The journey project

I’ve been procrastinating about finding a Twitter client and was scarred by trying to RSS my Tweets into bloglines so it was once again timely that Sue Waters gave me the rundown on launching myself into using Twhirl.  It was a strange experience as I didn’t really see what was wrong with using the Twitter website.  But of course it all became clear the minute Twhirl was installed (and thanks to UWA ITS for installing it and not asking me to prove this app is for work purposes – which it is!).

Twhirl sits nicely in my toolbar and sends me alerts for new Tweets and allows me to interact with Twitter as I normally would without opening the web interface.  Really brings home the instant nature of Tweets and is even better than the RSS would have been (if I’d made it work).  Now all I have to do is wait for more Tweets to come in so I can play with the sound/visual settings.  I had a severe case of Monday-itis so this just might be the best thing that happens to me all day.

Hi to those coming to this blog from the newly released program for the Association for Tertiary Education Management (ATEM) Student Services Centre Conference (SSCC) 09 (particular hello to Dipesh Shah from ECU who spotted the URL typo!)

I’ll be liveblogging the event and Twittering to #ATEM-SSCC-09 if you’d care to join in (follow me at lisacluett on Twitter).  The conference booklet will have more info on that but in the lead-up to the conference I’ll be profiling some of the speakers, providing more info on the presentations and highlighting things you need to know, see and do in the lead up to ATEM-SSCC-09!  Look out for my avatar in the booklet and feel free to start commenting or introducing yourself if you’re attending the event in person!

Everyone seems to be talking about it – the entire Skittles website has been turned over to social sites.  there is a small widget in the corner for navigation but the main page is their Twitter page, the ‘pics’ page goes to a Flickr album, the video page to YouTube and the friends link goes to Facebook.  There are disclaimers and users have to click that they agree to the T&C but most people seem to be commenting on the amount of spam hitting the pages.  Check it out for yourslf.  I suspect that problems aside for a minute – this is a stroke of genius.

As I continue to persevere the integration of this blog and my Twitter account (and progress setting up a new work Twitter account), this crossed my desk and cought my eye.  TrendHunter.com alerted me to 140pedia who describe themselves as ‘wikipedia as described through Twitter’ (ie each definition is 140 characters or less as per the Tweet limit). The collection of definitions looks like it’s just getting started so there is a seemingly random of pop culture and web references (everything from noobs to Brokeback Mountain)

My favourite? tl:dr.  I am going to start using it immediately!  Obvious opporuntiies to contribute to this site – add your own definitions or vote on those already there!  Thanks to Trendhunter for spreading the word!

After having my head nearly explode when I sent a Tweet from my mobile phone which then appeared in my blog (seriously – it was pretty exciting for me to get 3 apps working together in harmony), I hit a snag. 

Something to do with Twitter authentication which I posted on the Edublogs forum – luckily Sue Waters is on duty and has come to my rescue.  Just up to me to followinstructions now!

Tweeting from my mobile to my blog. I have arrived!

Well I’ve done it. 

Signed up to Twitter and so easy it was too!  I’m still getting set up, finding people, adjusting settings etc but one of the first things I’ll do is embed a Tweet widget in this blog (as suggested by Sue Waters the edublogger.  Other handy advice on Twitter comes via Mashable from Sarah Evans who provides a list of ways to build a Twitter network and equally as useful ways NOT to do it! 

Part of my decision to jump into Twitter is confirmation that I’ll be guest liveblogging at the 2009 ATEM conference to be held in Fremantle in April.  April isn’t too far away so I’ll be gearing up the prep for a solid few days of blogging, Twittering, Flickr-ing and maybe even YouTube-ing.

Just a quick post to say that I heard and then used the term Twitter over the holidays in a way not related to social networking at all.  Apparently it is also the term used for shuffling the tiles when you are playing Mah-Jongg