Diary of a Twitter Kid - 1

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I decided to return to Twitter after a 2-3 year absence.  Why?  The main reason was that I wanted to get up to speed on all the developments not only in Twitter but all of Social Media. Furthermore I wanted to be in a position of sufficient authority on the subject that I could deliver a set of workshops on how to enter and make use of the Social Media world.  And I had a deadline of one month to gather, analyze and plan the introductory workshop.

There is one other aspect of this self imposed task.  I am a job seeker, and my area of expertise is IT and Enterprise Architecture.  After I completed my last job I realized immediately  that I could not claim to be current with the trends and technologies of today if I didn't understand and "use" Social Media tools myself.

I also had an opportunity to externalize my quest as I belong to several networking groups, job seekers in particular, and it was very evident from the first few meetings that I had a head start on many of my peers inasmuch as I was already fully proficient on Linkedin, had used wikis and other collaboration tools extensively and had dabbled with Twitter in its early days when it was evolving beyond a web-based SMS platform.  I raised my hand to each of the groups, made my offer to deliver an introductory workshop, and was pleased when the offer was  readily accepted.

That moment was about 6 weeks ago and the first workshop has been successfully delivered.  However I thought it would be useful to note my observations of my quest in this blog, which focuses on the individual rather than the corporate perspective on Social Media (in other words a tree in a forest).  For the first couple of articles I will be looking back on the path I trod, and share some of the pain and satisfaction of the early days. However my quest is not nearly ended, as I am still only a tenderfoot and I have now committed to a set of intermediate level Social Media Workshops. So I intend to keep blogging and, maybe before I retire, reach a level of proficiency to be considered a Master.

Let me start with some  10 early observations as I restarted my tweeting career.

The Good

1. At first sight Twitter looks very much the same as it did in 2008/9, but after close inspection there are many large improvements. Yet it is still very simple to use and that is a major strength.
2. They have made it much much easier to get started and find people and themes to follow.
3. The tabs for activities and mentions has recently been updated.  Even the previous version was useful but the improvements are very welcome.
4. There are more tips and links to tips than before.  Sooner or later a tweet--tip will show up in the timeline.  There is no reason for any newcomer to be stymied about what to do and how to do it.
5. Finding active topics and good conversation is not only easier but habit forming.  The search engine is phenomenal and I find myself often using Twitter's advanced search instead of Google, especially for current events and the latest conversations on specific topics. 
6. I am impressed by the Twitter infrastructure of applications along with the energy and zeal of both purveyors and adherents.  There is so much choice and competition for smarter, faster and better add-ons.
7. Social Media tools in general are much better connected, which is to be expected of simple web applications.  That integration allows for easier management of contacts and followers over the different Social Media platforms (eg Facebook, Linkedin and Tumblr).

The not so Good

1. Repossessing previous Social Media accounts is a problem when they are tied to a previous employers mail system (and they have deleted your account).  As a result Twitter wont allow me to use my previous account, which caused me extra effort to regenerate my profile, lists and following.  Salman Rushdie had even more difficulty re-establishing his Facebook presence.
2. Value propositions are vague.  Social Media reached critical mass several years ago yet many individuals and enterprises are hesitant to commit resource and time to activities with indeterminable results.  Facebook does have commercial appeal to Consumer Packaged Goods enterprises and Linkedin is now essential for any professional whether employed or not.  Twitter on the other hand is useful but lacks a branded purpose, although it is very effective at promoting or damaging other brands.
3. Competition is fierce and the marketplace is getting crowded.  That is good for innovation and constant improvement, but it can also foster disconnects and segmentation in a world that seeks to maximize collaboration and exchange of ideas.  Linkedin is adding Twitter-like features, Facebook is trying to become a one-stop shop and Google is flexing its muscles to compete with all comers.  When there are disconnects and segmentation there are potential legacies for both corporate and individual subscribers.  And unfortunately legacy is just another word for overhead and debatable cost.

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