of Upheaval or Caro’s LBJ trilogy if power interests you.
Atlas Shrugged is a treatise on Objectivism Ayn Rand’s political philosophy and The Fountainhead is a pursuit of architectural purism as metaphor for morals, truth and beauty.
I’d have thought the first was more your thing. Money and the aquisition of power.
I’ve just picked up Team of Rivals as Obama said it’s the book he’d take to the Whitehouse. Not sure if American political hisory is your thing but I’ll let you know.
Comment by Charles Edward Frith March 5, 2009 @ 3:51 pmsorry – 24hours behind on this, but rob, did you really write “twitter didn’t change your life – you did?”. i know what you mean, but… *gag*. ha!
besides, i think, actually, it did change my life. i wasn’t looking for new friends, i had no desire to change the nature of my current friendships and i had no means to develop these changes to extend that they have been changed, even if i did want to. which i think means that i didn’t actually do a thing… hmm..maybe that’s why i love twitter so much, ‘cos i’m inherently lazy. 🙂
[oh, and i’m ALWAYS the one who hates the band once i start hearing them on Austereo, so unsurprising that i feel this way when Hughesy and Kate start gabbling on about it]
Comment by lauren March 5, 2009 @ 4:16 pmThere’s nothing to apologize for Charles and I agree it led to an interesting debate which is pretty rare on this blog. That’s another thing I’m sure you’ll agree with me on. 🙂
Comment by Bazza March 5, 2009 @ 4:17 pmFuck me you’re right Lauren, I came over all Oprah and David Brent with that comment.
You know what I mean – and I still think it’s about what you did than what Twitter did – but I appreciate it aided new opportunities to come your way so why don’t we leave it at that, ha!
Comment by Rob March 5, 2009 @ 4:42 pmhttp://www.businessinsider.com/google-ceo-twitter-a-poor-mans-email-system-2009-3
Rob……?? 🙂
Comment by niko March 5, 2009 @ 7:01 pmdont upset george niko. the poor fucker is a fragile soul
Comment by andy@cynic March 5, 2009 @ 10:10 pmmaybe im lost in translation, but i m a little worried that there are those brackets behind my name, rob [so i thought i d speak out before i m getting kicked out haha!]
Comment by peggy March 6, 2009 @ 4:23 ambut honestly: i enjoy hanging out on this blog. it always makes me think and it makes me laugh really hard sometimes – which is a great combination – it is never boring[e]!
if i haven t been… i m safe now, am i 😀
The thing with twitter is what people are saying, it is THAT people are saying it. Blogs are a waste of time for most people because maintaining them is hard work. Writing short text style posts is far simpler and therefore can build a critical mass of things that people think.
And it proves the self-organising power of the Web. Because twitter has beautiful open APIs it means other people can invent very useful services using it as a backbone.
And finally, the real potential for marketers is not to use it as a media channel, but to watch what people are saying. search.twitter.com is incredibly useful. And has the potential to up-end google search. You can extract what people are saying about stuff in realtime so if the producers of the Oscars, say, were to analyse the tweets during the live broadcast of the show they will learn plenty about how to make next year’s show better.
Ok. I am getting tired of writing now. This is way more than 140 characters.
Leon
Comment by Leon March 6, 2009 @ 9:33 amIf the producers of the Oscars were to analyse the tweets during the live broadcast of the show … they’d learn plenty … but it wouldn’t be a true reflection of what the masses think and that is why tweets [from a marketing/research] perspective can only ever be used as a guide/early warning system rather than an undeniable and fully quantifiable research tool.
I’m not knocking it’s value – it falls into an area of our forensic research methodology – but claiming twitter is a window to the masses soul is as misguided as claiming the Oscars represents the pinnacle of movie making in any given year.
But we can debate this soon I guess 😉
Comment by Rob March 6, 2009 @ 9:55 amOh crap. I was just looking forward to swilling lager and talking shite.
Comment by Leon March 6, 2009 @ 12:14 pmI guess that means you’ll be “washing your hair” for the next 9 months then, ha!
Comment by Rob March 6, 2009 @ 1:10 pmpraising or slating twitter is like doing the same with seeing or hearing.
Seeing’s the best thing ever – you can watch beautiful sunsets!
No it’s not, it means you see things like X-Factor.
It’s just a new way (or variation of a way) for information to pass between people and things.
Comment by andy March 6, 2009 @ 11:05 pm