I don’t need to look much further when researching the question, “Has Twitter impacted how often you blog?” I do have a good excuse for my lack of posts this month in that I have been interviewing over 25 of the most interesting and prolific Twitters in communications, media, business and public service in the UK. I am currently in the last stretch of interviews this week and hope to be able to write a few insightful blog posts once I am done. My dissertation deadline is September 12th and then I will be composing a series of articles related to my thesis (which I will post here). In the meantime, please follow me on Twitter (@amandita) or get in touch if you think we should be talking.
Interviews in Progress… 14 July 2008
Update: I am currently in a phase of interviews for my dissertation and have been advised not to blog until this is completed. I suppose I’m a bit too opinionated on the subject and my dissertation advisor believes it would be a good idea to hold off until I have my research done. Blogging will commence again in August.
Open-ing the Door to Another Micro-Blog Service 2 July 2008
A new ‘open source’ micro-blogging service called Identi.ca launched earlier today. It is too early to tell if this Montreal-based company has what it takes to rival the competition with its current lack of features, but it was clear from the initial reaction once it hit the ‘twittersphere’ that people are craving some stability. Identi.ca may have stability issues of own after gaining over 1000 within hours of the launch (I joke they should have an image of a beaver prepared should this occur, as an ode to their Canadian foundation) Many were suggesting they would use Identi.ca if only they could convince their ‘Twitterers’ to move. This is a similar problem for many of the other micro-blogging sites. For now, Twitter is still holding that trump card and most people are still placing their bets, hoping Twitter will win – not fail.
The Writing Finally Begins… 1 July 2008
When I started my masters back in September 2007, I knew that when it came time to research and write my dissertation I wanted to focus on an emerging online communication tool. I found myself feeling energized again after seeing new challenges and possibilities opening up in communication industries through the growth of social media sites like Facebook and MySpace. I have always had an affinity toward events, as this has been the thread that weaves its way through all facets of my eclectic career. So when I discovered Twitter back in January, I immediately felt that this new and instant way of communicating through bite-sized commentary with communities could be something significant. I have tried to embed myself into this community built through early adopters to find out what the fuss was all about – and whether or not it was something I wanted to devote 3-6 months of my life researching. There are a few things I learned early on about Twitter (or any micro-blogging tool); but the first thing anyone should know is that you won’t ‘get it’ until you start to follow people and participate. I feel very privileged to have tapped into a very interesting community of people who are finding creative ways to use this new technology in order to work, share, learn, laugh, and express what is on their mind at any given moment (so long as it is under 140 characters).
I will be blogging regularly through July and August 2008 (if Twitter stays alive) while I research. I encourage you to follow and participate in my journey as I interview some interesting people in the ‘twittersphere’ of media, communications, business and public service, in order to gain a deeper understanding of how this seemingly simple tool could have a greater impact on our ‘public sphere’.
@amandita
