Oh, Twitter!

The place to turn for all things Twitter.

How to Send SMS Requests for Help During GustavSeptember 1

Please send this to anyone in areas affected by Gustav who is NOT familiar with “social media.” PLEASE DON’T JUST BLOG ABOUT IT! Many people have already left their Internet connections. Try to SMS a summary of this information to them, or call them.

If you have (or want to make) any media contacts, please spread the word so they can pass it along to local residents, shelters, etc.

All messages received at the “gustavhelp” or “gustavsafe” Twitter accounts will be re-posted for public viewing at http://gustavtracker.appspot.com.

PLEASE follow this public page if you are in a position to help. Notices may also be posted manually through this site.

 

IF YOU NEED HELP:

SMS JOIN GUSTAVHELP to 40404 (you only need to do this once)

Send as many messages as you need to, but you must start each message with d gustavhelp

Include as much information as you can (how to find/reach you), but remember these messages are public. Do not hesitate to ask for any kind of help if you need it!

EXAMPLE: d gustavhelp Mary Smith on roof 1322 Magnolia St New Orleans help

EXAMPLE: d gustavhelp Joe Biffen 555-555-5555 need a place for my horse near 123 Anywhere St New Orleans

 

IF YOU ARE SAFE:

SMS JOIN GUSTAVSAF

Shame on You, TwitterJuly 31

Dear Twitter,

I was one of your earliest adopters and have been one of your top supporters for a long time now. When others complained during your (endless) downtime, I was there with tweets of encouragement, determined to withstand the hard times with you.

No more.

Twitter has given me a lot: a job, a wonderful boyfriend, and an amazing community, to name a few. I want to give back. But these days, I feel like I’m enabling a drug addict. (A Summize search for “abusive + Twitter” yields multiple pages likening you to an abusive partner.) You need someone to give it to you straight, so here it is.

We don’t need you.

We’re sticking around and eating out of your fridge while we wait for one of your competitors to iron out enough kinks to make for a stable jump. Relative to our relationship with you, the bar is pretty darn low.

Your attempts at “communicating” with your audience have been met with some praise. The people giving that praise are “nice” people. You don’t want to listen to them, because they’ll tell you what you want to hear so you’ll like them back. Me, I am not nice, and I’ll tell you that the more you open your mouths, the worse you make it for yourselves. I’ve been silent up until now, but the day I lost faith in your team was the day I watched your Scob

Lower Your Electric Bill and Make Your Co-Workers Disappear with Twitter!June 8

For everyone who complains that Twitter is a waste of time, here’s a video of Justin Wickett who uses it to control his house lights, saving on his electric bill and potentially scaring off would-be robbers.

Follow That Car!May 27

Chris Brogan shares a humorous Twitter discovery.

How Twitter Will Make MoneyMay 26

Chris Hudson considers some revenue-generating models for Twitter.

My response:

I think there’s a lot of potential for a freemium model, actually. For one, a paid account could have access to keyword tracking, while free accounts would not. (Or maybe would be limited to tracking just a couple terms.) Tracking is a huge bonus for me, as it’s great for everything from finding neighbors to clients to blog readers to people with common interests.

I would happily pay a monthly fee to use Twitter, and many other people have expressed a similar willingness. Overall adoption would decrease, of course, but on the flipside, they’d actually be generating revenue sans advertising.

Speaking of advertising, there’s always the good ol’ “ad-free paid version.”

If Twitter was your company, how would you turn a profit? Share in the comments!