Michelle Maura is an Organizational Psychologist, singer and Yoga teacher. She practices Mantra Yoga Meditation and Hatha Yoga, while studying Yoga philosophy. Michelle shares her thoughts on her blog Thoughts Are Things, while also contributing at Intent.com. She focuses on the importance of looking at the positive side of every situation in life and always moving forward. You can follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/michellemaura.

There are infinite uses one can give to Twitter- from online marketing, to sharing interesting information to filling in moments of boredom or loneliness. There are also varying degrees of Twitter usage- there’s the user that will go online for 20 minutes a day and check older tweets as mini emails, there’s the person who logs on after every break to update others and themselves on the day’s happenings, and there are the hard core users who use software like Tweet Deck or have apps on their mobiles to notify them of every tweet possible, audio alert and scheduled tweets included.

Whether you are new to the vast and still growing Twitterverse or already feel established your tweet space, you might have asked yourself this question just how much Twitter is good for you. Here are a few questions that might help you get your answer.

  How much Twitter is good for you?

• Are you using social media to establish your product or company on the market, and would like to enjoy the advantages Twitter offers?
• Are you aiming to promote yourself because you like the idea of being a microcelebity?
• Are you going through a lonely stage in real life and hoping to meet fellow tweeters and feel more connected?
• Are you engaged in your goals and activities and simply like the additional social advantages of Twitter?
• Are you only looking to share information with like minded people, or learn new things from those who think differently?

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@MiaChambers is a Web Traffic Controller and owner of Acumen Works Virtual Assistance. (Mia on LinkedIn) (Mia’s Blog)

E x p l o r i n g   t h e   S t a t e   o f   N o w

Danielle Smith Video Blogging Interviews from the 140 Characters Conference (@140Conf) being held at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, CA, October 27-28, 2009.

From Jeff Pulver’s “Exploring the State of Now”:

“At the #140conf events, we look at twitter as a platform and as a language we speak. Over time it will neither be the only platform nor the only language. #140conf is not an event about  microblogging or the place where people share twitter “tips and techniques” but rather where we explore the effects of the real-time Internet on Business.

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Bill Cosby is getting into social media!  Here he is on 12seconds.tv

Bill Cosby on twitter: @billcosby, Bio:  Comedy/Education

Bills’s 52 Twitter Lists 

Check out this post on twitter lists:  Twitter Lists – How They Work

Bill on Facebook

Bill on Cinch, or as he calls it:  Twit and Tweetie

Source for this post is from Mashable’s: Bill Cosby Learns the Twitting, Tweeting, Twit and Tweetie

Follow @KentBeatty

OK, now you can “Pump Up” your twitter! 

Our dynamic trio – Jack, Biz and Evan – have released their biggest feature update: 

Twitter Lists!

Twitter lists are a way for you to group people you follow into categories.  Provided here for your twitter convenience is a short guide on how to create and use them:

1.  Click “create new list” in the new section on the right in the sidebar.

2.  Name it and choose whether to make it private or public.

3.  Add people you are following to your new list by visiting your following page and use the drop down menu beside each username or go to their profile page and use the drop down menu to add them to your list.

 Sharing your list:  Once you’ve created a list and assuming it’s a public list, you can share the URL with anyone.  Also, you can follow other’s lists!

Twitter created a list of all their staff here.

And I created a list of the Tweet Valley Team here.

Tip:  When you click on a team URL, you will see the teams member’s tweets.  If you would like to see who is on the team, just add “/members” to the team URL or click “following” and you will see a page with the team members listed (see example below.)

Issues with this new list feature:

#1 You can’t add yourself to a list you have created.

#2 You can only add people you follow

#3 It’s hard to add people to your list

#4 No way for people to know you are following them

#6 No way to “follow-the-list-except-that-guy-who-tweets-too-much”

#7 You can’t import/export lists

#8 No stats or analytics

#9 No dynamic lists

If you would like to avoid these issues just ignore twitter’s lists and use TweepML to establish and share groups of twitter users.

I am on the Tweet Valley team, but since I created this list I’m not included on the list: add “/members” to the team URL or click “following” and you will see a page with the team members listed

Mashable asked 5 of the web’s most experimental, influential and knowledgeable thought leaders to share their perspectives on twitter:

Thought Leaders Twitter Perspectives:

Big Bloggers Tweeting More, Blogging Less – Chris Pirillo

Chris Pirillo says more and more bloggers are tweeting instead of blogging.  He says, “…twitter augments blogging, it’s a different medium…”

The Evolution of Twitter as a Platform – Guy Kawasaki

Guy Kawasaki, co-founder of alltop.com says that twitter is moving away from personal chatter and becoming heavily used by brands.  Guy says, “Twitter is emulating the internet, and isn’t just turning into a marketing platform, but simply becoming a platform used for multiple things.”

Semantic Intelligence – Brian Solis

Brian believes that the next big twitter trend will be “a more intelligent Twitter experience” and “the future of Twitter is semantic intelligence, where what you click, what you read, and what you do, act to determine what you like, with applications serving you the tweets you really want.”

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This “How To Throw A Killer TweetUp” post written by Kim Redd (@RedSmitty) was originally published at Kim’s Blog: The Adventures of Reddsmitty, on August 31, 2009.  Kim is a charismatic Social Media Coach, Sales and Marketing Diva, Event Planner Extraordinaire, and Road Warrior who seeks out new business, opens doors and uncovers new opportunities.  A consultative problem solver, she analyzes business situations at a glance and offers strategic solutions.

Kim Redd

Have you ever wondered what your Tweeps are like in real life (IRL)?  Ever wondered if they really look like their avatars?   Why not host a TweetUp!  No matter where you live or what you do there are others on Twitter nearby and there’s nothing quite like meeting your favorite Tweeps in real life (IRL).    Just ask @RobinWalker or @MisterNoodle…I hugged them when I met them at a TweetUp.  Besides hugs you may also find job leads, sales leads, new connections, and folks with whom you can barter entrepreneurial services…I know I did.  So what’s stopping you?

 Here are 7 tips for hosting a successful TweetUp in your neck of the woods:

1. Select the Venue -  Choose a location that’s central and easy to navigate.   Find a spot with plenty of standing room as well as seating for those with “barking dogs”.  Convenient parking and/or public transportation is key.  Free WiFi is a consideration if the event is in the morning or midday when Tweeps are tethered to their laptops.  Be sure to talk to the owner/manager of the establishment prior to the event for their blessing and possible sponsorship.  Make sure you visit the venue before publicizing the event.

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“The twitter phenomenon continues to swirl unpredictably  in the vortex created as technology empowers human interaction and communication, re-defining the laws of natural flow and engagement.” – Kent Beatty

#HunkAlert is the hash tag associated with the frenetic twitter activity known as, wait for it:   the “HunkAlert”.  This (recent) website traces it’s (recent) history back to the “hunkalert” and “babealert” tweets that Sarah Marshall and friends started just a few months ago.   If you do a little analysis you can trace all this hunkalert/babealert stuff right back to the synaptic activity in Sarah Marshall’s frontal cortex.  Actually, I suspect that she enhanced her theta brain waves, perhaps with the help of this audio file, resulting in an extreme state of relaxation, creativity and vivid mental twitter imagery –).  Fortunately for us, this EEG of Sarah’s brain was taken just moments B4 the 1st #hunkalert tweet was released into the twitterverse -).

Sarah’s “treat for the ladies of twitter” enables “twitter ladies” to nominate their favorite twitter hunks as a #hunkalert.  There are normally more than one hundred nominations per day!  If you would like to take a peek into the #hunkalert and #babealert world just do a tweetdeck or twitter search on “@Americanwomannn” (Sarah Marshall’s twitter name) [notice there are three “n’s”]. 

The #HunkAlert site describes it’s basic purpose:  “… to recognize and honor those individuals for their Twitter community participation, social interaction and outstanding qualities…”.  The “outstanding qualities” are not defined and I’m afraid to ask!

To send a nomination, just post a tweet on twitter containing the nominee’s twitter username followed by #hunkalert #nominee,  i.e. “#hunkalert #nominee @druckenmiller”.  4 more examples just check out @Americanwomannn’s tweet stream or see the tweets below.  Confidential nominations may be sent by DM (direct message) to Sarah.  She will take care of the nomination for you.

Sarah Marshall is the creative twitter genius who has brought her HunkAlert site into being.   She is very Tweative and energetic.   Visit her site (hunkalert) to see galleries of nominees and get in on the fun!

See Also: 

The Psychology of Twitter with Dr. Drew

The Hierarchy Of Tweets – Analyzing The Psychology of Twitter 

The Psychology of Twitter

Provided below is a representative sample of tweets to or about @Americanwomannn and #hunkalerts:

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Are you ready for some football … on Twitter? Many NFL players are. Twitter popularity among NFL players is on the rise, and not without a little controversy.

While the NFL has issued some rules restricting NFL players, coaches, and staff on tweeting, overall the organization seems to be embracing social media, or at least accepting it. And why not? Twitter allows fans to follow their fav players and get a more indepth glimpse into their lives. And the players seem to enjoy the outlet (though they better be fairly careful with their tweets).  The biggest restriction imposed by the NFL: No tweeting during games. Players, coaches, and staff cannot tweet 90 minutes before game time until after the post-game interviews have been completed. While that might be the NFL’s main rule, some coaches and teams have imposed even stricter rules (just ask David Clowney).

NFL player/twitterer, David Clowney (@davidclowney) learned what not to post the hard way. New York Jet’s coach, Rex Ryan benched Clowney after he tweeted, “1 play in the 1st Half, 4 plays in the 2nd half. A bit disappointed about my playing time but very happy and satisfied about the win.” Though a mild complaint, this tweet was enough to upset Coach Ryan and earn Clowney a seat for the next game.

Not surprisingly, Terrell Owens (@terrellowens) with the Buffalo Bills is also an active Twitterer.  Owens recently responded to former Patriot Rodney Harrison’s (now an NBC analyst) criticism with tweets about Harrison’s past suspension for steroid use. “Hey Rodney if I really considered using them, could u please lv instructions on how & where 2 stick the needle just like u did 2 assure …”

Perhaps the MVP of Twitter is Chad Ochocinco (@OGOchoCinco) of the Cincinnati Bengals. He joined Twitter in late May and has 8, 049 tweets as of this post. If you followed his tweets last night, you’d have seen pics of Jerry’s World as Ochocinco watched Monday Night Football from a suite at Dallas’ new high-tech stadium. He posted this tweet, clearly impressed with the new stadium: “Jerrys World is one of those things you never forget, like your first kiss or when you lost your vir..ty!!! Words can’t describe what I saw!”

While players might have more Twitter rules than the average Twitterer, they don’t seem to be letting up on the tweets. And that’s good news for fans! NFL and Twitter fans win every time with this match up. Search for you fav NFL player and start following their tweets today.

Even thought Twitter founder, Biz Stone says that there are no plans before 2010 to place ads on Twitter, the marketing heads have already valued the company at a cool $1 Billion dollars.  Can’t get you head around that number.  That is 1000 million or $1,000,000,000.00.  There you go.  Amazing for something that started way back in oh’ 2007.

Full story here…   http://bit.ly/4Bde1D

With the rise of Twitter, growing faster than a weed in the garden patch it is such an exciting time to be so involved and a part of the social media landscape.  I love numbers and statistics.  I guess that is why I am drawn to stuff like this video.  I like how the information is presented.  So it’s as much as style as the numbers themselves.

Did you know?  4.0  Enjoy

The lates version of their video series.   Content by XPLANE, The Economist, Karl Fisch, Scott McLeod and Laura Bestler. Design and development by XPLANE.