ComTech Review » Twitter http://comtechreview.com Computers, Communications and Technology Review Wed, 23 May 2012 16:56:37 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 LinkedIn Boards the Twitter Train http://comtechreview.com/2009/11/10/linkedin-boards-the-twitter-train.html http://comtechreview.com/2009/11/10/linkedin-boards-the-twitter-train.html#comments Tue, 10 Nov 2009 03:59:53 +0000 editor http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/techbeat/archives/2009/11/linkedin_boards.html These days, it seems that everyone wants to be pals with Twitter, the microblogging phenom. On the morning of Oct. 21, Microsoft announced a deal for its Bing search engine to search for Twitter updates known as tweets. Just hours later, Google announced a similar deal.

Not to be left out, the professional online networking service LinkedIn on Nov. 10 is announcing its own integration with Twitter. Users of both services will be able to sync some or all of their tweets on Twitter and "network updates" on LinkedIn.

Specifically, users in LinkedIn will be able to check a "tweet this" box near their network update post to Twitter. And while on Twitter, they can add the hashtags "#in" or "#li" to their posts to appear on LinkedIn. Finally, a new app called Tweets will let users put their Twitter streams on their LinkedIn profiles.

Here's a video with LinkedIn Executive Chairman Reid Hoffman and Twitter cofounder Biz Stone:

And here are the details in a blog post from Allen Blue, a LinkedIn cofounder and vice-president of product strategy:

]]> These days, it seems that everyone wants to be pals with Twitter, the microblogging phenom. On the morning of Oct. 21, Microsoft announced a deal for its Bing search engine to search for Twitter updates known as tweets. Just hours later, Google announced a similar deal.

Not to be left out, the professional online networking service LinkedIn on Nov. 10 is announcing its own integration with Twitter. Users of both services will be able to sync some or all of their tweets on Twitter and "network updates" on LinkedIn.

Specifically, users in LinkedIn will be able to check a "tweet this" box near their network update post to Twitter. And while on Twitter, they can add the hashtags "#in" or "#li" to their posts to appear on LinkedIn. Finally, a new app called Tweets will let users put their Twitter streams on their LinkedIn profiles.

Here's a video with LinkedIn Executive Chairman Reid Hoffman and Twitter cofounder Biz Stone:

And here are the details in a blog post from Allen Blue, a LinkedIn cofounder and vice-president of product strategy:

]]> http://comtechreview.com/2009/11/10/linkedin-boards-the-twitter-train.html/feed 0 DC Metro: How Not to Use Twitter http://comtechreview.com/2009/08/21/dc-metro-how-not-to-use-twitter.html http://comtechreview.com/2009/08/21/dc-metro-how-not-to-use-twitter.html#comments Fri, 21 Aug 2009 23:33:16 +0000 editor http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/techbeat/archives/2009/08/dc_metro_how_no.html Twitter and Washington, D.C.'s Metro transit system would seem to be made for each other. Metro customers need real-time status information, especially given the system's recent bout of large and small service outages. And for anyone with a smartphone, Twitter is simpler and cheaper than the text message alert system Metro has offered from some time.

Unfortunately, Metro's has turned its Twitter status reports into a joke. The information Metro is sending out through the Twitter API is more often than not gibberish. Consider this sadly typical Tweet, sent out twice, 23 minutes apart: "No Line: Due to a power outage, all of the station's entrance escalators are out of service. The elevator is operational. The station remain" Not knowing which of Metro's 86 stations was affected, or even what line it was on, rendered the the "information" useless.

Message to any business of government service considering automated tweets:
It's a great way to disseminate information quickly and broadly, but take the time to do it right or you will end up a laughingstock.

UPDATE: A reader pointed out that I neglected to link to Metro;s Twitter account. It's @metroopensdoors.

]]> Twitter and Washington, D.C.'s Metro transit system would seem to be made for each other. Metro customers need real-time status information, especially given the system's recent bout of large and small service outages. And for anyone with a smartphone, Twitter is simpler and cheaper than the text message alert system Metro has offered from some time.

Unfortunately, Metro's has turned its Twitter status reports into a joke. The information Metro is sending out through the Twitter API is more often than not gibberish. Consider this sadly typical Tweet, sent out twice, 23 minutes apart: "No Line: Due to a power outage, all of the station's entrance escalators are out of service. The elevator is operational. The station remain" Not knowing which of Metro's 86 stations was affected, or even what line it was on, rendered the the "information" useless.

Message to any business of government service considering automated tweets:
It's a great way to disseminate information quickly and broadly, but take the time to do it right or you will end up a laughingstock.

UPDATE: A reader pointed out that I neglected to link to Metro;s Twitter account. It's @metroopensdoors.

]]> http://comtechreview.com/2009/08/21/dc-metro-how-not-to-use-twitter.html/feed 0