Sorting through Twitter comments: overwhelmed

Posted by: Stephen Baker on May 09

Did you know that sometimes it’s easier to write an article when you’ve done minimal reporting? It’s true. You have the reporting equivalent of a tarp and two poles, you know exactly what to build. Get a lot of reporting, and things get much more confusion.

That’s what’s happening to me. I’m getting ready to write this story on Twitter (that scores of people are contributing to). I’ve gone through hundreds of comments and picked out ones that provide either quotes, links to stories or concrete examples of why Twitter matters (and what it’s destined to become.) Just to give you an idea of how big and unwieldy that edited universe is, I’ll cut and paste those snippets in the space below (click to see it.)

One of my favorites came from MikeMookie, when asked if Twitter downtime was a problem:

Twitter is “young” & free. My cable goes out? Pissed. My cell drops call? Pissed. Twitter down? Sux, but not pissed

If you think I’ve missed your important tweet, please leave a comment. Thanks.

ggroovin: @stevebaker #bwstory BTW- Dell exec @ WOMMA conf sez >$500K in sales via Twitter special discounts: http://tinyurl.com/5krndg

• walkerfenton: @gregwind #bwstory "sponsored tweet" (st) - 20/30/40th interaction triggers a st based on velocity of messages
about 1 hour ago • Reply • View Tweet • Hide Conversation
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gregwind: @walkerfenton #bwstory OK, @mashable got there 1st, but ad/20 twts to the sender or followers? A tax on following or sending? Ad per/hou ...
about 2 hours ago • Reply • View Tweet
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walkerfenton: @gregwind #bwstory "sponsored tweet" (st) based on user profile, based on traffic - received or sent. (more)
12 minutes later • Reply • View Tweet
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walkerfenton: @gregwind #bwstory "sponsored tweet" (st) - 20/30/40th interaction triggers a st based on velocity of messages
less than a minute later • Reply • View Tweet
walkerfenton: #bwstory ReadWriteWeb "The Ultimate Twitter Revenue Model" http://snurl.com/282jb (expand )

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ShawnKing: @stevebaker #bwstory Not a chance. Too flakey, both technology wise and audience - too fickle.

ggroovin: @stevebaker #bwstory I would buy Twitter shares today, yes. Nothing but explosive growth so far. It's the most intimate of SocialMedia, IMO.

iHadron: @stevebaker #bwstory Currently, twitter has uptime issues and the twitter community is rather intimate. So tech and design is key to growth.

christianderson: @stevebaker #bwstory I have hundreds of friends on FB, but have done 10x the networking, connecting & communicating on twitter.

ggroovin: @stevebaker #bwstory BTW- Radian6 is an example of co. monitoring Twitter & other social media on behalf of companies. This trend will grow.

ggroovin: @stevebaker #bwstory Public timeline (ie Everyone tab) is intriguing as real-time WW msg board. Like eavesdropping at cocktail party.

plasmaegg: #bwstory so far I have I tend to treat twitter as another social circle, one that I could not possibley have established and maintained IRL
about 19 hours ago • Reply • View Tweet

TedC: #bwstory twitterlike service is an element in the nextgen web. Twitter's real power lies in services that will be built. This is step one.

sarahgilbert: twitter is a singles bar for platonic friends, biz contacts: everyone's talking at once, investmnt is little, potential payoff huge #bwstory

stevematthews: @stevebaker #bwstory Unless someone usurps twit by creating a short messaging backbone (& twit drops ball on reliab), the innov is shrt conv

brandonw: #bwstory Social media could play a huge role in business when we're all telecommuting from home because gas is $6/gallon.

pinnovation: #bwstory the integration of twitter into other services, e.g, FriendFeed renders the tool less important but the new conversation continues

jyarmis: @stevebaker #bwstory it's already a platform, a classic textbook definition and we're watching the birth of a platform and approach

metafluence: IMHO, @stevebaker just hit on the $10 million question for the #bwstory meme: http://tinyurl.com/6pl6yd (expand )

stevebaker: #bwstory Asked @fredwilson re Twitter: Scaling tech for growth is most important thing they can do, he says. Venture rumors? Smoke=fire.

tweismann: @stevebaker Twitter is one vector on the social graph, so not worth much, IMO. #bwstory

MikeReardon: #bwstory having national brand names redirect you to a local store is a must if Twitter is to scale the data portability deal is a step.

HRBlock: @stevebaker That's certainly not the case for businesses on Twitter. H&R Block is not lonely! ;-) #bwstory

HRBlock: @BobTroia #bwstory Not yet. But I have been quite surprised at the wide range of customers we've engaged w/ on Twitter. Not just tech geeks!
8 minutes ago • Reply • View Tweet • Show Conversation
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BobTroia: #bwstory @JetBlue @BaskinRobbins @hrblock @richardatdell @comcastcares Do you think Twitter really reflects your "typical" customers (yet)?
14 minutes ago • Reply • View Tweet

http://twitter.zappos.com/employees
289 Zappos employees on Twitter.

LionelatDell:
@stevebaker #bwstory Twitter's focus is strictly conversation and connecting folks. Other social sites dilute that focus.

ggroovin:
@stevebaker #bwstory BTW- Dell exec @ WOMMA conf sez >$500K in sales via Twitter special discounts:

stevebaker:
#bwstory Asked @fredwilson re Twitter: Scaling tech for growth is most important thing they can do, he says. Venture rumors? Smoke=fire.
sct:

@stevebaker #bwstory it's like being tapped into a collective stream of consciousness focused on the ppl who interest me most. including me!

CreativeSage:
#bwstory May have been mentioned already, but Twitter has been used to raise funds for causes, like http://frozenpeafund.com & others.

Winer on a decentralized Twitter
http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/05/05/boostrappingADecentralized.html

Infuser:
@stevebaker deluge from #bwstory perfect example of twitter value & drawback. Brilliance abounds but wisdom of crowds comes buried in noise.

jyarmis:
@stevebaker #bwstory the monetizable value of twitter is in the archive (mined by people will pay), not the content creation or distribution

Kforbriger:
@stevebaker twit gliches matter most to two types of people: newest users (turns them off) high-use types (the world is ending)

danschawbel:
@stevebaker #bwstory - conversations are happening..Twitter speeds them up...businesses need to know what's being said to prevent disasters
1210278601
22 hours ago | reply

Pistachio:

#bwstory interesting personal branding/career uses of twitter @zefrank @garyvee @marshallk @newmediajim @guykawasaki @penelopetrunk
1210278013
22 hours ago | reply

ShawnKing:
@stevebaker #bwstory BTW, that "I'm feeling deluged" is a *major* problem on Twitter. It doesn't scale well but neither do most of us. :)
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22 hours ago | reply

pprlisa:
#bwstory for some reason Twitter gets a tech pass on downtime noone too mad - maybe cause its not mission critical...yet
1210277584

22 hours ago | reply
Solacetech:
stevebaker: #bwstory right now twitter is a brand new business complex with a small parking lot..expansion/rescaling is a part of growth

jstorerj:
@stevebaker #bwstory twitter is a one-stop-shop for inspiration, support, ideas, humor, challenge, vitriol & friendship. Listen. It's here.

mikemookie:
@stevebaker #bwstory No. Twitter is "young" & free. My cable goes out? Pissed. My cell drops call? Pissed. Twitter down? Sux, but not pissed
metafluence:

@walkerfenton we track the Twitter accounts of our clients' competitors at Voce #bwstory
1210277306
22 hours ago | reply

ShawnKing:
@stevebaker #bwstory Remember, there are other "Twitter-like" apps (Pownce and that ilk). I don't know how/if that affects your story.
1210277247

davedonohue:
@stevebaker also if you are looking for C-level exec Twitter users, @SamLawrence is a great one. #bwstory
1210276728
22 hours ago | reply
taulpaul:
#bwstory Less is more...in twitter's case maybe much more than we can handle.
TDefren:
#bwstory We have identified and recruited several current employees based purely on their Twitter presence.
1210276622
22 hours ago | reply

adamclyde:
@Pistachio #bwstory yes! Huge for internal. For my co., which has almost 400,000 employees. flattening/collaborating is key.
1210276583
22 hours ago | reply

kolson29:
@stevebaker #bwstory i was recruited via twitter for some consulting work - great way to find people who would work well w/ you

gregwind:
@stevebaker #bwstory Twitter is a massive, sober 24/7 cocktail party. People talk about everything, incl. work, with a "why not?" attitude.

shashib:

@stevebaker #bwstory Two posts that you may find interesting http://tinyurl.com/2255w5 http://tinyurl.com/353s8s
1210276396
22 hours ago | reply

shashib:
@stevebaker #bwstory @cbensen is on twitter for ACDSee @evanhamilton for Flock @acarvin for NPR
1210276282
22 hours ago | reply

danyork:
#bwstory - Twitter is also a "virtual water cooler" or a home-office worker. I wrote more about this at: http://snurl.com/27xxh
1210276133
22 hours ago | reply

strussell:
@stevebaker #bwstory Twitter's like Apple, it spawned an even larger "accessories" market
1210276089
23 hours ago | reply

Infuser:
#bwstory Biz value? Twitter snapshots put you inside heads & thinking of clients, prospects, partners, customers, reporters, customers...
1210275631
23 hours ago | reply

adamclyde:
@stevebaker #bwstory challenge for companies: the blurred lines between internal and external conversations. what goes in and doesn't?
1210275414
23 hours ago | reply
stevebaker:
@patphelan #bwstory Is it true you got 500 beta requests in 30 Twitter mins? Would be good anecdote for story (ex @frankroche)
1210274503

ShawnKing:
@adamclyde #BWstory Contrary to pop opinion, not *every* company must to be on Twitter. Apple seems to be doing just fine not Twittering. :)
1210274274
http://perkettprsuasion.com/2008/04/03/corporate-twitter-entities-yay-or-nay/

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