DISQUS

David · 12 months ago

Twitter is a great way to stay in constant contact with your customers/constituents. As part of my "new media" consulting I recommend that my clients (local business owners) use Twitter to market themselves. It's far more cost effective to use the web to reach their customers. Gone are the days when the only way to reach your customers is with local TV and Radio. Those tradition medias still have a role but they aren't the only game in town anymore.

mingyeow · 12 months ago

@David: Web is far more cost-effective. No doubt about that. We have spent $0, yet managed to touch at least 60,000 people in a very short peroid of time

Frank Dobner · 12 months ago

I think that one of the most valuable aspects of Twitter is to be able to easily get to certain individuals that are very influential because the type of content the create or because of their communication style. Pre-Twitter it would have been e-mail and telephone (if they take calls or respond to no name suitors). Hearing what they say and having them listen to me is very valuable because of who they are.

mingyeow · 12 months ago

@Frank: Totally agree. I think a big part of it is the 140 characters. The brevity reduces the resistance to reading and replying!

Ethan Yarbrough · 12 months ago

The most significant professional benefit I've gotten out of Twitter are the connections I've been able to make with thought leaders in my industry with whom I would NEVER have had contact before. I would not have emailed them. I would not have called them. I'm bad at networking at the cocktail networking event. With Twitter I can broadcast my ideas and people can decide if they see value in them and I can do the same in response to their ideas. So from the beginning our connection is based on mutual respect for one another's ideas and is rooted in a mutual sense of one another's value.

mingyeow · 12 months ago

I love your blog. You write really good stuff, although it does take a bit of digestion - which is what this internet age is pretty terrible for!

Ping me at mingyeow@gmail.com if you wanna talk collaboration

Jon Aston · 12 months ago

Dude, you rock. I wish Mr. Tweet's algorithms (or whatever) would serve up this kind of quality. No offense.

Linnet Woods · 12 months ago

It would be great if MrTweet could assess which followers had nothing obvious in common with any of the others and then suggest new people to follow and who they would possibly relate to in the existing follower group to help one make followers feel more at home in ones group when not communicating directly with them.

mingyeow · 12 months ago

Do you mind elaborating further? Would love to know more... as in - what are your goals you want to achieve? More diversity?

Pierro · 12 months ago

Thumbs up ! Sounds great - Merry Christmas

mingyeow · 12 months ago

Thanks Pierro, much appreciated!

TerryBreedlove · 12 months ago

I do not spend a lot of time on twitter but it do get a kick out of pointing or helping people who are looking for something are trying to solve a problem. At first, I thought that Twitter was just a big online "AmWay" pitch and while a lot of that goes on, I get a real kick out of helping and seeing other people help others. I think one of my New Year's Resoulutions will be to help more people on Twitter.

mingyeow · 12 months ago

I agree COMPLETELY. It is completely amiss if you focus only on the "amway" types, and not the bigger picture of great, meaningful connections!

Kick ass new year resolution btw... wish you (and everyone around you) that you will succeed!

admin · 12 months ago

@Jon - Working on it. ;) What do you see as the main failing now?

@Linnet - do you mind elaborating further? Would love to know more

@Pierro - Thanks!

@TerryBreedlove - I agree COMPLETELY. It is completely amiss if you focus only on the "amyway" types, and not the bigger picture of great, meaningful connections!

Jon Aston · 12 months ago

@admin

It's hard to say, really. The list of people Mr. Tweet recommends seems to remain pretty static, despite the fact that the list of people I choose to follow and unfollow has changed pretty dramatically since I signed up for your service.

It would also be really nice to be able to "remove" people I've already ruled out from future Mr. Tweet reports. If that makes any sense.

mingyeow · 12 months ago

Hi Jon - What is your username? are you in our alpha user list for the "regular updates feature"?

Kathleen Buckley · 12 months ago

The question is, "What unique and meaningful value have you gotten out of twitter?" The revelation of the full value of the internet, nothing less! By following people like Tim O'Reilly I get links to thoughts and ideas that I couldn't find on my own. Or, Louis CK on Conan "Everything's amazing, nobody's happy" video. Plus I get huge *entertainment* value from following truly brilliant and hilarious tweeps, like @paulslaybaugh.

mingyeow · 12 months ago

Yes, i agree! This is probably as close as you can get observing how others use the internet without you know, installing a spykit. ;)

And Paulslaybaugh: Just another temporal carbon-based lifeform selling hope to the disenfranchised. I sell houses too... brilliant!

@ZAGrrl · 12 months ago

MrTweet is way more than "Just an algorithm". The High Tech without the High Touch would be just another Twitter API.

My most meaningful connections / experiences?
- Interacting with folks with whom I would never interact in real life, some of whom have gone on to become friends, and whom I have actually met.
- Plenty of opportunity for random acts of kindness and just being nice to folks when needed.
- Great humor and I leant what LMAO meant.
- The acts of kindness that I have been shown, like the hugs sent by DM that can warm my heart even on the coldest day.

mingyeow · 12 months ago

Thanks a lot! Agree completely with what you are saying. And you are right, high tech needs to come with high touch. ain't social media great?

Karen Rands · 12 months ago

As a newbie to Twitter and much of the social media world since late last year when I started blogging with entrepreneurblogspace.com and myvirtualangelworld.com and then to my weekly blogtalkradio.com/karen-rands show, I resisted Twitter for too long. I could immediately see the power of this as the next generation for internet marketing and as a result did a radio show for the regular business ceo too busy to do many things, and why they should take time to twitter etc because it can be worth it. Found you on Twitter (following you now) and saw this post. Referenced on my blog for entrepreneurs that has the podcast for "To Twitter or Not to Twitter" http://tinyurl.com/a7y8jj with a preview at http://preview.tinyurl.com/a7y8jj

mingyeow · 12 months ago

Thanks Karen! Taking a look like right now. ;)

Ricky · 12 months ago

I would just like Mr. Tweet to be able to also tell me who I could follow that is at least in my same State! The connections I get from tweeter and random valuable information is the coolest thing.

mingyeow · 12 months ago

Location is definitely a feature we are working hard on to build into the system. =) stay tuned!

@hklbry · 12 months ago

Using Twitter I found viewers of the podcast I've been guest co-hosting. They have turned out to be really cool people. Since they hadn't commented on the site or on Viddler I never would have known about them.

mingyeow · 12 months ago

Yes, very very very much so. We love knowing readers of Discovery is the new cocaine too! http://is.gd/op2

greenmullet · 12 months ago

Growing my blog. Connecting with like-minded people. Establishing business relationships. Enriching my life with links to things I might never otherwise see. Still love RSS feeds, too.
- Green Mullet
http://greenmullet.com/

mingyeow · 12 months ago

@greenmullet: Thanks for the additional points! We love RSS feeds too - extremely different medium. PS: Twitter is built off RSS actually...

Tealan · 12 months ago

What unique and meaningful value have you gotten out of twitter? Getting to know the coolest people.
Just the sheer compassion of others when my home flooded (in Arizona!) was amazing. In turn, being able to emphasize with those snowed in, or stuck on a plane for 7 hours. It's a way of seeing humanity in 140 characters at a time.

mingyeow · 12 months ago

Yuppy... somehow the connectedness is something we all strive for. And extremely glad that Twitter is able to facilitate that in real time.

jcwinnie · 12 months ago

newspeak is gud ting, ja! Vector Sector #== Complexity (see in situ) Vat it is! ThankQ, Doktor Fischer-Tropsch

clutterbells · 12 months ago

Totally random cool stuff and ideas for blogging. I find interesting people to follow by looking at the interesting people's follow list and take a peek. I take a look at about 5 new people a week and see if it works. Random but effective. I like the informality and spontaneity of twitter. Took me a long time to embrace it, but now I often look at twitter first. Merry Ho Ho Ho to you Mr Tweet.

Does Mr Tweet update his recommendations?

mingyeow · 12 months ago

@Colin: That is a very nice experimental model. I do the same too! And yes, we do update our recommendations! What is your ID? let me add you to our alpha user list for "regular updates"

frank · 12 months ago

Being on twitter for the past 6 months or so has:

1. Made me smarter and more educated in many areas

2. Connected me with people that I enjoy talking to for both business and personal reasons

3. Created business opportunities

4. Given me a network of people that can help me with many different thing

mingyeow · 12 months ago

Thanks for the great points Frank - much appreciated =) Do you also minding sharing a bit more on how and why they came about?

admin · 12 months ago

@Kathleen: Yes, i agree! This is probably as close as you can get observing how others use the internet without you know, installing a spykit. ;)

And Paulslaybaugh: Just another temporal carbon-based lifeform selling hope to the disenfranchised. I sell houses too... brilliant!

@ZAGrrl: Thanks a lot! Agree completely with what you are saying. And you are right, high tech needs to come with high touch. ain't social media great?

@Ethan Yarbrough: I love your blog. You write really good stuff, although it does take a bit of digestion - which is what this internet age is pretty terrible for! Ping me at mingyeow@gmail.com if you wanna talk collaboration

@Ricky: Working on it!

@hklbry: Yes, very very very much so. We love knowing readers of Discovery is the new cocaine too! http://is.gd/op2

@greenmullet: Thanks for the additional points! We love RSS feeds too - extremely different medium. PS: Twitter is built off RSS ya? ;)

@David: Web is far more cost-effective. No doubt about that. We have spent $0, yet managed to touch at least 60,000 people in a very short peroid of time

@Frank: Totally agree. I think a big part of it is the 140 characters.

@Colin: That is a very nice experimental model. I do the same too! And yes, we do update our recommendations! What is your ID? let me add you to our alpha user list for "regular updates"

jennfor · 12 months ago

Connecting with wit and humor---having fun is what it is all about!

mingyeow · 12 months ago

Agreed! @darthvader is one of my faves there, and i try to be humorous with
our work and writings too. hehe

michael thornton · 12 months ago

Twitter is a cool social site. A great combination of IM and Micro-Blogging. With links back to your own blogs or items of interest, couldn't ask for a better social networking platform. You guys rock...

BG · 12 months ago

"Breaking News On" has really helped me keep up with breaking news.

mingyeow · 12 months ago

You mean the CNN Breaking News?

Summer_sun · 12 months ago

When colleagues turned me onto Twitter I felt like I was in a library and the librarian opened a door to a room I'd heard about but never dared visit. Anyone and everyone interested in Educational Technology was inside and they invited me to join them. It felt like Christmas came early. I've been involved in Ed Tech for years but thanks to Twitter the last 4 months have expanded my knowledge and perspective exponentially. I now ask every teacher I know techie or not if they Twitter and if not I offer to help them get set up. It has become an integral part of my PLN

mingyeow · 12 months ago

Amazing. Edtech users are some of the most passionate Twitter users. Can I
check what it is about edtech that makes participants such amazing sharers?

Summer_sun · 12 months ago

Many of the edtech twitter users were/are teachers and as such sharing our knowledge with others comes naturally. That's why we love what we do. :)

mingyeow · 12 months ago

Nice~ and i really hope you folks get the appreciation you so dearly
deserve!

Kevin Lim · 12 months ago

Where email or phone require prep, IM encroaches on personal space, twitter fits somewhere between the public and the private, enabling us to talk to strangers we admire or like.

It's a "cut to the chase" medium, giving folks like me the ability to reach out and touch someone, where it might have otherwise taken forever. It simply leapfrogs.

Finding relevant people to add is what MrTweet is built to do, and it's great that users aren't satisfied. A learning algorithm could be employed for users to add or remove twitter users in order to shape further recommendations :)

mingyeow · 12 months ago

nice! I love the points you are making
1) much less prep/resistance
2) cut to the chase, and immediately reaching out

We are definitely making some key improvements to the system soon... think
you will be excited about those!

bradmays · 12 months ago

Twitter is the gateway drug of the Internet. Its ease of use and low barrier to entry are the source if most promise for it gaining mainstream adoption. The most meaning I get out if Twitter is its ability to bring the masses together and mobilize information and knowledge sharing. I gain perspective from a broad base of people that helps me decipher the world.

mingyeow · 12 months ago

Do you think there is a bit too much noise at the moment for that to be
achieve-able? =)
M

bradmays · 12 months ago

There's a ton of noise about the category in general. But, just like the successful platforms out there, general users will find ways to make it relevant in their lives just like we have all found ways to make Twitter valuable.

mingyeow · 12 months ago

great point! And our purpose is very simple.. to help you cut through the
noise to find relevant connections. =)

when you say "category" - do u mind elaborating on what you mean?

bradmays · 12 months ago

I mean there is a lot of noise about the social sphere or the social networking category - Twitter, FB, Loopt, etc. Has been for some time. I recommend to companies to look beyond the tools and look for the underlying reason consumers are using these tools. I think the trends are undeniable and the shifts enduring. It's east to get caught up in the medium, but those tools may not be around tomorrow. But knowledge of the ability to stay connected to the people and events that are most important will remain.

mingyeow · 12 months ago

"look beyond the tools and look for the underlying reason consumers are using these tools"

"But knowledge of the ability to stay connected to the people and events that are most important will remain"

Well said, and brilliant. Lets connect on Twitter? If you do not mind, just drop me a @note, and I will add you!

colleen · 12 months ago

I scored a piece of software that I needed to upgrade, normally costs $200, someone tweeted that Staples was selling it upfront for $160 with a $160 rebate. I hopped in my little buggy and went and got one, havent received the rebate yet but looks like a real one. Yea Twitter!

mingyeow · 12 months ago

fabulous! Ok, this is so totally unrelated to Twitter, but please sign up on
deals2buy and onesaleaday
Hehe.

serendipitynz · 12 months ago

And twitter exponentially increases the great ideas, great links, and great community feeling.

mingyeow · 12 months ago

I agree... never have so much interaction and attention data been available
publicly.
Beautiful domain email address by the way! Seeking to create the feeling
of serendipity is something we work towards constantly

unconditionaluv · 12 months ago

I'm relativeyl new to twitter and found it a great way to connect with other Alzheimer caregivers going through similar situation. I search for advice, latest news, inspiration and use Twitter and Twitwall as a medium to document things going on in my mom's life and to build relationships and to just air things out. Microblogging is a medium that I'm more suited to using than a blog. Twitter & Twitwall are easy enough interface for me to use. I would not have engage this type of activity with a blog.

mingyeow · 12 months ago

This is extremely touching.... I am glad that this medium has given you a
way to stay connected with people who are in similar situations. How do you
find people who are Alzheimer caregivers? Is this your primary usage of
Twitter?

unconditionaluv · 12 months ago

I initial used the search.twitter.com to see if there was any traffic on "dementia" or "alzheimer". I was pleasantly surprise to find news articles and quite a few tweeples in similar situations.

I use this particular account primarly for searching for these types of conversations.

Renagade · 12 months ago

I must admit I was drugged into Twiiter kicking and screaming "NO~ NO!" But boy am I glad my friends did that!
I have found twitter to be a very valuable tool to keep up with everyone and have found many great sites and articles here!
It is a MUST have for anyone online today!

mingyeow · 12 months ago

haha, i am so going to record that as one of my favorite phrase! Certainly
many people can attest to that experience, but i think you say it the best.
;)

Ralf Lippold · 12 months ago

Even though I didn't get the value proposition of Twitter in the beginning after a dear Friend from Melbourne (@Marigo) had invited me, I now with it.

Twitter enables you to knit your social network faster and with quicker feedback (valuable or non-valuable followers) than any other social medium I know to present day.

Twitter has the ability to level your energy and connections to people that matter most in making the things happen you want to see in the world.

Twitter enables you to post your thoughts into the space of the net and not me pressed to tell a certain person. There will be listeners around and your seeds for conversation will be picked up by somebody some time:-)

I wish Twitter a sucessful future and value proposition is great (even the founders can make the difference to their purse through delivering value to community, clients using the strengths of Twitter - there is no need to make this service a you-have-to-pay one!).

Everybody in the net has a chance to use Twitter for the good of him-/herself and its clients - that is the MAIN VALUE PROPOSITION using Twitter from my point of view.

...and win-win-win-situation as you might call it:-))

Best regards and enjoyable Xmas days to come

Ralf

Alan W. Silberberg · 12 months ago

I have learned to tune into hundreds of conversations daily, with the ability to greatly increase my knowledge intake through active listening and reading of tweets and by actively engaging in conversations with those thought drivers.

mingyeow · 12 months ago

Hi Alan, very much agree. That said. it is definitely a tough act balancing
between increasing knowledge intake, and actually digesting all of it to
provide thoughtful insights. ;)
But I agree that the conversation with a wide variety of folks is just
amazing. :)

Liz · 12 months ago

I had a wonderful social network before Twitter but everyone was either family or affiliated with academia/higher education. Through Twitter, I've gotten to know people in news media, advertising, marketing, technology development, entrepreneurs, stay at home parents, authors & journalists as well as actors, athletes, and musicians.

It's allowed me to expand my world to include people I would ordinarily never encounter and learn a little about their personal & professional lives. They are not only wonderful people but they are generous in sharing their knowledge. It's been a wonderful gift to me in so many ways.

mingyeow · 12 months ago

Hi Liz, that is so wonderful to hear! With such a diversity of interests,
you must have lots of information to take it - How do you decide who you
should pay attention to?

Paul Chenoweth · 12 months ago

In the period surrounding the #mumbai crisis, several journalists who are relatively new to Twitter (and social media in general) observed, first hand, how powerful this tool can be on a global scale. As a result of those observations and ensuing new connections, there are all sorts of energized conversations about the evolution of online journalism. As for me, this 'means' that my Media Studies' students will receive a heavy dose of Twitter and will begin making similar discoveries this coming semester.

mingyeow · 12 months ago

My sense is that while that is powerful as an immediate first hand tool, the
noise somewhat renders it much less productive than what it could have been
Do you agree?

J. M. Strother · 12 months ago

I'm a writer, and I look for insights and opportunities related to my craft. I uncovered an opportunity to do an interview on The Writer's Technology Companion about my NaNoWriMo experiences from last year. It was great exposure. And I discovered the wonderful Twitter feeds of the New York Times. The NYT Books feed is great. http://twitter.com/nytimesbooks If anyone knows of good Twitter feeds related to writing (editors, agents, publishers, etc) please tweet me @jmstro. I'd really appreciate it.
~jon

mingyeow · 12 months ago

Hi Jon, Congrats for your with TWTC on your NanoWriMo experience! Did you
get it through Twitter? I also got another question for you - would you be
comfortable seeking recommendations from your network if you want to get
discovered more often? =)

J. M. Strother · 12 months ago

Yes, I found a tweet asking for people that had done NaNoWriMo last year to make contact if interested in being interviewed. So I tweeted him back. He then sent me the interview questions via e-mail. Worked out nicely.

Not sure what you mean by the second question. I think the answer is yes. I'm always happy to be discovered. ;) But I really want to find people worth following that are in the writing/publishing arena.
~jon

mingyeow · 12 months ago

Nice- We think these opportunities for connecting are all over the place...
it is just perhaps harder to discover them amongst the noise. This is where
relevance comes in I guess!

Find people worth following in the writing/publishing arena - for
relationship building, for taking in their knowledge or both?

J. M. Strother · 11 months ago

Sorry, did not get a reply on this. I want to follow people in the writing/publishing area in order to stay abreast of trends and become aware of opportunities. If publisher X sends out a tweet saying they are now open for submissions, I'd like to see that. I've been following the current downturn in publishing via news feeds on Twitter. Relationship building? I have a hard time seeing a publisher taking a personal interest in lil' old me. ~jon

itzel · 12 months ago

at first i was reluctant, and now i just love twitter. i write in a movie magazine and it has helped me a lot with breaking news stories, as well as getting to know what actors or directors are doing thanks to their own tweets. needless to say, i think this is just the beginning for me, i think i've had twitter for like 2 months tops. and thx mr. tweet for the help, i found so many new people through your services. one question though, how do i make it so it shows me new recommendations? cause the ones i have are the same as the first time. my username is iitzelhv, thx a lot!

mingyeow · 12 months ago

Hi Liz - thanks! It is very exciting and gratifying to know that we are
adding value to you.
We are currently implementing periodic updates... and we will update you
when that happens =)

Ian Harris · 12 months ago

Twitter has meant that I can broaden my knowledge base and my networks. It is wonderful being able to access Twellow and find people with your interests and follow them. I also delight in seeing who they follow.
I purposely seek out people who i believe will provide completely different perspectives.
Sometimes I simply use Twitter as a form of light relief. The Daily Blonde, for instance, just reminds you that life should be simple.
I also found a new participant for our firm's eCommerce Learning Group when i twittered about the group. She responded, offerred her services and off we went.
I am still exploring twitter but I feel that I have only touched the tip of the iceberg with its potential

Sarah · 12 months ago

I love being able to find out about new websites, resources, and inspiration. It helps me stay creative as a creative professional. I like being able to share the information I find - that information is shared in such a monumental way is incredibly exciting!

thomaspower · 12 months ago

Brilliant. Thank you.

Jeff · 12 months ago

Twitter opens door and connections to otherwise impossible to reach eyes and ears. Twitter more effectively draws attention to your purposes and interests than any other social network I know of.

If you hold interest in Organic products, check out http://astore.amazon.com/pawnat-20. This site exclusively offers 100% organic and 95% organic products.

robbwindow · 12 months ago

Thanks Mr Tweet. Have a nice 2009. :)

JanSimpson · 12 months ago

Very nice post - I would add a few more -

mingyeow · 12 months ago

Hi Jan - you would add a few more? Your comment is empty. :(
M

gregorylent · 12 months ago

860 Following 729 Followers 4326 Updates .... no value at all so far ... maybe i will try that

Eliana Gilad · 11 months ago

I am finding other inspiring and uplifting positive people in Israel. Funny, it took twitter to find people in my backyard.

Nile Flores · 11 months ago

As a web designer over the last 8 years, I have noticed the huge changes in how sites are deemed popular or not. Twitter is a nice way to be both social and do social bookmarking without all the hassle. All the hundreds of graphics I offer now were great in the past, but to make it any good I have to use keywords and social bookmark myself on a multitide of sites, not including the fact I have to seriously go out and comment on sites to possibly entice other bloggers to come and see what I have for free to offer. It can be daunting for some, but for those who are hard-core, Twitter does help on some level. :)

Loz Fisher · 11 months ago

Unique & meaningful value from Twitter for me, is summed up by #mumbai. Reading live, first hand accounts of the event, complete with people requesting blood donations at particular hospitals, whilst I was sitting at my desk in the UK was truly a revelation for me. Though I'd been using Twitter for months previous, it was one of the moments where you just have to take stock and really think about what it is that's happening on your screen.

litmanlive · 11 months ago

What unique and meaningful value have I gotten out of Twitter? I got the job I'm starting at on Jan 5th through Twitter!

This is not trying to be overly dramatic here but I wouldn't be lying if I said that Twitter has been pretty life changing for me. Why? I got the job at a top PR agency in London, UK, all through Twitter.

With Twitter, you've already got an idea of the individual, through what they tweet and how they act with others. I had incidentally exchanged a few tweets with my soon to be manager @PBizzle previously but I wasn't at that time aware of his position or that he'd be recruiting for a suitable position a few months down the line. He sent me a tweet saying he was recruiting and whether I wanted to go for a beer and a chat and the rest as they say is history. Therein lies the power of Twitter.

Glen Westbroek · 11 months ago

@cbrannon and @gardenglen used twitter to find common lesson material taught and developed a collaboration project between their students in different states. Kids loved what they were learning and were excited to see what had been done by the students in the other state. As teachers we probably would never have found each other and the ability to create this project without twitter.

TheCodeJunkie · 11 months ago

I've hade the great fortune of being able to talk to Glenn Block, program manager of the Manged Extensibility Framework that is being developed by Microsoft. His feedback on my quest to take a deep dive into the core of their framework has helped me in a way that wouldn't have been possible otherwise due to the fact that it's a work in progress framework and the documentation is almost non existing.

I've done pair programming with Glenn where we've each reviewed eachothers code and offered suggestions. And there's more to come from this twitter connection...

Travelwriticus · 11 months ago

They are three points I like on Twitter.

* You can connect to people all over the world within seconds.

* Mails are restricted to 140 characters.

* You can browse easily through all these short lines searcing for keywords

So I am was able to find many friends of castles, museums and exhibitions within a few days

JenHarris · 11 months ago

After being laid off, I Tweeted it out & had a job offer and two appointments before I left the parking lot. Two other people in our former marketing department (one HR guru, the other a graphic artist) have found independent work through their Twitter connections & have plenty to do!
I have my current job because of the relationship that I formed with the CEO of TSheets. We had common friends and colleagues, but would have never met up as quickly as we did if our friend Twitter was not there to bring us together.

bobbi85710 · 11 months ago

Tweebay Auctions at its Birth, Live information from my business circle of friends at Bonanzle, Snipets of Information from my hometown when I can't be there, and the Fastest source update of accurate news anywhere on the planet. And to round it all out, just some good old fashion fun.

Philippa · 11 months ago

I have gotten a lot more out of twitter then I could have imagined. I used to just twitt between my friends but I discovered a few weeks ago that there is a whole lot of intelligent and valuable people sharing their knowledge on twitter. I started following the influential people and within 2 weeks I learned far more about the world of blogging and social media networking that I had in the past 2 years.

I have also found my realtor on twitter. My family and I are relocating and I realized one of the people I follow happen to be a realtor located where we are moving. Awesome find and a life saver.

@miketrue1 · 11 months ago

Twitter opens a whole new world to me. It is so simple and easy to find and converse with other people and experts with the same interests. It also opens my mind to other things that I never even thought about. It's a fascinating new world. Twitter is a great tool to build new relationships, friends, and even family. I have not been here for long, but already feel like part of this family. I like people and Twitter is a great way for me to meet them. I also like to learn, and I can't help but learn every time I log on. My family keeps growing and in this case it's not bad having a very large family.

grace2244 · 11 months ago

Cathy_McAulay followed me on Twitter cuz we both have a pet tortoise. I followed back not knowing about her pet but liked her profile. We became tweetpals quickly. After a few days I visited the link in her bio. It was a weight loss program & I needed to lose 30 lbs I had gained after a year of many surgeries. I liked the products & the diet was similar to how I now eat. I spoke to her about the products. She helped me choose the right ones & got me hooked up with a weekly online webinar support & "weigh in" for 12 weeks. She's also my personal coach (the big plus!). We've spoken by phone. I LOVE the products. Am losing weight. And have a new friend. And we love to share tortoise stories :-)

Jeannette · 11 months ago

I recently moved to NYC from NC, and I've always been very, very connected to the hip hop scene wherever I live. I get homesick, especially when I'm on the train or out at a club. Through Twitter I've discovered that a LOT of the NC artists that I love like @RapperBigPooh @JoeScudda @JeanGrae @Khrysis are not only in NYC a lot, but some of them actually live here a lot of the time. I can follow their conversations and feel more connected to home. I've also used it to make new connections and real life friends here in NYC. A place where it can be incredibly difficult to make new friends and relationships. Twitter follows my blog, which tweets to people about all the different services my company offers. People who are following me have asked for my help with several things, and the circle just multiplies when you're re-tweeted. I've also learned so much about myself by following blogs. RSS Feeds have always taken way too much time. Twitter is so much faster for me to quickly decide what to read and what to just skip over. I can also follow magazines and newspapers and give customer feedback to companies that I'd never otherwise talk to. I know what trains have delays, I know what the weather is like, and I know what everyone's doing for NYE.

Sharon "Shae" Freeman · 11 months ago

Being a freelance writer, Twitter has allowed me access to communicate with others in the same industry as I am and learn from them. For example, a lot of people on my list are professional bloggers or entrepreneurs. It has given me an extra tool to learn from others to build on my experience, as well as new visitors and viewers of my work. Following such Tweeps like breaking news has given me a faster and greater success rate at publishing important news on some of the sites that I publish for....which means higher ratings and profit!! If I could request one thing from Twitter, it would be to expand on the "about me" section for users, that way we can learn a little bit more about the person right on site.

rathgild · 11 months ago

As a newish twitter user I'm still learning what is out there. However I'm constantly amazed at the people who follow me. Right now I would say that my tweets are more likely to be inane drivel eg for a while I was allowing on online library to post what books I'd just finished reading. Once I stopped doing that I was surprised to get a direct message from someone asking what my current reading material was. Amazing! Clearly you don't need to have an agenda to reach out and have even a tiny influence on other people.

DCGrrl · 11 months ago

New sources for inspiration, and fonts of information. There's a lot of content out there, but how do you find it? You don't know to search for it unless someone tells you it's there. Twitter helps me focus, narrows my universe, directs my attention to inspirational writers, marketers, journalists and more.

S · 11 months ago

On a personal note I've discovered scores of new websites and applications since joining Twitter, and, workwise, it's been a very useful newsgathering tool. And on a more simple level it's fun, and almost soothing to know what everyone is up to!

spiritualevity · 11 months ago

I am finding a whole new community of people that share uplifting and encouraging tweets in a world of news, war and violence. What an uplifting treat. @spiritualevity

Bianca Garcia · 11 months ago

I love the spontaneity of Twitter... the freedom of the stream of consciousness... the interaction between strangers and the development of friendship and business relationships. I feel that it has tremendous power...

Kristine Putt · 11 months ago

I've learned so much on Twitter! Every day, I learn something new and I feel continually educated and enlightened. I'm challenged and it keeps me on top of my game. We live in a fabulous time where people sharing information is an accepted thing (I grew up in a time where a family cookie recipe was Top Secret). Twitter makes learning and sharing easy, possible and FUN!

Polenth · 11 months ago

I'm famous! Or my mushroom avatar is anyway (it's in one of the screenshots).

I'm surprised there wasn't a "meeting new people" option. There are plenty of people looking for friends or those with similar interests, rather than business associates.

Ange · 11 months ago

Hi, great article and discussion.

I'm a published illustrator and I'd like to connect with other illustrators, musicians, creative people, and expand my business if possible.
I've read all comments here and thought that Twitter could be the tool that i was looking for.
Living in France, I'm a bit ashamed of my poor english level so, I think it'll be kind of difficult for me to follow the train.

Here is my question :
- It's been two weeks that I'm trying to improve my website again and again so my future 'followers' would find much value on it, and become rss subscribers.
I'd like to offer free children's ebook (almost ready), and other stuff.
I feel this website is not ready yet (my services page). I'm afraid the first impression wouldn't be good enough, effective enough.
Should i wait for it to become completely ready - and it will never - or should I better start making relationships already, signing up today?

What would you suggest me?

tonybeach · 11 months ago

I think Mr Tweet is so awesome along with Twitter that I promote my twitter.com/tonybeach url like I promote my money making business urls...the same!

I started a Twitter group and a forum .....feel free please!

Great to meet you...what is your biggest challenge?
http://community.adlandpro.com/lp1/group/5173/T...
http://community.adlandpro.com/lp1/forums/forum...
Tony Beach

tonybeach · 11 months ago

I'll add a link for Mr Tweet there if that is ok Mr Tweet....
Tony

http://community.adlandpro.com/lp1/group/5173/T...
http://community.adlandpro.com/lp1/forums/forum...
Tony Beach

Teris · 10 months ago

I have met some really fascinating friends and I always reach out for more -Twitter is simply an amazing way to connect and make friends both personal and business wise. I also learn so much from my fellow Twitters -that it is astounding.