Ms. Adverthinker

12seconds.tv = video Twitter.  The idea is to record updates in 12-second bites.  This is harder than you might think, but the 140-character limit of Twitter was an acquired taste as well.  You can record the video straight to 12seconds.tv and post it to your feed.  Or, you can use mobile device to record the video and email it an assigned email address to get it posted to your feed.  My favorite way so far though is to record it through TweetDeck.  TweetDeck has combined Twitter feeds and 12seconds.tv feeds, so you can do it all via your desktop.

I am still testing 12seconds.tv and haven’t quite figured out how best to use it, but so far, here is why I like it:

• Visual communication instantly.
• Limited time allowance keeps it from getting mundane.
• It is new and different.

Why not to like it:

• Just another status update tool; we definitely have enough of those.

The technology has been around for about a year now, but hasn’t caught on with the masses yet.  This is not to say that it won’t - look at Twitter’s growth: Twitter launched two years ago, but has just now hit the mainstream.

Test it out and let me know what you think.  I have embedded my 12seconds.tv feed on my blog to the right.

For the people that use Twitter is an interesting way, thank you.  I am active on Twitter and I follow people that share information that I find relevant.  I don’t use it perfectly, but I don’t over use it either.  The tool and the possibilities for sharing information that it open up for us are infinite.

Don’t tell me what you are doing.  I don’t care.  Tell me something you have learned, tell me breaking news, educate me.

This man has foresight. Don’t take his diss as a miss.

“Signing off twitter. Just not for me. I really enjoyed the time and it was fun to follow and be followed by such a lively group. Love, Alex”

Social media has come about out of a desire to share information, whether it is about our lives, our work or even nothing at all.  How we choose to use the technology has been the interesting thing to observe. Take eight minutes to watch the Ted talk below from Twitter co-founder as he talks about the evolution of Twitter use from the mundane to the informative (and I would argue, back to the mundane).  I applaud the technology and the innovative use of it by those interested in social media.  For those that are just jumping on the bandwagon: I wish you would just go away - you are cluttering the space and devaluing the tool.

Twitter feels dirty and overused; I just want it off me.

My first tweet was on November 15, 2007.  I thought Twitter was great: I linked it to my Facebook status and updated frequently.  All those “in the know” on technology and social media were using it.  It wasn’t overused, people were sharing information and gathering information.  Fantastic.  I had big dreams about how Twitter could be used for online focus groups and research: instant feedback from people that were plugged in and engaged.  I even blogged about Twitter last October and was excited about it momentum.

Today, I officially came down with Twitter-fatigue.  If I hear one more news “personality,” government official or agency old fart talk about Twitter I might officially turn my Twhirl feed off.  Watching MSNBC this morning, an anchor signed off with: follow me on Twitter @whatever.  I rolled my eyes and might have even yelled at the TV.  I got to work this morning and it seemed like every article that was sent to me and every blog topic on my favorite blogs was about Twitter.  Now even the government is doing it, because government is always on the forefront of new technologies!

Here is what Twitter should NOT be used for:

• A way to text message with your friends in a public forum.
• A way to promote yourself constantly.
• A way to promote your friends constantly.

Here is what I appreciate about Twitter:

• The passing along of interesting information.
• The sharing of “what are you doing?” for those people that really care about what you are doing throughout your day.
• Breaking news.

I follow 82 people and have 59 people that follow me.  I don’t know most of the people that follow me, so I have no idea as to why they think my tweets are interesting, or if they even follow me for that reason.  I have experimented with the different ways I use Twitter over the past year and half, and yes, I have broken some of the rules I list above.

I tend to be somewhat of an early adopter of technology (Twitter had been out over a year and half–March 2006–when I signed on, so not even that early in this case) and usually by the time it becomes mainstream, I am over it.  I will keep using Twitter for now, but will be much more selective in who I follow.  And, I will be on the lookout for that next thing to replace it.

Until I sign off completely, you can follow me @Reeves501.

Courtesy of Eyecube, find the original post here, that includes the key.

This is too funny–and true–not to share given our current obsession with social networking sites. From Current TV. Enjoy.

As reported in BusinessWeek, social network users are spending less time on sites like MySpace and Facebook in an effort to avoid advertising.  “The average amount of time each user spends on social networking sites has fallen by 14% over the last four months, according to market researcher ComScore.  MySpace, the largest social network, has slipped from a peak of 72 million users in October to 68.9 million in December, ComScore says.  The total number of people on such sites is still increasing at an 11.5% rate, but that’s down sharply from past growth rates.”

“MySpace and Facebook recognize the issue but say increased targeting and other innovations will spur users to pay more attention.”

We will see what happens, but maybe online games are the new social networking sites when it comes to hot places to advertise.