If I had a quarter every time someone asked me “How do you get any work done when you’re on Twitter all day?” I’d probably be able to buy myself a few soda’s a week. Anyway, it happens enough I thought I’d try to answer that question.
The problem is that a blog post only does so much to explain how this works. Video in this case would work much better. I use Jing, which is a great screen-grab/screen-cast app. I use it a ton for pics but have never used it for video, until now.
This is completely unscripted and I did this in one take with no editing so I apologize for all the um’s and pauses. The good news is that it’s only 5 minutes long so you don’t have to suffer that long.
This time I chose to demo Diigo, which is a social bookmarking app I have written about before many times. I use it to bookmark one of my favorite blogs TechWag in which they talk about an online bookstore they run called Alternating Reality and how they use social media to grow their business.
I hope you find the video helpful. If you have any suggestions or requested apps I should demo leave me a comment.
This video also marks the addition of a new category: Work Flow. I’ll use this tag whenever I talk about the tools I use to create my work flow.
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My take on Social Media and ROI: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it time and time again, use Return on Total Investment (ROTI) not just Return on Investment (ROI). ROI only looks at the top line input while ROTI looks at input plus savings.
This was recorded at the BossDev seminar I did back in January.
You can see more videos on the BossDev blog from the BossDev crew and Dave Evans, author of Social Media an Hour a Day.
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It looks like it’s pick on Google day.
Of course in all actuality there’s no reason that Google won’t crack this or acquire whoever does.
New Search Technologies Mine the Web More Deeply - NYTimes.com
Now a new breed of technologies is taking shape that will extend the reach of search engines into the Web’s hidden corners. When that happens, it will do more than just improve the quality of search results — it may ultimately reshape the way many companies do business online.
Remember how disruptive the Web was is on business? The ability to search and harness the deep Web will prove to be just as disruptive. I have to wonder though if it turns out to be more like trying to harness Dark Matter: ultimately impossible for a myriad of reasons.
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Interesting, it’s basically like Google Alerts for Twitter.
Twitter Track is Back Thanks to New Service from Particls - ReadWriteWeb
How to use Particls:
Using Particls with Twitter:
For Twitter users, just follow @particls on Twitter. To track something, start your request with ‘d particls.’
Example:
d particles follow “web 2.0″
will track all references to “web 2.0″ on Twitter.
d particles follow “web 2.0″, “web 3.0″
will track all references to “web 2.0″ and “web 3.0″
Twitter is the first real threat to Google. If you think about it, things happen on Twitter long before they appear on a blog, news story or Web page. ReadWriteWeb, Scoble and others have talked about the real time Web (services like Twitter and FriendFeed) being the real threat to Google. This is another example.
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“Why won’t people shut up about Twitter?”
I’ve heard this question a lot over the last 2 years. I’ve even said it a time or two. So why do we obsess about Twitter?
Remember the good old days (3-4 yrs ago)? Before Social Media it was just New Media (Chris Garrett’s still holding on to that one). Then EVERYTHING was 2.0. Remember last year, or even two years ago, when everyday TechCrunch or ReadWriteWeb would write about 10 new cool startups or Web apps that really made you stop in amazement or got you excited about the space? It was Nirvana for those of us with Shiny Object-Syndrome.
Better Faster Monetizable
Now most of the stuff we see is itterative innovation on what someone else did 2+ years ago (how many buzz monitoring tools do we need?). People are making things better, with better UI and faster. It’s the old better-faster-cheaper scenario, except they can’t do cheaper because it’s all already free. I guess now it’s Better Faster Monetizable.
The 3 things that still get people talking daily are Facebook, the iPhone and Twitter. Why? 3rd party apps. Facebook less so these days and even the iPhone is loosing some buzz, but Twitter app buzz is still going strong and we’re just getting started. I think Facebook and the iPhone are loosing steam because how exciting is throwing sheep and iFarting? Temporarily amusing, yes but there’s no business advantage to be had there.
When will it end?
People are just now starting to realize the power of Twitter (honestly I don’t think anyone, including the founders have totally realized this). But with each new Twitter app that comes out we start to see a glimpse into the ecosystem that will someday be realized. Whether you believe Twitter will be the next Ma’ Bell or not there is no denying now that the Twitterverse will be huge.
Don’t get me wrong there are still some other cool products/apps out there: FriendFeed is the what Twitter was 2 years ago, Zemanta continues to amaze me every week and I’m sure we’ll see more in the months/years to come. But right here, right now and for at least the rest of 09 Twitter is the Prom Queen. You’ll notice that my reference to Twitter has graduated from the crazy girlfriend to the Prom Queen (not mutually exclusive BTW).
Right now Twitter doesn’t have a business model. In fact they are quick to dispell rumors that they are even working on one. Right now it’s all about what’s possible. And NOTHING get’s innovators going like possibilities without thought of monetization.
And honestly, while I’m all about business models, it’s still fun to not think about that and just marvel at how cool something is.
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Image via CrunchBase
We’ve seen tons of fake Twitter accounts but something I’m surprised we don’t see on Twitter is the Fake Re-Tweet #FakeRT (You could also start with FRT, but the 10 yr old in me giggles every time I see that) Things like:
RT @louisgray I secretly like the Zune sooo much better than the iPod #FakeRT
RT @chrisbrogan I’m really identical tripplets, it’s how I get so much done #FakeRT
RT @DoctorJones I really wish I’d gone into advertising #FakeRT
RT @Jowyang I’m bored with social media #FakeRT
RT @peterkim I am declaring myself THE social media expert #FakeRT
RT @tacanderson I have no idea what I’m doing. I’m just making it up #FakeRT (wait, that one’s a little too close to home)
Maybe it’s because we’re all “friends”? That can’t be it because the people I make fun of the most are my friends. Maybe it’s the fear or retribution? Maybe it’s because no one has thought of it yet and I’m sick for even bringing it up?
I don’t know why but I’ve been wondering for a while now why we haven’t seen it yet.
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Last month I read an article on Mashabe that has stuck with me:HOW TO: Survive a Social Media Revolt. First off I have to say that the advice in the article is spot on. If you want to quell a potential online crisis the steps Muhammad provides should correct all but the worst corporate screw ups.
But what got me thinking is why do some companies walk away from a major screw up that would crush most while others get roasted over the most minor stumble?
I don’t have any answers to this question, I more wanted to talk it out.
Part of it seems to be the amount of equity a company has built up. Is this the first big screw up or the fifth this year?
Akin to this first point but different enough to point out is that it depends on what the company offers. If your local utility screws up, so what? what are you going to do switch, turn off your power? I don’t think they’ll loose any sleep.
Part of it is definitely how well the company responds. Do they respond quickly or only after they’ve been cornered? Do they apologize or make excuses?
But I think another part of it is who they offend. I can guarantee that if a company pisses off Robert Scoble or Mike Arrington they’ll be tripping over themselves to fix it much faster than if they upset you or me.
There is no great answer here. This is a major reason why marketing and PR are as much art as they are science.
What do you think?
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Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
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In the tech entrepreneur space there seems to be a dichotomy about raising VC money.
- One side seems to view raising VC money for their business as a necessity.
- The other sees VC money as evil.
These are of course the polar extremes to the dichotomy but you get the idea. The truth of course lies somewhere in the middle. It really depends on your goals.
Having done a few small scale startups myself I was well aware of the overly generalized statistic that 1 in 10 new business fail. Not very encouraging odds for most. However today I read an article that reshaped the argument for me:
peHUB » HBS Study Finds VCs Need Successful Serial Entrepreneurs Way More than Vice Versa
[S]uccessful entrepreneurs have a 34 percent chance of succeeding in the next venture-backed firm, compared with 23 percent who failed previously, and 22 percent chance for new venture-backed entrepreneurs.
Even first time entrepreneurs who receive VC backing basically double their odds just by taking the money.
This has a lot to do with the fact that good VC’s bring experience and lots of connections to the table with them. Yes VC money is expensive, but apparently so can going it on your own.
The article also showed some other interesting results. If you’re a successful entrepreneur going with the big VC firms doesn’t buy you any greater chance of success as going with a smaller VC firm.
If a company is started by someone with a track record of success, then that startup’s future isn’t going to be impacted one way or the other if it takes company from a top fund, or a firm in a lower tier.
The plus side here is that smaller VC firms may be more inclined to give you a better deal and you’re more likely to get attention from the top level partners as opposed to a less experienced Jr partner.
[Disclosure:] I work with Highway 12 Ventures, so I may be a little biased 
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This article got me thinking. WSJ Editor Claims Google Devalues Everything | Techdirt
Journalists seem to be stuck in one of two camps:
- Complaining about why their business is ruined, who’s at fault and why they need to go back to the way they were
- Documenting with the fascination of watching a long drawn out train wreck the demise of their industry with little to say except “the sky is falling”
We’ve seen small experiments in revolutionizing the business model but nothing substantial. I wonder if they’ll need to hit rock bottom before we see the real innovation.
[update] After more thinking, we have seen some innovation around Web content, aggregation, news sharing but I don’t think this is hitting the real issue. I have a feeling that we’ve yet to see the real answer to journalisms problems. Maybe I’m looking for too much.
Twitter Replies:
A_F @tacanderson Give away a free Kindle to subs - get rid of the “ball & chains” of physical delivery
kevnd @tacanderson you have hit the fundamental problem. First step for journalists - stop taking it personally - get on with a new model.
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Work Flow | Tac | February 25, 2009 | 
Comments 
Diigo, Jing, Social bookmarking, Social media, Twitter, Video
