41 Enclosed Tweets, covering:

• Social Web, Branding, Enterprise 2.0, #E20, Project Management, #PM, #sCRM, #SaaS, Cloud Computing, Twitter, Sidewiki
• Click “Read the rest of this entry” below to view the complete @RLavigne42 Tweet Round-Up entry.

@RLavigne42 Tweetpicks

• what is changing that puts Enterprise 2.0 as one of our “Near Future of the Web“… http://bit.ly/6cYuaX (via @TAGe2)
  13:47 PM Dec 6^th
• RT @nancerosen Ten Commandments of Personal Branding – #3: Like a Bee, Be the Buzz http://bit.ly/4VgTZr (via @RyanRancatore)
  13:49 PM Dec 6^th
• RT @socialmedia2day Social Media Today | The Social Media Achilles Heel, Content Generation http://bit.ly/7sl2a0 <good read. (via @gyehuda)
  13:50 PM Dec 6^th
• “Why not go beyond general #e20 collab suites & create 1 devoted 2 specific biz funct” RollStream http://bit.ly/7Fd0ns @billives (via @bhc3)
  13:53 PM Dec 6^th
• #E20 Pitfalls of un-Enterprising Social Media usage http://url4.eu/se5c (via @enterprisetwo)
  13:55 PM Dec 6^th
• Difference Between Project Leadership and Project Management @ProjectShrink http://bit.ly/5S57TO /via @meolesen #pm #e20 (via @roundtrip)
  13:56 PM Dec 6^th
• Here are some ways my company measures success. What are yours? – http://bit.ly/5RwcwR (via @chrisbrogan)
  14:45 PM Dec 6^th
• Social Networks at Work an ‘Untapped’ Value http://bit.ly/4FKhMM (via @socialpinhead)
  14:45 PM Dec 6^th
• Quick video about drawing a business process http://bit.ly/76PxWx (via @chrisbrogan) (via @tweetamar)
  15:11 PM Dec 6^th
• CIO: The Five Layers within Cloud Computing http://bit.ly/7UK6lB (via @stevedriz)
  15:11 PM Dec 6^th
• 15 Business Reasons to Use Twitter http://su.pr/1hJvtI? (List compiled from @shelisrael ’s new book Twitterville) (via @jkrums)(via @glfceo)
  15:16 PM Dec 6^th
• Interesting Enterprise 2.0 Readings – Week 49 2009 http://bit.ly/7JgxxA #e20 #km #collaboration #socialmedia (via @oscarberg)
  15:58 PM Dec 6^th
• A motherload of links for measuring digital/social initiatives http://twurl.nl/dzeefn #in (via @Armano)
  16:56 PM Dec 6^th
• Please Comment (or Sidewiki) to Nominate your Tweetpicks

If you find any broken Tweets or Links, please report them in the comment section.

If you like what you see, may I recommend you start following me on Twitter to enjoy the benefits of real-time content as it materializes.

If you choose to follow @rlavigne42, please leave me a comment. I will make sure to check out your Tweets in return.

If you see a Tweet you appreciate, please Pay it Forward by ReTweeting it.

If you find an blogger you like, please Join Me in following Them.

My Thoughts Enclosed…Rb

@RLavigne42 Tweetpicks

1. Full Tweets listed in main section.

If you find any broken Tweets or Links, please report them in the comment section.

If you like what you see, may I recommend you start following me on Twitter to enjoy the benefits of real-time content as it materializes.

If you choose to follow @rlavigne42, please leave me a comment. I will make sure to check out your Tweets in return.

If you see a Tweet you appreciate, please Pay it Forward by ReTweeting it.

If you find an blogger you like, please Join Me in following Them.

My Thoughts Enclosed…Rb

@RLavigne42 Tweetpicks

1. Full Tweets listed in main section.

If you find any broken Tweets or Links, please report them in the comment section.

If you like what you see, may I recommend you start following me on Twitter to enjoy the benefits of real-time content as it materializes.

If you choose to follow @rlavigne42, please leave me a comment. I will make sure to check out your Tweets in return.

If you see a Tweet you appreciate, please Pay it Forward by ReTweeting it.

If you find an blogger you like, please Join Me in following Them.

My Thoughts Enclosed…Rb

1. A new set of rules for social games http://bit.ly/32VNhZ (via @tommytrc)
   21:16 PM Nov 15^th from Twitterrific
2. Atlantis Space Shuttle Launch will be Twittered Live = http://bit.ly/SpaceTwitter by @Mashable (via @Jason_Pollock)
   21:20 PM Nov 15^th from Twitterrific
3. “Assassin’s Creed 2″ hits stores on Tuesday
   (AFP) http://bit.ly/1AoATA (via @stevedriz)
   21:22 PM Nov 15^th from Twitterrific
4. “10 Easy Steps for Twitter beginners” by @ProBlogger = http://bit.ly/LpBoh rt @Alyssa_Milano (via @Jason_Pollock)
   21:23 PM Nov 15^th from Twitterrific
5. Egypt to apply for first Arabic domain name (AP via Yahoo! News) #Yahoo#news…
   http://tinyurl.com/yj8lfnl (via @SEO_Kat)
   21:24 PM Nov 15^th from Twitterrific
6. RT @Alyssa_Milano The 50 best inventions of 2009 [Time Magazine] http://bit.ly/17pflP (via @nadeemd)
   21:26 PM Nov 15^th from Twitterrific
7. RT @dave_carpenter: Newbie Tip#11 Understand different levels followers described http://bit.ly/2miL5g (via @cflanagan)
   21:29 PM Nov 15^th from Twitterrific
8. Just saw a video on Animoto called “The 2.0 Adoption Council Rocks!“: http://animoto.com/play/jtf6I0kOUgbCPmosebw1HA (via @gialyons)
   22:26 PM Nov 15^th from Twitterrific
9. 5 Simple LinkedIn Actions that Make a Difference http://viigo.im/1uHR (via @pgiblett)
   22:30 PM Nov 15^th from Twitterrific
10. Rock Band played with a flute, awesome redefined (video) http://bit.ly/46mZpm (via @tommytrc)
    22:31 PM Nov 15^th from Twitterrific
11. Mark Cuban Has An iPhone App http://bit.ly/1GJaKh (via @stevedriz)
    0:28 AM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
12. What is Social CRM and why it is important: http://bit.ly/2W9RR0 (via @Bob_Thompson)
    0:29 AM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
13. QUESTION: would you participate in a global peace movement driven by the social web? rt @sarah_ross #peace (via @Jason_Pollock)
    0:31 AM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
14. @pgiblett You’re welcome
    0:31 AM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
15. IBM Furthers Investment In Business Analytics With Smart Analytics Cloud http://bit.ly/ZBjPO by @leenarao (via @TechCrunch)
    0:32 AM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
16. @dahowlett catches a key point about adoption and the range of skill sets in the audience http://bit.ly/31vmgH #ERP (via @rwang0)
    0:33 AM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
17. like @dahowlett Epicor has a shot at wowing the industry when they roll out Epicor Express #saas #erp #epicor (via @rwang0)
    0:33 AM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
18. YouTube starts high-def 1080p support http://bit.ly/2u0KBj
    (via @nzherald) (via @NeilSanderson)
    0:34 AM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
19. Guy Kawasakia s top Twitter tips for businesses: Club SumA mit in San Fran… http://bit.ly/AU12C (via @socialmediamind)
    0:36 AM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
20. How to use Twitter lists to build your brand http://om.ly/cAKo (via @GuyKawasaki)
    0:36 AM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
21. RT @Twitter_Tips 7 Ways To Avoid Twitter DM Spam Scam: http://j.mp/3RzlBM –Share: http://bit.ly/4fhRkv (via @denispaulvc)
    13:29 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
22. “Twilf” Enters the Twitter Vernacular [VIDEO] http://bit.ly/2S9bpP (via @TheCommonHoster)
    13:30 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
23. Comment Facebook tente d’attaquer Twitter ? http://j.mp/22oUBA (via @jeanlucr)
    13:30 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
24. 100 Twitter Marketing Tips to Promote your Business. Great article http://j.mp/NRJTo (via @jeanlucr)
    13:30 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
25. YouTube is the second most searched place on the internet after Google http://ow.ly/Ckms (via @LinkedInQueen)
    13:30 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
26. Wow. Seth Godin really has something cool here in this finance model: http://bit.ly/2HRzZY (via @chrisbrogan)
    13:31 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
27. “Unfriend” is Oxford Dictionary’s Word of the Year – http://bit.ly/1KcgYZ (via @adamostrow)
    13:31 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
28. ppl should stop telling others on Twitter what to tweet or not to tweet about-if u don’t like somebody’s tweets stop following (via @glfceo)
    13:32 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
29. CIO: Introducing New York’s Premier “Business Class” Executive Conference Center http://bit.ly/1JYbUG (via @stevedriz)
    13:32 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
30. My Blog / Personal Branding Interview: Jerry Springer http://bit.ly/37Ups1 (via @danschawbel)
    13:33 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
31. Google Wave Goes Twitter Route with Follow Feature – eWeek http://trcb.us/GQ8 (via @businesswaves)
    13:33 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
32. #E20 “The purpose of an organization is to enable ordinary humans beings to do extraordinary things.” http://bit.ly/4dpxLN (via @mikojava)
    13:33 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
33. #E20 Published 12 Questions the Business Executive should ask when Implementing Social Media Solutions. http://is.gd/4Wqlj (via @pgiblett)
    13:34 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
34. See also Federation: “what you have to give up in order to be a part of something greater” (via @darylplummer) (via @mikojava)
    13:34 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
35. Google vs. Murdoch: Once again, the plot thickens. http://bit.ly/kvl8Y [Like Mr. Murdoch's skull.] (via @chrispirillo)
    13:34 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
36. Short URLs with analytics, social media monitoring, and geotargeting – Cligs http://bit.ly/TW1lk URL (via @delicious50)
    13:34 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
37. 80% of US Consumers Won’t Pay For Online Content http://bit.ly/16wMuq (via @rww)
    13:36 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
38. 3 Social Media Lessons From the Restaurant World - http://bit.ly/2Hc0Ij (via @mashable)
    13:36 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
39. Google poised to become your phone company: http://bit.ly/3y2SbB (via @w2scott)
    13:37 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
40. RT @mjayliebs: Is the Social Individual or the Social Customer more important - #customer #networks http://ow.ly/COce (via @ekolsky)
    13:37 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
41. How To Integrate Your Blog in Your Twitter Account.: http://digg.com/d31ABsm?t (via @drnatalie)
    13:37 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
42. Watch Atlantis (STS-129) Liftoff Live http://cli.gs/86Mee Launch Target 2:28 p.m. EST (via @PrateekThapar)
    13:38 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
43. #KM: helping people find the knowledge they need to do their jobs, that they can’t find on Google! RT @ithorpe (via @scotteverett)
    13:38 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
44. Social Media ROI: Socialnomics (via @jowyang) http://post.ly/CkBl (via @nikhilnulkar)
    13:39 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
45. Championship Talent On Display: Jimmie Johnson put himself in line to win his fourth straight Sprint Cups. http://bit.ly/v2dHw (via @SPEED)
    13:39 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
46. Nice. @rww had a good bit recently on how we’re trying to bring maturity to Enterprise 2.0: http://bit.ly/1Fqr4x (via @dhinchcliffe)
    13:40 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
47. RT @HKotadia: RT @customerthink: What is Social CRM and why it is important: http://bit.ly/2BULey #sCRM #PR #CMO #e20 #CRM (via @drnatalie)
    13:40 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
48. We have all become our own channel of what we choose to T&RT> @rlavigne42 Totally second that! Power to freedom of tweets (via @lammiia)
    13:41 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
49. Resistance to change: The real Enterprise 2.0 barrier http://bit.ly/iz6xJ (via @mkrigsman)
    13:42 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
50. New blog post: Two Key Factors To Your Social Media Success http://bit.ly/Xzh4F (via @OwenGreaves)
    13:42 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
51. RT @JohnFMoore: Good info on using Skype for your business: http://bit.ly/3mA4Bf #voip #cio (via @pgiblett)
    13:42 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
52. 2/3 of execs say online networks deepens relationships with coll and clients @stephaniemehta http://tinyurl.com/yhdjqjd (via @danschawbel)
    13:42 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
53. Thank you @draftkraft for listing me http://twitter.com/draftkraft/prophets
    14:44 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
54. How to Plan a Content Heavy Site http://klck.me/ABy #webdesign (via @KISSmetrics)
    14:45 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
55. RT @mikehenrysr: Great 6 minute video summary about #TribalLeadership http://bit.ly/g5WIS by @davelogan1 (via @RobJelinek)
    14:46 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
56. The War For the Web - O’Reilly Radar http://bit.ly/3HjnBj #twine (via @swiertz)
    14:46 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
57. You social CRM folks are not immune to change resistance either http://bit.ly/iz6xJ #scrm (via @mkrigsman)
    14:47 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
58. The History of the Internet in a Nutshell: http://tinyurl.com/ybuhadq (via @DesignerDepot)
    14:47 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
59. Twitter in the workplace, It’s power to the connectors http://bit.ly/4umVLY (via @harvardbiz) RT @evangineer (via @scotteverett)
    14:48 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
60. Mashable’s Guide to Social Media Events & Conferences - http://bit.ly/2gTLj0 (via @mashable)
    14:48 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
61. How Blogging Has Changed Over The Last Three Years (Stats) http://bit.ly/2eP6Lu (via @marshallk)
    14:48 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
62. Friendship does not break when your are out of sight for a long time. relationship does. (via @swiertz)
    14:49 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
63. Why Can’t I Pick the Technology I Use in the Office? http://bit.ly/4bb3ha (via @slmader)
    14:49 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
64. Community feedback on #e2conf speaking proposals is happening. Very cool to see: http://ow.ly/CPij #walkingthetalk #e20 (via @bhc3)
    14:49 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
65. Assassin’s Creed Lineage Full 30 Minute Short Film http://tinyurl.com/yg7d69o (via @g4tv)
    14:49 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
66. BULLSEYE: Target and YouTube Partner on Holiday Video Channel - http://bit.ly/3RRp4z (via @mashable)
    14:52 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
67. New Post: Social Media, Power & Metcalfe’s Law http://bit.ly/1okEqZ (via @shelisrael) http://bit.ly/2WSZxD (via @glfceo)
    16:45 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
68. How to overcome Gen Y stereotypes in the workplace http://om.ly/cBkx (via @GuyKawasaki)
    16:45 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
69. 85% of CMOs spend less than 10% of their budgets on social media http://bit.ly/fhe9Y <-fire CMOs??! (via @glfceo)
    16:45 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
70. Look Ma, I’m on video! Interview with Esteban Kolsky on Social CRM Analytics | Dr Natalies’s blog http://bit.ly/3ARSM (via @ekolsky)
    16:47 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
71. RT @Brandyourself Personal Branding on Facebook: The Do’s and Dont’s #PersonalBranding http://bit.ly/1bseCr (via @Rynge)
    16:47 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
72. Counter-intuitive listening principles. http://bit.ly/3XYh3y (via @ShalynHockey)
    16:49 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
73. #Hmm >Creating an RSS feed in Ruby on Rails http://bit.ly/ZeAvw (via @delicious50)
    16:49 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
74. #Hmm >Time Magazine is apparently torn between naming #Twitter or the Economy as its “Person” of the Year http://ow.ly/CRbB (via @bhc3)
    16:50 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
75. #e20 >Trash or Treasure? The New York Times Tries Crowdfunding - http://bit.ly/48ENDl (via @mashable)
    16:50 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
76. Agreed. I have learned quite a bit about #sCRM from both @drnatalie and @ekolsky http://bit.ly/3ARSM. @nenshad you are no slouch either.
    16:52 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
77. #sCRM Good customer service is more than good business, it’s a matter of survival… http://bit.ly/1sKKnf (via @thinkBIG_blog)
    16:53 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
78. A Conversation with Andrew McAfee http://bit.ly/1u4r2h (via @swiertz) #E20
    16:53 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
79. @mrboilermaker Resolved conflicts lead to Collaboration. Unresolved conflicts lead to more Conflicts. No Community without Collaboration
    16:55 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
80. United we stand. Divided we fall. Does anyone still feel that way? It certainly doesn’t feel that way anymore. It’s sad (via @mrboilermaker)
    16:55 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
81. Leonardo da Vinci positioned his younger rival Michelangelo as a mere sculptor, not a painter like himself. (via @CatherineKaputa) #PB
    16:56 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
82. Jealous> Just drove a Tesla Roadster Sport around the block. In a word: WOW! (via @hblodget)
    16:57 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
83. #Hmm Wonderful to see @foursquare opening up its API. Amazing who here is using it. @TechCrunch has the details. (via @Scobleizer)
    16:58 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
84. F1: Mercedes And McLaren Now Racing Rivals?: Mercedes’ step away from McLaren was a friendly transaction http://bit.ly/3GC4Cj (via @SPEED)
    16:59 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
85. #Hmm Google wants to make the Internet more SP(ee)DY. http://bit.ly/1jhgr5 [Or more SP(ud)DY. "What's 'taters?"] (via @chrispirillo)
    16:59 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
86. Interesting fact from our study: nearly 60% of our Council survey respondents say full deployment will be >10K seats. (via @ITSinsider) #E20
    17:00 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
87. #Psst 48% of Americans surveyed said they’d pay for online news http://om.ly/cBsN (via @GuyKawasaki)
    17:03 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
88. #Hmm How to Bullyproof Yourself on Facebook http://bit.ly/1YfA2F (via @TwtMarketerPro)
    17:03 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
89. Kindle edition of my #E20 book is now available – http://bit.ly/1Z02rh (via @amcafee) < Still would love to get a remote signed copy of HB
    17:04 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
90. Interview on #E20 with @jevon has just been posted – he asks great questions – http://bit.ly/1XGwfO (via @amcafee)
    17:04 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
91. #Psst Best US TV commercials of the decade – watch/vote (Adweek Media) http://bit.ly/2tmCe0 (via @jackschofield)
    17:05 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
92. Apple tablet speculation: high-end graphics, several models http://bit.ly/IYgrk (via @GregoryCollins)
    17:19 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
93. Twitter scraps controversial ’suggested user’ list http://bit.ly/5sF6p (via @nzherald) (via @NeilSanderson)
    17:19 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
94. Agile Architecture Deck & Code http://ow.ly/CKE6 #agile (via @Agilebuddy)
    17:19 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
95. A new look for #Google Translate http://bit.ly/3QnV51 (via @stevedriz)
    17:19 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
96. Fundamentals of Enterprise Search: #KM World Session Notes http://tinyurl.com/ye77z7m (via @hebsgaard) #E20
    17:20 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie
97. 10 Great Implementations of Facebook Connect http://bit.ly/3ZcCI #FB (via @delicious50)
    17:21 PM Nov 16^th from Tweetie

Happy “Twitterversary!” Yesterday, December 19, marked the end of my first month using Twitter (my username is @doctorious). I am no longer a newbie!

For those of you unfamiliar with Twitter, it is a micro-blogging website that provides you with a simple (and free) means of answering the question “what are you doing?” — to a potentially unlimited network of friends and followers. You can make updates with your computer, mobile phone and via several other related methods.

Here is a very straightforward (and creative) video explaining what Twitter is and how it works:

I can’t recall exactly why I decided to sign up, but I was definitely influenced by discussions I had with my students about the ways by which Barack Obama leveraged the Internet in his successful presidential campaign. Notably, Obama used Twitter to publicize campaign events and to announce Joe Biden as his running mate. 

Aside from my minimal knowledge about Obama’s use of Twitter, I really did not have much awareness about it until I signed up. Now, in one short month, I am a Twitaholic. The first step is admitting I have a problem, right?!

Although I haven’t used Twitter to announce anything as globally important as my Vice President, the service has quickly catapaulted to the top of my list of communication tools. By the time of my “twitterversary,” I accumulated roughly 250 “followers” and was “following” approximately the same number.  During my first month I posted roughly 900 “tweets” (updates) as well.

I have connected with an array of “tweeple” with an impressive degree of insight and intelligence. You might be surprised who you find on Twitter and the inordinate amount of information that is freely shared on the site. I recall how pivotal the service was during the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India. Foregoing official reports, many people closely followed the unscripted updates from people who were in the midst of that shocking event.

With regard to the chances of your making a viable connection, to paraphrase  Rodney Rumford, social media services like Twitter have cut the “six degrees” concept in half to “three degrees.” I can attest to this as, for some reason, I am only separated from actor Kevin Bacon by “three degrees” on my LinkedIn profile and not the six for which the game “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” is best known!

In particular I have really enjoyed getting to know the following individuals and encourage you to learn more about them — you might already know or have heard about some of these interesting people:

@adonyawong
@ariherzog
@autismfamily
@bakomom
@barb_g
@bertdecker
@beverlymacy
@caseywright
@chrisabraham
@chrisbrogan
@danicar
@donttrythis (Adam Savage of Mythbusters — see a transcript of a brief exchange I shared with Adam)
@drgilpin
@frankkenny
@gentlesavage
@guykawasaki (Guy Kawasaki of Garage Technology Ventures — see a transcript of a brief exchange I shared with Guy)
@heidizuehlke
@jasonhuber
@jimconnolly
@jpapakalos
@kimdeanart
@mchammer (MC Hammer — see a transcript of a brief exchange I shared with MC Hammer)
@mollermarketing
@nlbelardes
@nwjerseyliz
@perrybelcher
@prprof_mv
@rumford
@scottmonty
@shawnwelch
@shelisrael
@totspot

So, stop on by Twitter and give it a try — you just might find yourself addicted like me!

My friend Shel Israel is working on his book Twitterville and recently posted his notes about his conversations with the team at Dell that uses Twitter.

The last 3 paragraphs of his notes are just jam packed with some killer truth.  I wanted to especially share those with you.

It is our strategy not to speak with one voice. A blogger who influenced me once wrote that he just can’t have an intelligent conversation with a Coke Bottle. People do not wish to speak with brands. They wish to speak with people. And at any big company, different people have different passions and knowledge sets.

Twitterville is wonderful for getting the message in from these 100 people Tweeting than our getting messages out through the 21 Twitter accounts. Twitterville is great because people tell you when you screwed up as quickly and as often as they tell you when one of your representatives was wonderful.

During tough economic times, it is even more valuable. You don’t need expensive focus groups anymore.Twitter is part of a social media strategy that allows us to bring customers into our company and walk down the hallways with them talking about things we share in common and very often those are Dell things.”

I can’t believe I forgot to mention a recent interview with me published by Shel Israel on his Global Neighborhoods blog.  Check it out here and please, leave a comment if you are so inclined.  I think it represents a nice update on the current IBM internal social computing state of affairs.

Shel Israel

When Paul and David were reporters working for major tech publications, they used to occasionally get pitches from a PR guy named Shel Israel. Israel’s been around the business a long time and knows the ins and outs of pitching reporters. He also understood very early that the rules were changing and that power and influence were moving into the hands of individuals.

In early 2006, Israel teamed up with superblogger Robert Scoble to publish Naked Conversations, the first book to dramatize the increasingly powerful effects that bloggers were having on markets. The book’s success catapulted Israel into the category of industry thought leader. Suddenly, people like David and Paul were calling up asking to interview him!

Which is precisely what they did for this episode. In an interview set up via the great democratizing agent called Twitter, our hosts spent a half hour with Shel Israel talking about the continuing evolution of markets into conversations. In a session that really is more conversation than interview, Israel spoke about the impact that Naked Conversations has had on his career, but more importantly about the changes that social media are engendering in the public relations field. It’s not a matter of if PR pros should engage with online influencers, he said, it’s a matter of how quickly they can rush to learn the new rules.

Shel Israel is brash, funny and very opinionated. This half-hour clip should give you an indication of why he’s become such a prominent voice in new media.

Download the podcast (30:58)

I drove to Half Moon Bay by myself to my first twitter meetup on July 22, 2008. I heard about it from Laura Fitten (@pistachio, http://pistachioconsulting.com/).  Laura and I are connected through Twitter.com.

The drive was longer than I expected.  I initially thought Half Moon Bay was near Stinson Beach.  It’s not.  The drive ended up being almost two hours, including San Francisco Bay Bridge traffic that I had to pass through.  The closer I got to Half Moon Bay, the more beautiful it was.

I was reminded of the only other time I had been there.  In high school my science class had gone to Half Moon Bay for a fieldtrip to see the tide pools.  That memory and the view around me made me eager to plan a trip their again soon, with my kids.

I finally arrived at the Half Moon Bay Ritz-Carlton!  It was a stunningly beautiful hotel nestled next to the bay.  The view was incredible!  We were supposed to be meeting by the fire pit on the ocean side of the Ritz.  What I didn’t realize was that the Brainstorm: TECH Conference that I had heard talk about was also going on there at the same time!  In the same location!  It was so crowded with people it was difficult to get to the fire pit area,  which by-the-way contained no fire.

I first spotted Lucretia (@geekmommy)!  Laura Fitten (@pistachio) was also there!  Lucretia and Laura are both twitterfriends of mine and we recently met face to face for the first time last week at the San Francisco BlogHer ‘08 People’s Party.  I stayed with Lucretia, most of the time, and got to meet her family, her husband and adorable daughter!  I met Shel Israel (@shelisrael) , also Ryan who has a startup and no business card!  Robert Scoble was there, and I had orignally hoped to meet him, but in the end I was standing next to him and didn’t make the effort.  He seems very friendly, maybe next time.  He actually looked much younger in person than I had expected from the pic on his blog.  There was a barbie doll version of him floating around that was hilarious!

Funny story.  While I was standing next to Robert Scoble I was trying to set the date on my camera and had it pointed down and ended up taking a pic of his shoes!  Made myself laugh!

The BrainstormTech people were beginning their dinner outside near our meeting spot and everyone started leaving the tweetup to find dinner elsewhere.  Men that looked very much like secret service men, with the dark suits and earpieces, told us we had to leave.  Right before that a woman had told me that I wasn’t supposed to be taking pictures.  Oops, too late!  (If I suddenly disappear, you’ll know why).

I had talked with Cathryn Hrudicka (@creativesage) on twitter and had hoped to meet her some time soon, but I didn’t realize that she was going to be at this meetup, so when she came up to me I didn’t place her at first, but luckily she did me.  I was very pleased to meet her!  She had ridden with another couple who initially wanted to leave early, so I offered to give her a ride home.

I was a little nervous about driving out of Half Moon Bay at night because there had been quite a few turns and I didn’t have clear directions home.  I initially wanted to leave before dark, but Brian Solis’s cheeseburger description changed my mind.  Luckily Cathryn knew her way around Half Moon Bay a bit more than I did so between the both of us we found the restaurant and the rest of the group.

The restaurant was part of a hotel, simple but nice.  We had a table of twelve that included Laura Fitten, Shel Israel, Stowe Boyd, Brian Solis, Cathryn and myself.  Cathryn and I ended up sitting across from Brian and Stowe.  They seem to know each other quite well and were enjoying the night and a bottle of wine.  After we all got aquainted they wanted to get another bottle of wine and share it with Cathryn and I.  I was driving, but was really good and only had a small glass.  I had my friends on twitter DM (Direct Message) me to remind me not to drink too much wine!  (Thank you Mark and Tina!)  Brian and Stowe were a lot of fun and Cathryn and I really enjoyed the dinner.

Even though we got turned around a bit at first, the drive home was very enjoyable thanks to Cathryn’s company.  It was such a pleasure to get to know her.

Even though I had a long drive by myself, I am so glad I made the effort.  I got to see some special friends again, and make some wonderful new friends.

Alcat, a very good friend of mine, has had his YouTube account for more than 2 years now. He was born in SF and was a wannabe video blogger after being inspired by the likes of Bre Pettis and Steve Garfield at Gnomedex 2005.

He never quite got his act together, however, and languished behind the scenes, licking his paws.

Until he found Seesmic. It was easy to post quick, often rude and argumentative videos there and he liked it. He liked to mime. People seemed to like him. He performed for them. He answered their questions. He joined in their conversations whilst feeling slightly “luckier” than the other cats there because he, unlike the rest, had the power of speech. And he wore wigs well.

He went to SXSW and there he found he could at the same time delight and frighten people. Was he real? Why was he talking? He collected stickers. He ignored those who stared as they passed him talking into the laptop in anticipation of sessions. He marvelled at the people and their geekery. He liked what he saw.

Now, it seems, he is not alone. And he is pleased. When once people scoffed at his video ambitions, taunting him with cries of “but you are a puppet”!, now people are paying for other such felt fellows in video form.

Even Flickr is doing it to launch their video service because they have realised that humans are essentially boring.

Alcat welcomes this. The internets is a big place. There is enough space for all the puppets in the world.* He has even encountered the Feldman man on Seesmic and he looks forward to more encounters of the felt kind.

Except he is furry. Superior to felt.

*Never must he be called “puppet” to his face.

I came across this post via Jeremiah Owyang’s (@jowyang) tweet, written by Shel Israel (@shelisrael), the man that co-authored “Naked Conversations” with Robert Scoble (@scobleizer).

It seems that lots of people have got behind Laura Fitton’s (@Pistachio) article describing Twitter as a personal village, and rightly so. The metaphor is apt, even if Twitter is a lot more dynamic and ephemeral than a real village.

Shel’s post comes after an email suggestion from Connie Reece (@conniereece) and proposes the idea of electing a “Twitter Village Mayor” and other members of a Council. They admit that:

it is not for Connie and I to decide. Neither of us like that top-down approach. It is for all the residents to decide.

Well, that’s all well and good. But wait a minute. A mayor to govern over his Twitterfolk? Thank goodness that Scoble, despite being on the nominations list, has the sense to see this for what it is: inappropriate and impossible.

The question of how we can “manage” the people using Twitter doesn’t come up if you accept the basic tenet that Twitter is the communications channel over which we have relinquished the most control. There is no guarantee that someone is who they say they are, there is no structure to a conversation (save Twitter’s flakey “@” command), I can’t set up access controls or groups – in short, I am broadcasting to the world without any control over my audience.

[Caveat: Sure I could make my tweets private, but that spoils the whole thing]

Ricardo Semler is the president of Semco, Brazil’s fastest growing company. He is also the subject of hundreds of newspaper and journal articles about his controversial management style. Semler’s principles lie in giving employees the freedom and respect to act as adults, not be treated like children who need minding and managing. Semler has written two books and given numerous talks and workshops around the world. I’ve been reading “The Seven Day Weekend” recently, so it’s on my mind.

It’s a rich vein to go into now, but I recommend you check out some of the transcripts of his talks online, such as “Leading by Omission”, recorded at Harvard, or “Managing Without Managers”. The point I wish to make is that Semler has spent two decades breaking down the established practice of military management. He’s replacing it with democracy and decentralization.

Twitter represents the furthest we’ve gone towards a democratic communications channel. To try and install overseers, even to suggest it in the spirit of fun, should be beaten down before somebody influential thinks it’s a good idea.

I remember when I got into the World Wide Web for the first time.  I was just a boy in mid-Michigan sitting in front of a computer with my dad.  The world seemed very large and incredibly inaccessible.  That was all about to change.

With the Web, information and people become infinitely more accessible. You get to meet people on the other side of the state, the other side of the country, or even the other side of the world who have common interests to you.    Before my friends would have been restricted by who I lived geographically near.  With the Web, this all changed very dramatically.

A few years ago, Shel Israel to me was just a guy who I admired, co-authored a book about blogging, and lived on the other side of the country. Because of the Web and specifically our blogs, we were able to connect and I now consider Shel to be an old friend.  He’s become what he likes to call part of my “global neighborhood.”

I could have never imagined that I would have had the opportunity to get to know and become friends with Shel but that’s the power of the Web.  It has the ability to allow to people from different backgrounds, ages, and parts of the world who have a similar interests or passion to get to know one another, form a conversation, and start a friendship. It’s sooo cool.

Today, I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Shel in person at the Social Media in Government conference that was being held in Washington DC.   It was a blast.  If Shel didn’t have a plane to catch, i’m confident the conversation could have gone on for most of the day.

At the conference, I also had the pleasure today of meeting Kyle Hansen.  He wrote a blog post a while back which made a lot of people’s attention, including Shel’s.  He said “to my future boss: please let me blog.“  Kyle is an outstanding example of the revolution that is taking place with how people communicate.  He’s also very bright.

Someone in Washington DC, please hire Kyle.  We want him on this coast (he goes to school in Calif but is at an internship in DC).

I’m proud to say that Kyle is now a part of my global neighborhood.

The Web is and will change your life.  It will give you the opportunity to connect and meet truly amazing people.

Who have you met or been able to connect with via the Web?