Twitter: Micro-Blogging is in our DNA

Posted January 29th, 2009 by Ron Edelen

A good article (unlike this blog post) should have a solid hypothesis–we twit because we crave attention–which generates research (see references), which leads to a well-informed conclusion–micro-blogging is in our DNA. I would love to lay it all out in such an academic fashion, but I have a million hypothesis on the Twitter topic and none of them are conclusive.

We twit because we can.
We crave attention in every facet of our lives.
We know little about one thing, but a lot about everything.
We like knowing that someone might be listening.
We need to share our happiness. Our sadness. Our anger.

Our lives are streaming… and it makes us feel sexy.

There are dozens of discussions about Twitter as a Social media revolution and its use as a marketing tool. Absurd experiments, different strategic opinions and third party tools are popping up everywhere. All of this is backed by the theory that more Brand activity, even if its short nonsense conversation, is better than no activity. Ostensibly unedited, spontaneous conversation is easy and seemingly instinctive for us. It comes naturally and Twitter is the ultimate conduit.

Dennis White presents a strong indifference towards this constant stream of useless nonsense produced through Twitter, claiming that “society individually and collectively suffers for it.” Tina at BSS critiques how the Booklyn Museum might have missed the target by encrypting their feeds and trying to monetize on it (an experimental gimmick). She concludes that Twitter and social media in general is about the conversation, not the message. Some business-centric journals are claiming “expertise” on how this channel [Twitter] is crucial to businesses. Its has personal charm, provides intimacy, revenue opps, etc. If your interested in Dell Outlet’s approach, or toys to add to your Twit-hero utility belt, see references below. I’m not sure how crucial it is or will be. Nonetheless, a little Brand conversation maybe better than none.

Update:
Today’s issue of Shelly Palmer’s self-plugging Media Bytes focuses on how to Tap into Twitter’s Value. Not a fan of the series, but it shows that there is growing Twit buzz at iMedia Connection network. Digital journalist giant Leo Laporte recently ranted about the fact that his Twitter following has not moved in 7 days (a man who has over 80k+ followers), claiming there is something technically wrong with Twitter’s capacity.

References:
Social Media: Top Five Twitter Tools for Business Intelligence
Getting Intimate (with Cusomters) on Twitter

Teaching Form-Givers to be Strategists

Posted October 8th, 2008 by Ron Edelen

The current issue of Fast Company is chalked full of design topics. In particular, there is a brief article providing insight into how MIT professor John Maeda could potentially spin the Rhode Island School of Design into an art+business philosophy. As Maeda puts it, RISD is essentially a right-brain MIT. It is interesting to see phrases like “creativity and pragmatism,” and “uniqueness and mass-marketability” woven into a traditional (analog) fine art institution. The fundamental problem is that RISD, an institution that has produced the Heros of my generation, is heavily right-brain. This is a universal struggle for design education. Although there are some innovative schools taking risky leaps, the general consensus is that the current academic model maintains a curriculum that does not nurture cross-disciplinary thinking – more specifically how to think within today’s digital economy.

There is huge potential to flourish in a model based on absolute synergy between form-givers (arts/engineers) and strategists (business thinkers). In order to achieve this, academic labeling and degree classification has to evolve into a more fluid cross-pollinating model–freeing students and faculty from being trapped inside single-disciplinary ideologies. It will be exciting to see where Maeda takes RISD. Through all the skepticism, I wouldn’t be surprised if RISD’s new formula becomes a model of great envy for other art and design Institutions.

Reference:
Digital Thinking at Rhode Island School of Design, by Linda Tischler
–> http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/129/the-double-vision-of-john-maeda.html

John Maeda is RISD’s 16th President, AIGA Video
–> http://www.aiga.org/resources/content/4/4/7/1/documents/john_maeda_risd.mov 

Adobe Air for Noobs

Posted September 15th, 2008 by Ron Edelen

I am a noob to Air. On top of this, it is also important to recognize that I am a slow adopter of Flash AS3. I have tunnel vision formed by habitual attachments to AS2 methods and it keeps me in a frustrated state of mind. Fortunately I have a few OOP-savvy cohorts that spoon-feed insightful ways of thinking. I am picking up on the basics quickly, but I am finding little resources that speak to those non-programming-centric designers.

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Ron and Teammates are Vicious and Delicious

Posted September 15th, 2008 by Ron Edelen

 It all started with a friend asking if anyone in the room was a runner. Ignorant to the details, I raised my hand. Without fully understanding the challenge, I had committed myself to run a 208-mile relay through the rolling Blue Ridge Mountains. With the support of 11 killer teammates, the event turned out to be a beautiful experience wrapped in my own physical humility. Continue Reading Post »