Son of Tweets and Twits – Part Deux — The Sequel

by Pete (the mose) Mosley

http://twitterholic.com/

Well this did it for me. I have been on Twitter – I guess since about Day One. Real early. Never really saw the value. Now I definitely don't.

Neither do any of you Canucks out there by the looks of it.

There are two Canadians in the Top 100 – A cute broadcasting Gal (Amber, I think.)  I wasn't following her – the following cute girls makes me feel weird. Oh, and a Rob – who has a Blog directory. I was following him – but he didn't notice me. So all is cool!

What does this show?

1. We Canadians are a different sort. We don't do this self-promoting stuff very well. Even the classic self-promoters in Canada suck at this. I know we try, and for the record, God Bless all the little brainiacs out there in The Great White North trying to make a living being experts – but ya still aren't celebs. Paris, Britney and any one of the Jonas Brothers are way ahead. And so are the Top 100 Tweeters.
2. We are Canadians – who should really give a shit what we think anyway? There are only like 30 million of us? We are like a weird Ohio – with two languages.
3. No right minded Canadian would stoop to be the "King-O-tweets" Why she asks? 'Cause it is silly. Full stop. Canadians have – whether you like it or not – manners. Torontonians not so much obviously. Toronto is the Twitter capital of Canada – and as Canadians we are up there Twittering – but we sadly are not that glamorous (except Amber) nor exciting. I was going to give an exception – but there isn't one.
4. The folks in the Top 100  – and I scanned a bunch that I wasn't following – are just not real-world credible. Sorry. Yes, you are prolly wonderful folks. You are prolly terrific people. But you have no credentials. Have you worked anywhere? Have you done anything? Not that I can see. Publishing a Blog ain't the same as being published.  Malcolm Gladwell – I consider an expert. Joe(sephine) Schmoe publishing stolen shit from all over the Net on how to be successful? Nyet.

Just cause ya have a Blog – doesn't make you credible.

Switching gears – Guy Kawasaki (hate dissin' Guy as I have now twice …but…?)  is a guy that I have loved as a marketer and a Mac GURU and I followed him on Twitter – however, he has turned into the Ron Popeil of Tweets.

See, that's where we differ I guess – no one seems to have an issue with Guy self-promoting, shilling his books and his new website. They both are cool. But I got it – like three hundred posts ago, Guy! This is a good friend who has come to a cocktail party wearing a flashing name badge and handing out "ME!!!" buttons.

And some of the Blogs that some of the Top 100 Twitter-Stars points to – you should read the stuff. Absolute, utter nonsense. Marketing tips that have nothing to do with marketing – unless they changed a bunch of fundamentals since I took marketing. Sales tips that have nothing to do with sales and strategic business advice that – well, is embarrassing.

Of course folks can write whatever the hell they want – just like me here. Right now.  But to proclaim yourself an expert and then write some stuff that is dead wrong? Wrong in the sense that the definitions are wrong, the understanding of theory is wrong etc etc. I would list examples – but not my place to pee on peoples' corn flakes. That's your job. You are the decision maker.

As there are no Gate Keepers here on da Net – YOU are the one who has to govern yourself accordingly. And do so, please.

I have had time over the holidays to poke around – the RSS concept is still sound. I like it – I can, at a glance, have a look-see and if something catches my eye boocoo cool!!!  And the folks that are on my RSS feed list have EARNED that right – through some damn fine writing. And years of me being online.

Twitter is no more than another bit of chest beating at best. It is self-promotion at its ugliest 'cause it also gives us a peek under the hood. Eeeeeek. There are some folks that need serious therapy. I mentioned that before. I mean it. Get help folks and you can all stop breaking the pills in half in the morning. Take a whole pill … OK?

And what about the damn Cluetrain (I know you've heard it before etc etc I am a BIG TIME Cluetrain guy) where are the conversations????

Have you ever met someone who thinks conversation is the act of them stopping talking while waiting for you to stop talking so they can talk again? That is what Twittering is. One way. The wrong way. That is NOT a conversation.

There have been 2 posts that have driven me to interesting sites. Not critical, nor important … but, interesting sites. I liked that. But the amount of time I spent over the holidays checking out this thing far outweighs the value derived.

And, I do not want to promote myself. I have never sought to do that. Even in 15 years of lectures and speeches – and I KNOW anyone who has attended and/or hired me – I let folks know who I am and it stops there. I simply find that type of self-aggrandizement distasteful.

So? What would work???

Now if there was a way to say get Tweets ONLY on a certain subject? Like tie it into Google Alerts (Wish they would work better! But another story for another time) There are a couple of people out of the 70 or so I am following say some neat stuff from time to time. However it is outweighed by the – "Going to lunch" and "I feel pissy" Tweets.

I liken this to people putting "I am out of the office" replies on their email. So not cool.