john hodgman at twitter
Originally uploaded by rcarverAuthor, actor, and Daily Show "Resident Expert." John Hodgman is a Twitter user and fan. When a recent book tour had him visiting San Francisco Mr. Hodgman managed to make his way to Twitter HQ for a little tour. While here, he took some time to learn about the <href="http: www.thesneeze.com="" mt-archives="" 000373.php"="">preparation of toilet wine and we got the inside scoop on his glitzy celebrity lifestyle. All in a day's work at Twitter, Inc.!


View original post|Add to del.icio.us | Share

Instead of simply being a date which will live in gluttony, this Thanksgiving was made special thanks to Tweetsgiving, a project designed to raise $10,000 in 48 hours in order to build a classroom in Tanzania. Guess what, it worked!
WE DID IT!!! We raised over $10,000 in just 48 hours through the power of TwitterCongratulations to the folks at Epic Change who raised 106% of their goal in such a short amount of time. MG Siegler of VentureBeat has a nice write-up of the accomplishment.
[apps change ]
View original post|Add to del.icio.us | Share

We're hearing lots of reports about on-the-scene reporting using Twitter from India as horrific terrorist attacks continue to unfold. Om Malik has suggested this Twitter Search query to follow the bad news as it continues to break.

View original post|Add to del.icio.us | Share

We were surprised today by out of control Canadian SMS costs and had to put 21212 into the same one sided SMS mode that folks in the UK, Australia and elsewhere currently use (they can send updates but can't receive). We posted first on our status blog.

Please understand that we did not mean to pull the rug out from under you if you depend on receiving Twitter updates through our Canadian shortcode. We would have preferred to take more time communicating this change but we had to act quickly and responsibly.

It's clear we have work to do on our SMS offerings. Our long term goal is robust SMS interaction with Twitter around the world. Similar to our other reliability efforts, we can achieve this with the right focus but it's not a quick fix. We're focusing now and we'll keep everyone updated as we make progress.

View original post|Add to del.icio.us | Share

Rael Dornfest is a famously talented engineer, author, and entrepreneur. Before founding Values of n, Rael served as Chief Technology Officer at O'Reilly Media and is known for his pioneering work on RSS as well being the series editor of O'Reilly's celebrated Hacks books. I met him personally a number of years ago and have always thought he was one of the smartest guys I know.

A short while ago it became clear to Rael that while the innovative personal productivity and information management applications his startup had created were useful products with a loyal following, Values of n was not going to meet its huge expectations as a standalone business.

As an early user, Rael has long been fascinated with Twitter and the unique challenges it presents. He started a conversation with us about how we might work together—and we recognized an amazing opportunity.

Today we're thrilled to announce that Twitter has acquired the assets of Values of n, which include an intelligent sticky-note application as well as a personal productivity application that works over email, SMS, and the Web. Rael has already started adding energy and momentum to the team as a full time Twitter engineer.

Values of n will be shutting down existing products. However, the technology behind the scenes will live on and potentially re-emerge as part of Twitter's systems, services, user experience, or open source libraries. Nothing specific in this regard is planned but there is some smart work in there by the newest member of our engineering team.

Welcome to Twitter, Rael!

View original post|Add to del.icio.us | Share

It's official: Shaq is on Twitter. Today's New York Times sports section has a great article about how quipmaster and pro basketball player Shaquille O'Neill discovered Twitter and rose to the challenge. What does Shaq think of Twitter so far? “It’s a fun thing. It’s a way for fans to connect.” Follow Shaq @the_real_shaq—his tweets are shaqalicious.

View original post|Add to del.icio.us | Share

Like most people, you probably have nothing at all to complain about. However, if you feel the need to kvetch, why not follow @kvetch and direct message your complaints? Theoretically, you'll fee better. If you don't, then just complain about it. More info at Kvetch.com.
[apps ]
View original post|Add to del.icio.us | Share

<embed flashvars="videoId=209518" src="http://www.thedailyshow.com/sitewide/video_player/view/default/swf.jhtml" quality="high" bgcolor="#cccccc" name="comedy_central_player" allowscriptaccess="always" allownetworking="external" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" align="middle" height="316" width="332"></embed>
About 30 seconds in they start bantering about Twitter. Had to put it on the blog for posterity.

View original post|Add to del.icio.us | Share

Congratulations @barackobama, it looks like you'll be the first President of the United States to have an official Twitter account. Also, thanks for taking part in an event that had a dramatic effect on Twitter activity and exposure worldwide. Here are some quick stats from yesterday.

• Updates increased 46% from previous Tuesday
• 7p-9p PST updates up 200% compared to same time last week
• Signups on Tuesday were up 40.3%
• Between 7p-9p PST signups were up 96.5% compared to same time last week
• Messages per second peaked almost 3x compared to first debate

And through it all, not a whale in site! Our technical approach over the last several months has been to find the weakest point of the system, fix it so it's no longer the weakest, move to the next weakest point, and so on. This simple technique has vastly improved performance, reliability, and capacity. We've got a lot of work ahead but yesterday certainly gave us hope.

View original post|Add to del.icio.us | Share

We had these little metal pins made up and we're giving them out tonight!

Looks like @nextinstinct spotted a Twittering voter in the wild!

Ben from Current TV designed this sticker.


View original post|Add to del.icio.us | Share

<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/sUMXuTM_KLs&amp;rel=0&amp;color1=0x2b405b&amp;color2=0x6b8ab6&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/sUMXuTM_KLs&amp;rel=0&amp;color1=0x2b405b&amp;color2=0x6b8ab6&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object>
Dave Troy has done it again. The guy behind Twittervision has built another compelling tool using Twitter. Twitter Vote Report urges folks to document any problems at the polls tomorrow on Twitter. Here's a news article about it.

View original post|Add to del.icio.us | Share

Our tiny robot friend way out there on planet Mars introduced lots of new people to Twitter and sent us back some amazing discoveries. Along the way, he also transformed the way NASA shares science with the world. MarsPhoenix was an amazing use of Twitter that did not go unrecognized and we're happy to have had the chance to share in this historic mission. Alas, when the icy cloak of Martian winter draws darkness across the distant planet, a solar powered robot must say farewell. Sweet dreams little guy!

View original post|Add to del.icio.us | Share

 Thomas Marban (@thomas) tells me his Android Twitter app, Twitroid, will be available for download in the next couple days. Looks pretty hot. (Now, if only I could get me one of those G1s...)

View original post|Add to del.icio.us | Share

Three years ago during my time as CEO of Odeo, I was lucky to be working with a software engineer Jack Dorsey who wasn't afraid to bring up an idea he'd been thinking about for a long time. What if a simple status message was the format for a social communication service? We were exploring various options for Odeo at the time and experimenting with SMS, so the idea was intriguing. Jack teamed up with Biz Stone to design a prototype. This simple idea called Twitter proved increasingly interesting the more we fleshed it out.

After my company Obvious purchased the assets of Odeo which at the time included Twitter from the shareholders, we decided to form Twitter, Inc as a separate company founded by myself along with Jack and Biz. Jack had by then been leading the project for months with Biz's support, and I was intent on pursuing Obvious. With my blessing, the reigns of Twitter CEO were handed to Jack and I accepted a position as Chairman of the Board.

Rising quickly to the challenge, Jack took Twitter through an order of magnitude of growth and two major rounds of financing, while safely navigating some very rocky waters that would have taken even more experienced leaders down with the ship. Jack is a unique individual with a knack for artful minimalism and simplicity, combined with great vision and ambition. We are indeed fortunate to have his guidance.

Stepping into Different Roles
Jack and I have worked together since the beginning to define a direction and goals for the future of Twitter. I took an active executive role as Chief Product Officer at Twitter. This decision was driven by my enthusiasm and belief that Twitter has huge potential and deserves my full efforts.

We're entering a new phase now and there are new kinds of challenges ahead. Healthy companies acknowledge the need for change even during the best of times. As Twitter grows both internally and externally, we took a good look at our path forward and saw the need for a focused approach from a single leader.

While the board of directors and the company have nothing but praise for where Jack has taken us, we also agree that the best way forward is for Jack to step into the role Chairman, and for me to become CEO. Jack will remain on the board and be closely consulted for all strategic decisions, while I take on day-to-day operations with the support of Biz, Jason, Greg, and the rest of this impressive Twitter team.

View original post|Add to del.icio.us | Share

Folks who use m.twitter.com to access Twitter on a mobile browser have long lamented the lack of replies. Today we're happy to say that @replies can be accessed via the mobile site. There's a link at the bottom of your timeline and here's a hint: you can just hit the number 1 on your keypad while browsing Twitter on your mobile and you'll go directly to the page.

View original post|Add to del.icio.us | Share

We put together another debate play-by-play illustrating tweet volume for specific terms mentioned during the last presidential debate. There were four big spikes associated with specific moments during the debate. The key phrases were tax, that one, nuclear, and health care. It looks like McCain's "that one" statement took home the prize of most tweets in one minute. For more election related information, visit Twitter Election 2008.

View original post|Add to del.icio.us | Share

Quick, to the trends!

• Give $25 is trending this morning as meaningful meme makes it's way through Twitter and helps kids with autism along the way.
• Jim Collins, author of Good to Great spoke evidently gave a very impressive presentation at a conference called Catalyst08 and the tweets are backing that up.
• New MacBooks will be introduced by Apple on October 14th and folks are already twittering in anticipation.
• FOWA and it's associated keyword, #fowa are trendy today as a whole bunch of geeks gather in London to discuss the future of web apps.

Yom Kippur and Sarah Palin sit quietly next to each other in the trends list alone with their thoughts. Kippur Palin? That might work!
[trends ]
View original post|Add to del.icio.us | Share

This is a wordle graph of words used within tweets during last night's debate.

View original post|Add to del.icio.us | Share

And we're back, with a look at this morning's trending topics.

• That One is trending because of how Mr. McCain referenced Mr. Obama during last night's debate. Obama supporters are having fun with "I'm voting for that one."
• BlackBerry Storm seems to be a-headed this way based on the sheer volume of covetous updates mentioning the newest product from RIM.
• Yom Kippur ascends toward the top of the trends as folks twitter about atonement—maybe we'll see some confessions of guilt via Twitter?
• Blu-ray snuck into the trends while I was sifting through Yom Kippur because Netflix has announced they'll be charging more for Blu-ray movies.

[trends ]
View original post|Add to del.icio.us | Share

Friday is typically a slower day on Twitter but not last week. Election momentum continues to build on Twitter and a few stats from Friday show it.

• Friday updates jumped 18.5% from previous Friday.
• Updates during the debate increased 160% compared to same time last week.
• Signups on Friday were up 23%.
• Signups during the debate were up 135% compared to same time last week.

We're adding a little polish to Twitter Election 2008 in advance of the upcoming debate in St. Louis—we suspect this debate will excite even more activity than the first.

View original post|Add to del.icio.us | Share

This morning's tour of Twitter trends.

• Apple has captured the top trend today as people react to the company's bold threat to close the world's biggest music store if American music publishers raise royalties 66%.
• NDA and iPhone are also trending because Apple has announced it will no longer require app developers to keep their projects under wraps.
• Halloween is trending this morning as lots of folks note that October has arrived and Twitter excitedly—about a month, of all things.
• Phish has reunited and it's generating a mix of twitter updates ranging from "who cares" to "break out the hacky sack."
• #mimasum08 is happening right now and people are twittering about Ze Frank's presentation at the Minnesota Interactive Marketing Association Summit.
• FOWA Miami has made it to the trends even though the event hasn't even happened yet—folks are just excited about going.

Sarah Palin, Senate, and #bailout continue to trend.
[trends ]
View original post|Add to del.icio.us | Share

A quick look at the newest trends on Twitter this morning.

• Rosh Hashanah is trending on Twitter as folks reflect back on the year in 140 characters or less—shofar sho good?
• Iron Man was released today on DVD and Blu Ray and Twitter is teeming with plans to watch it at home tonight.
• #atlgas is still trending as people in Atlanta work together on Twitter to find gas during the shortage affecting the area.

Obama, Sarah Palin, Bailout, Congress, and Wall Street remain top of mind as Twitter-ers share opinions and ideas about this election and the crazy roller coaster ride that is our economy.
[trends ]
View original post|Add to del.icio.us | Share

This graph illustrates tweet volume for specific terms mentioned during the course of last week's presidential debate. For example, how many updates per minute contained the word "Iran." Of the terms in this graph, the most twittered word in a one minute time span was "Iraq" at nearly 300 just after McCain's assertion that Obama did not visit the area for 900 days. We've annotated a few of the spikes with what the candidates were saying at the time. For more election related information, visit Twitter Election 2008.

View original post|Add to del.icio.us | Share

A Monday morning roundup of what we're all thinking about this morning on Twitter.

• Wachovia has rocketed to the top trend as folks twitter nervously regarding news of its acquisition by Citi Group.
• #atlgas is trending because people in Atlanta, Georgia have devised a clever way to help each other find gas during a sudden shortage.
• TinaFey has everyone a-twitter yet again as folks praise her spot on satire of vice presidential hopeful Sarah Palin.
• VoteForTheMILF.com has hit trend paydirt as folks draw conclusions based on the fact that it redirects to johnmccain.com.

Sarah Palin, Bailout, SNL, and Citigroup are also trending as the economy and this election continue to dominate our collective consciousness.

Update
Dow and #bailout have climbed to top spots on the trends as folks react to the House's rejection of the financial bailout package.
[trends ]
View original post|Add to del.icio.us | Share

Here's a quick look at today's trending topics.

• WaMu is today's top trend as folks with accounts share their anxiety, twitter about the takeover, and wonder what's next.
• ACL is picking up as people gear up for the Austin City Limits music festival (and watch workers swap the WaMu sign for Chase.)
• Miss Teen USA trends as people pass around a link to the YouTube video mashup of a teen pageant with Palin voiceover.
• USC has folks a-twitter as football fans lament or celebrate Oregon State University's triumph over USC.
• #churchtechcamp has made it to the trend board as folks in Los Angeles gather to explore the intersection of faith and tech.

For trending topics and opinions specifically related to the US presidential election, visit Twitter Election 2008.
[trends ]
View original post|Add to del.icio.us | Share

Politweets was one of the first to mix Twitter and politics. Other interesting mash-ups were created by C-SPAN for both the RNC and the DNC. There's also the amazingly cool Perspctv and of course there's Current TV's plan to Hack The Debate. Today, we're adding to the mix by launching Twitter Election 2008 built upon our search and trending functionality.

Twitter E08

What Do We Think?

Every second of every day, people all around the world share the answer to a simple question, "What are you doing?" With only 140 characters to work with, folks tend to share the reactions, opinions, and ideas foremost in their thoughts. This public cacophony reveals what is truly on our minds—Election 2008 on Twitter exposes these topics.

During the first presidential debate in Oxford, Mississippi and each subsequent debate leading up to and beyond election day, Twitter will be performing real-time algorithmic analysis on millions of unedited public reactions. These trending topics along with a live ticker of continuously fresh opinions are available now at election.twitter.com.

What Do You Think?

In addition to exposing emerging political topics, Twitter E08 invites visitors to include their opinions and reactions in 140 characters or less. Twitter is the pulse of what is happening with the people, organizations, and events you care about—delivered immediately, wherever you are. Proven compelling during shared events ranging from earthquakes to film festivals, Twitter now introduces an engaging new way to participate in democracy.

Twitter E08 Features

• Hot Election Topics are determined by a variety of search queries
  
• The topics at the top of the page are updated every 15 minutes
• Clicking at topic filters the content based on that particular word or phrase
  
• Obama and McCain's Twitter accounts are updated whenever they update
• People can participate in the box under "What do you think?"
• The main timeline is a live ticker—new updates appear every second or so
  
• Clicking the sidebar tabs filters the main timeline by candidate name
• We'll be featuring notable Twitter accounts in the sidebar
• Updates made at Twitter E08 will link back to election.twitter.com
  

Twitter E08 Topic Page

Note: A Twitter account is not required unless you want to participate by adding your own opinions, thoughts, or ideas. Which you should! Also, send your thoughts via SMS on your mobile while you're watching the debates—that'll work too. What do you think?

View original post|Add to del.icio.us | Share

Our daily pre-noon roundup of current Twitter trends.

• Palin has folks a-twitter since her spontaneous press availability this morning and her chat with reporters at Ground Zero.
• Jack Thompson is stirring things up again this time on Twitter as folks react to his permanent disbarment with a collective w00t.
• Obama is picking up tweets today as people wonder aloud whether he will take the television time allotted for the debate for himself.
• Congress and Wall Street are back on Twitter as folks tweet nervously about the recent agreement regarding the bailouts.
• #cdninst has made its way onto the trends list today as folks apparently gather in Canada to discuss software of various sorts and kinds.
• John McCain is all over the place on Twitter since announcing that he's suspending his campaign and canceling on Letterman.
• Y Combinator's newest graduate, a link-sharing service called SocialBrowse is building interest as folks react to its public launch.
• Twestival was trending earlier as folks in London geared up for "a tweet-up with a social conscience" going on now.

[trends ]
View original post|Add to del.icio.us | Share

Here's quick look at today's fresh trends as of about 11am PST.

• Clay Aiken started trending yesterday and he's topping the charts today—his official coming out has people Twittering in ironic shock.
• Matt Millen is stepping down from his role as vice president of the Detroit Lions causing many virtual high-fives in the form of tweets.
• PETA is getting attention as folks react strongly to the suggestion that Ben and Jerry's make ice cream from human breast milk.
• #picnic08 was topping the trends earlier but has fallen off as attendees of this conference in Amsterdam settle in for the evening.

On the political front, Obama, Sarah Palin, Biden, and McCain are trending as expected. Apple, iPhone, T-Mobile G1, and AT&T are still trending as yesterday's technology news continues to drive discussion.
[trends ]
View original post|Add to del.icio.us | Share

I've just taken a quick look at what's trending on Twitter right now and tried to explain why in 140 characters or less.

• T-Mobile is trending because Google and T-Mobile have announced G1 a fancy new computer phone like the iPhone.
• Obama is generating tweets today as people react to his comments on CNN from Florida about the current state of the US economy.
• Heroes is still inspiring tweets even after the US premiere of its second season—lots of folks are just now watching it via DVR or online.
• Sarah Palin trends every day but today folks are tweeting about her visit to the UN and that she's only had a passport since 2007.
• iPhone is generally popular but trending more today because of a power adapter recall and the new competitor from Google.
• Adobe is generating tweets today because they've released their flagship software suite, Adobe CS4.
• Paulson is showing up in the Twitter trends as people exchange opinions about the government bailouts in the US.
• Mothra is trending apparently due to a growing meme of "Your Mothra..." jokes—not sure what's up with that.
• Apple seems to be trending for two reasons: folks are eating a lot of apples today and they're discussing iPhones and other Apple products.

View original post|Add to del.icio.us | Share

Andrew Ratner from the Baltimore Sun takes a little tour of history's short messages in his article, We're all a-twitter being succinct.
Samuel Morse tapped out this historic message upon inventing the telegraph: What hath God wrought?

22 characters long.

Alexander Graham Bell's first spoken words on a telephone: Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you.

41 characters.

Neil Armstrong upon walking onto the moon: That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.

58 characters.Hmm, maybe our first tweet should have been more prophetic.

View original post|Add to del.icio.us | Share