So yesterday the fabulous @DannyBrown posted a tweet about re-tweeting someone's praise of you Pride/ego. I could not quite tell if Danny was ticked by the original tweet that he considered either prideful or egotistical or if he genuinely was questioning the protocol. Read Danny Brown's blog inspired by the same Tweet and subsequent conversations surrounding the concept of ego/Twitter.
What is so incredibly amazing about Twitter is that following that tweet was a real time, in depth discussion including people from a myriad of professional, geographical and philosophical backgrounds. People on Twitter are pretty forgiving, most of them saying it was likely this person (the original offender) trying to acknowledge the praise they received. This empathy brought up other conversations addressing inherent issues with tone and intent in things like Twitter, email etc.
I don't really care about these chicken and egg kind of issues, if I offend you, let me know. I still haven't found the rule book or how to (though many are making there way to the market) that really addresses the idiosyncrasies of the interwebs. What I really started thinking about is this virtual world we have all created and what it must look like to those on the outside or trying to get in.
Really we're all taking time to publicly talk about what we think, feel, see and do, which is somewhat self aggrandizing in and of itself. I mean do you really care about what I am listening to all day? Probably not but I am going to click that little share button on LALA every time a killer song comes on.
What I am hearing from friends and reading is that folks aren't really making Twitter their own. They sign up, have no followers, follow some famous people and news agencies but then what? Even though there are millions of Twitter accounts isn't it really an inside deal? Your in the tech world, the entertainment world, the non profit industry (a real power niche on Twitter), or your selling something.
If you are Joe Blow from Idaho and your trying to catch the Twitter craze do you feel a little left out? Like you don't speak the language? I wonder if it's like not being a guitarist but trying to read Guitar World magazine. Sure you know what bands they are talking about and know that (insert your favorite guitarists name here) is the greatest guitarist of all time. But are you really going to get a great experience from reading the magazine? Can you really benefit from the intent of the editors and contributors? Is it worth your while to buy a copy just to look at the Guitar Girls and maybe read the headlines?
Or do you feel like you wasted your $4 because they didn't talk to you? You don't know a Gretch from a Fender after all. WELL....I think Twitter must be a lot like that for people. I think people must register and then get completely overwhelmed. But fear not! It's just in how you look at it, how you make this new world your own.
For instance, my friend set up a profile as over million folks did just to follow Ashton Kutcher on his CNN vs. Ashton stunt that was for Malaria No More. Like most of the people who did the same she never went back, was too overwhelmed. She simply could not figure out how to make it her own. So I talked to her about using Twitter as a real time news feed from both those who report the news she wants such as@people, @cnn,@nytimes and those actually creating the news such as @aplusk (Ashton Kutcher), Sarah Palin @AKGovSarahPalin-looks like she will be changing that handle soon and @johncmayer.
Once you become part of the real time news you start following others, finding like minded folks and eventually becoming part of the conversation. And there are a myriad of industries that will find this an incredible lead generator and resource to enhance your business from Real Estate to Restaurants and so many more.
Really, we all want to be loved-we just have to find the right language to communicate our needs and wants. And for all of us trying to start the conversation and getting wrapped up in the etiquette of it all--don't we all just want to be wanted (for our opinion, ideas, innovation,analysis)? We're the ones eating, sleeping and breathing this stuff so we feel our opinions are warranted right?
Cheap Trick had it right, and this is what makes me lose sleep at night...the innate ability of the internet to allow you to indulge your desire to ramble on while simultaneously rocking out to Cheap Trick. 10 years ago I would have had to put a dime on the needle to make sure Rick Nielsen didn't skip on his incredible guitar solos.
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