The Fun Frenzy of a Twitter Chat

      By this time many of you are undoubtedly on Twitter.  You may or may not have found the advantage of being on Twitter and if you're like me you might still be experimenting with this social media site to see what can be done with it.  I might never figure out the absolute usefulness of Twitter, but for now I have some fun with it when I can.   One interesting Twitter activity is the "chat".

      A Twitter chat is something that can absolutely make your head spin as you're getting accustomed to it.   Think of it as a bunch of people talking all at once and you have to keep track of as many conversations as you can and respond to the parts that pertain to you or interest you the most.  In this scenario, instead of conversing aurally, the conversations are all written back and forth so that everything is in a combination of delayed time and thinking ahead to what you're going to type and send next.  This is conversation that can really keep you on your toes and get you lost if you're not staying on top of it all.

TweetDeck (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

       If you've never followed a Twitter chat I don't recommend doing it on your regular Twitter feed.  I did that the first time and ended up all over the place unable to add anything of my own into the conversation.  Then I started using Tweetdeck, a site for organizing your Twitter streams into manageable columns such as notifications and various hashtags which act as labels for an ongoing chat.  There are a number of these social media dashboard sites that will manage what you want to see on the Twitter feeds.  My recommendation is to do your own Google search to find the one that suits your needs the best.

       Want to see what I'm alluding to in this post?   I'm not going to go into the details of explaining how a chat works, but instead I recommend that you check one out for yourself.  What better way than dropping in on one of the A to Z Challenge chats?    These occur every Thursday at 1 PM and 8 PM Eastern Time.   The hashtags you will look for are #AZChat and #AtoZChallenge.

        You'll almost always see some sporadic activity with these hashtag labels, but things really break loose when the chat times come.  This is the time to ask questions, share your blog links, and meet others in the A to Z community.  And to keep the conversations going, the A to Z hosts will periodically put up their own questions as conversation prompts.   There is never a dull moment during the A to Z Chats.

         Try it this coming Thursday to see what it's all about.  Grab a coffee, a glass of wine, your water bottle, or whatever you'd like and sit in to talk to the group about your A to Z thoughts.  You can even just sit in and read if you'd prefer, but once you get into that rhythm of the chatter you will probably want to jump in with your own things to say.

        It's great fun and it's informative too.  Need blog or twitter followers?  Start with an A to Z Chat so you can find like minded folks who you'll enjoy mingling with.   After all, the community is one of the main benefits of A to Z.  The A to Z chats are another way to enjoy that community a bit more.

        Drop in this Thursday to see what I'm talking about.   We'll be looking for you  so be sure to at least say "hello".

         Are you signed up on Twitter?  If not, why not?  Have you participated in a Twitter chat?   If so tell us about the experience you had.  

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Who Do You Follow? Who Do You Read? #atozchallenge #AZchat

Twitter (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

         It has now been a little over two years since I opened my Twitter account.   I can't say that I know much more about Twitter now than I did back then but I suppose I've gotten better.  With well over 5000 followers and nearly 8000 tweets to my account, I guess I'm not what one might consider a Twitter heavyweight, but I'm doing moderately well for whatever that's worth.

         When I first started on Twitter I naturally began following all of my blog contacts who had accounts and a few other people I know.   I also began following every literary agent and publisher I came across.  I figured by doing so I'd get some insider knowledge about things I'd need to know about being a writer and perhaps even get a foot in the door with some of these contacts.  Wrong!--at least as far as I can tell.

         First of all, I discovered that most of these agents and publishers had a ton of followers--probably writers like me with the same goals as I have--and they had a minuscule number of accounts that they were following.  They were unlikely to see any of my tweets and probably didn't care whether they saw them or not.  Like any high profile Twitterer, they were sitting in their high places tweeting their tweets expecting their fans to revel in everything they sent into Twitterland.   Where I would excitedly note who followed my account and courteously follow them back, they were probably deleting every "following" notice they received as quickly as they came in.  Actually they probably had an assistant or an intern casting people like me off into non-entity limbo.

        Not only would they be unlikely to ever follow my Twitter account, I discovered that most of the publishers were just tweeting marketing information about their products and many of the agents were tweeting absolute nonsense.  They were making comments about the weather or what they ate or some such usual nonsense that many people tweet about.  If I tweet about stubbing my toe nobody's especially interested, that is if they even happen to notice my tweet in the first place. An agent needs to be tweeting me something that's going to provide me with information that is going to lead me to success.  I guess not though.  After all they're just people too and they don't have all that much to tweet about either and if they do have something about business it's about their client or something like that.

        I eventually decided that I didn't need the agent tweet clutter in my feed and started unfollowing all of the agents.  I get enough dumb stuff flying through my Twitter feed.

         Oh, and if you're an agent and you happen to be reading this post, I wasn't talking about you.  I love you and would like to start following your Twitter account.   Just let me know your handle and I'll faithfully read about what you had for lunch or what you're wearing today.   And if you're ready to sign a contract with me then let's talk.   I love all of your tweets!  You can find me at @ArleeBird.  I follow back!


Tweeters You Should Know

         If you want to get to know some great folks on Twitter then join in the next A to Z Challenge Chats on Twitter tomorrow (Thursday March 27th at 1 PM and 8 PM EST).  This is a good bunch of people who have a good time and dispense some useful information.

          You can even join in if you're not signed up yet for the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge and just want to know more about it.   Have questions about A to Z?   Jump into the conversational fun and just ask.  The previous chats were very enjoyable--much more so than I had expected.

          All agents and publishers are welcome to join the A to Z chat sessions cause I really do like you.    Just ignore what I said earlier.

Why Should You Come to #AZchat?

         A to Z co-host Pam the Unconventional Librarian tells about why you should attend the A to Z Twitter Chats.  Please drop over to her site and take a look.

          While you're at Pam's blog, if you haven't done this already, please stop in to check out my guest post about one of my favorite books.

           Do you follow Twitter accounts of literary agents, publishers, or other professionals whom you think can be helpful to you in your field of interest?   Do you follow any celebrities or well known people?    Can you recommend any particularly helpful tweeters who post useful content?

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Choosing Sides: Why Do You Fight Your Battles?

English: Cat Play-fight (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

   

Do You Want to Fight?

        This is a wishy washy post.   In other words I don't want to bring up any specific issues about what I believe or about which I have opinions.  We all have some sort of belief and probably most of us have strong opinions about certain specific issues.  These beliefs and opinions may concern matters of major consequence to society or they may be irrelevant to most people.  The point is that there are matters of disagreement that we all have with someone somewhere.   Do we defend our stance on an issue or do we cede to the side with the loudest or most persistent voices?

         My blog often will present debatable topics that have some degree of controversy.   This can be risky when it comes to retaining readers and not sending them off in anger, distaste, or some sense where they feel that my blog does not fit it with what they want to read.   I take that chance in the interest of discussion as well as the increase of knowledge and understanding.  My greatest desire is to find thoughtful readers who enjoy discussion among those with differing viewpoints.

        There are, however, certain topics that I do not address here and probably won't because they are such hot-button issues that they will target me from the opposing side causing more flack than I care to deal with as a blogger.  I don't have the stamina or heart to take up certain battles.

         Then there have been a few battles that I have taken on because I felt a confidence that many readers were on my side and my discussing the topics would not create any significant opposition that would overly affect me in an adverse way.  I won't name those topics, but I will say that the nature of them has been so absurd in many ways that arguing against them has mostly been an exercise in futility with a bit of debate entertainment thrown in the mix.

         The blog battles that I have enjoyed the most so far are the Battle of the Bands posts that I do here every 1st and 15th of the month.  Otherwise I'm not here to battle any issues in a fierce combative manner that goes on and on.   Some topics may crop up more than once and there are some that I may never talk about.   I won't name any of them here in this post.

Why Do We Pick a Side?

          Let me present to you some sketchy thoughts on choosing sides and why we might choose battles to fight.   This is a much more vast topic than I want to address in this post so I'll present them as a list.   A few things that we base our decisions on:

1)  Feelings
2)  Unwillingness to accept personal accountability
3)  Self-centered me-ism
4)  What we think others think
5)  What we think others will think about us
6)  Our cultivated morality or lack of morality.
7)  Rebellion against traditional values or alignment with societal norms
8)  To feel accepted and to be part of a movement
9)  The platform of our politics
10)  What will benefit us individually or the needs of a group with which we affiliate ourselves.

       What other reasons for decision making when forming opinions can you think of?    Do you have causes that you feel strongly enough about to take action for or against?   What kinds of causes will you risk taking up even with the knowledge that you might be labeled in some way?    Do you avoid discussing your advocacies on your blog or do you tend to be open about your beliefs?    Are there any types of opinions that would make you stop reading what a blogger had to say?   What causes have you seen taken up that you would consider dumb or frivolous?   


Thursday #AZchat

Twitter Logo (Photo credit: Jon Gosier)

        Hope you can join us tomorrow (Thursday March 20th) at 1 PM and 8 PM Eastern U.S. Time for our weekly Twitter chats.  The previous ones have been fun and informational.   Topics relevant to the April Challenge are introduced and addressed by A to Z Team members.  If you have a question that you've been wondering about, this is a good time to ask.    If you've never joined in on a Twitter chat this is a good way to find out what they're all about.  Hope to see you there.

A to Z Theme Reveal

 

       It's not too late to sign up for the A to Z Theme Reveal coming up Friday March 21st.   This is the event where you tell us about the theme you've chosen for the Blogging from A to Z 2014 April Challenge.  It's a good way to get a head start on the Challenge and let other bloggers get to know you better.  If you've already revealed your theme you can still sign up since there are undoubtedly many bloggers who still don't know what you're doing.   Introduce yourself and your blog to the A to Z participants.   To sign up you can go to A to Z Theme Reveal.

   

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Twitter Thoughts #atozchallenge #AZchat

Twitter (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

        If you have not yet signed up for the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, today is a great day to do it.  I'll tell you why at the end of this post.  First though, if you're not already on it, click this A to Z sign-up list link and add your blog to the ever-growing roster of participants. You'll be glad you did and sad if you didn't.  We'll wait while you do it, but don't forget to come back to this post.   

 And Now A Word About Twitter

         Twitter is a strange place.  Have you been there yet?  It's the cacophony of silent speech.  A lingual assault on the eyes and brain.  Twitter is all at once funny, wise, stupid, enigmatic, shallow, callow, repetitious, and marketing-focused.   With millions on Twitter it's millions of intents from millions of different minds.  It is the crazy monster of social media.

          I'm still trying to figure out what to do with Twitter.   I experiment with it.  I play and have fun with it.  Sometimes I make discoveries on the Twitter feed, but mostly it's just a passing parade of quips, links, and peculiar observations.   It's like trying to hold conversation on a busy street with everyone who passes by you.  You might catch a thought that goes by but then it's gone.  Of course it's kind of frozen in time where you can go back to see what was said, but with so much happening it's difficult to revisit those moments that are lost in the endless thread of tweets.

         Sure, I guess you can mark certain tweets as favorites.  It's kind of like assembling a scrapbook when you're drunk.  You have a collection of stuff that you saved, but when you look back you might not remember why you saved it.  A mind under the influence of Twitter can be a befuddled mess.

        From what I'm saying, you might be thinking I dislike Twitter.  I do like Twitter.  Don't get me wrong.  Like I indicated earlier I'm still trying to figure Twitter out, understand it's effectiveness, and learn ways in which I can make it work better for me.

         Like having a goodly number of blog followers, a lot of Twitter followers might be a goal for some of us.  I feel like I have a pretty respectable number of followers.  Most of them probably see my tweets as much as I see theirs--not very much.  Who has time to sit and watch that passing progression of Twitter feed?   And read every tweet and follow every link?   It's a madhouse of  mostly non-communication disguised as a form of communication.

         It can be kind of fun in the same sense as talking to oneself is sometimes fun.  I've told myself some very funny jokes that I never tell anyone else because I usually can't remember jokes very well.   Likewise I think I've tweeted some rather clever stuff that I don't know if anyone sees or not.   When I get on a roll I feel very creative    I'll crank out the one liners and wonder if anyone is laughing.

          But when I see something I've tweeted get retweeted or favorited then I know at least someone in that vast population of twitterers has noticed me.   I feel validated and smile.   For a millisecond I'm a star--a passing thought in someone's mind until the next thought that enters the space that mine once occupied.

          Yes, Twitter can be a strange chaos.

Twitter Coherency

          Don't be discouraged about Twitter!   There is a place where you can find fun, friends, and community.  It's the A to Z Chats or in Twitspeak #AZchat.  For those of you already on Twitter, you can enter the hashtag #AZchat in the search box and see what's been happening already in the #AZchat community.

          A chat helps create a focus to your Twitter communication.  You might find it a bit dizzying if you're not used to it, but if you jump in the midst of the chat you're sure to pick up some useful information.  Don't be afraid to ask questions.  The #AZchat is a great way to find out whatever you've been wondering about the #atozchallenge and maybe make a few new friends while you're at it.   You can discover other bloggers in the  A to Z to follow on Twitter while adding new followers to your own Twitter account.   No downside there!

         If you're looking for a stream of tweets with a common topic then #AZchat is a great place to visit.  Just remember when joining in the conversation to use the identifying hashtags #AZchat and #atozchallenge. Currently #atozchallenge chats are now every Thursday at 1 EST and 8 EST. Follow #AZchat to join the fun!

Not on Twitter yet? Give it a try. Visit Twitter and open your own account. Once you have your account it's something that doesn't take up much of your time at all. If nothing else you can start by retweeting anything you see about the A to Z Challenge. And don't forget to tweet the links to your own blog posts.

These days Twitter is almost a must for every author or anyone with a marketing interest--in other words everybody. After you've become adept at the Twitter game please fill me in on what you've learned. There's always something new under the sun when you're tweeting.

And Don't Forget These Resources

The Blogging from A to Z Challenge Blog is your go to site for help tips, interesting news, and other relevant information about the A to Z community. The site just passed 2000 followers. If you aren't following yet, please go to the site and click on the Join This Site button at the top right of the sidebar to show your support for A to Z.

         Your A to Z Team of Co-hosts and their teams of helpers have been hard at work promoting the Challenge and making sure everything goes smoothly now and through April.   Show them support by following their blogs and stopping long enough to say "hello".   You'll also find A to Z information on many of these blogs over the months leading up to April.    You'll find the A to Z Team links a short ways down the right-hand sidebar of the A to Z Blog.   Co-host helpers are listed on a page at the A to Z Blog.

          REMEMBER to join us Thursday on Twitter at 1 PM EST and 8 PM EST (or Daylight Time where applicable).    Use hashtag #AZchat and #atozchallenge.  

          Are you on Twitter yet?   How do you use it?   Have you found Twitter to be useful for your needs?    Have you ever joined in a Twitter chat?

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Marketing Trends Then, Now, and the Future: Guest Hijacker Renée Pawlish

          I don't know about you, but I never get too much info about marketing.   My guest hijacker Renée Pawlish knows a thing or two about the topic and is here to share.  

The Ever-Changing Face of Marketing

I’ve been an independent author for a little over a year now and I find that this new age of publishing is exciting, hectic and ever-changing.  When I first came on the scene, John Locke and Amanda Hocking were the indie authors everyone was talking about, wondering how those two had such phenomenal success.  I had just published Nephilim Genesis of Evil and was hoping to be discovered as well.  So what’s happened since the summer of 2011 and what might happen in the future?

First, don’t expect to have the same kind of success as Locke or Hocking.  Locke was a marketing person before he started writing and he had a lot of money to throw at his marketing efforts (he’s also admitted to buying over 300 mostly positive reviews for his first few books, and that helped him suddenly sell well).  Hocking created a zombie-based blog tour that helped her sales.  Both of these approaches won’t work well now.  There is too much negative press about independent authors, Amazon and reviews right now, so don’t think about buying reviews.  And in my personal opinion, most blog tours don’t work either because lots of indie authors are doing it.

Twitter is next.  Does it work for marketing?  Yes, at least it has for me, but not like it did for some of the first adopters.  There are tons of indie authors using Twitter so it’s lost some of its effectiveness.  Authors need to be active on social media, but it’s important that you know your audience so that you can target your audience with your marketing efforts.  And social media is, well, social, so you don’t want to just market your books.

What worked a month ago (or a week, or day) may not work now.  How many have tried KDP Select, using free days to try and bump book sales?  Those that were in the program in the first couple of months saw great success, but in March Amazon changed its algorithms and how it weighs free versus paid books, and it’s much harder to get any real sales jump.  Sure, it happens for some, but not like it was in the golden first few months.

So what does the future hold?  Who knows?  I hear rumblings that Amazon expects another year of great ebook sales, especially around the holidays, but then ebooks sales are expected to level off.  I don’t see print sales going away anytime soon, so I continue to offer all my books in paperback and ebook format.

KDP Select is dead, at least as a great marketing machine for indie authors.  I think the next big thing may be with Apple or other e-reading formats.  Barnes and Noble might at some point get its act together and be a force for indie authors.

One thing I do know, and this is echoed by many successful authors: keep writing and keep publishing.  The more books you have available, the more sales you generate.  I now have nine books available and I do find that people will like one of my books and they come back for more.  That’s flattering for me, but it also keeps me motivated to keep writing more (that, and that I love writing).

So keep writing, stay on top of marketing trends and keep pursuing your dreams.

Author Bio:

Renée Pawlish is the award-winning author of the bestselling Nephilim Genesis of Evil, the first in the Nephilim trilogy, the Reed Ferguson mystery series (This Doesn't Happen In The Movies, Reel Estate Rip-off, The Maltese Felon, and the short story Elvis And The Sports Card Cheat), The Noah Winters YA Adventure series (The Emerald Quest), Take Five, a short story collection, and The Sallie House: Exposing the Beast Within, a nonfiction account of a haunted house investigation.

Renée has been called “a promising new voice to the comic murder/mystery genre” and “a powerful storyteller”.  Nephilim Genesis of Evil has been compared to Stephen King and Frank Peretti.

Renée was born in California, but has lived most of her life in Colorado. When she's not hiking, cycling, or chasing ballplayers for autographs, she is writing mysteries, thrillers and horror. She loves to travel and has visited numerous countries around the world. She has also spent many summer days at her parents' cabin in the hills outside of Boulder, which was the inspiration for the setting of Taylor Crossing in her novel Nephilim: Genesis of Evil.

Visit Renée's website http://www.reneepawlish.com or her blog http://tobecomeawriter.com.

Amazon link for books:

http://www.amazon.com/Renee-Pawlish/e/B0058PXUPO/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1347331399&sr=8-1

       What has worked for you?   Where do you think the future of marketing will go?    Do you agree with Renée's assessments?

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Web Presence

Telephone Directory, 1896 (Photo credit: MildlyDiverting)

Information Please 

      These days telephone books and other specialized directories have nearly become obsolete.  Like most people probably do, when I want to find a business or information about somebody or something, I will typically do an internet search.   Most information provided by directories can be found on-line, plus we have the added ability of cross-referencing information in multiple sources.  If you are in business or trying to market something, this is why you need a web presence.

Leave Footprints

        If you're reading this, it probably indicates that you already have some web presence.  Odds are you have a blog and that's one step in establishing your place in cyberspace.  You are also probably signed up on one or more social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.   The more places on the web that you can be found, the more significant your web presence is.

        I am of course stating the obvious to most of you.  My blog entry today is not going to be any extensive how-to on the subject of search engine optimization or building a website or anything of this nature.  And since I am no expert on these types of topics I can only allude to them and recommend that you do your own research in the many books, blogs, and websites that are dedicated to these topics.

         Tied in with physical visibility is the virtual visibility provided by the internet.  The platform that concerns most of us is our blog.  Once you have a blog established it is important to infuse quality content into it, especially if you are intending it to be a professional showcase of who you are and the abilities you possess.  A blog can be a great marketing tool as much as it can be the stage for a fool.  Hopefully you are not putting yourself in the latter category unless buffoonery is the persona you are trying to sell.

         Blogging web presence is not just limited to your blog.  Realize that your comments on other blogs are also part of that presence.  Quality comments can get noticed in a good way.  A caveat which I know well is that an inappropriate comment can linger as well and bite you in the behind when you least expect it.  Be careful what you say.

Be Sociable

        Another very important aspect to blogging presence is being recognized on the blogs of others.  Make friends in the community of other bloggers.   Give credit to what other bloggers are doing and showcase them on your blog.  Host guest bloggers if you can.  And whenever possible be a guest on other blogs if you are invited to do so.  Maximum exposure without overexposure is the name of the game in blogging.

Be My Guest

            So with that opening let me extend my invitation.  After the April Challenge it's business back to normal on my blogs.  I will be looking for the occasional guests on Tossing It Out who have books released or something of particular interest to my audience.  On Wrote By Rote I frequently feature those who have memoirs in print or who have something of special interest to those who are interested in the topic of memoir writing.  If you have something that might fit well on my dream blog I'll even consider a guest now and then on A Faraway View.  We will also be looking for a lot of guest posts at the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge Blog during the course of the rest of the year--contact us or watch that blog for more details.

         If you are interested in doing guest posts for any of these, please contact me at arleebird@gmail.com.

Some of my past guests include:

Teresa at Journaling Woman has long been a blog friend of mine.  If you haven't visited her A to Z entries you must experience the unique treats she has to offer.  She's been working very hard on her stories.

Karen Walker is another blogger whom I have followed since my earliest blogging days and will provide some food for thought when you visit her blog Author Karen Walker...following the whispers.

Larry Cavanaugh at DiscConnected could not join us for this year's Challenge but he's given much input into my site both on the page and behind the scenes.  Music lovers will especially appreciate his site.

Marcus Clearspring has not actually been posting in this year's Challenge, but he's made an important contribution.   You know those A to Z Navigation Buttons that so many of you have added to your pages?  Well, Marcus is the guy that created those for you to use.  Please stop by to say hello and thank him.

       
            What are some ways you have left digital footprints?  Do you host guests on your blog?   Do you make guest appearances on other blogs?

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Why You Should Use Twitter

Image via Wikipedia

                                                                Image via CrunchBase


   Most of us are now faced with the quandary of which social media platform is the best one to be on and as a consequence we join more than one, and in some cases many.  Twitter is running a close race with Facebook and for many is the social networking platform of choice.  I have finally given in and caught the Twitter bug.

       I'll be honest about this--I don't entirely get it.  When I'm on the Twitter page I see a lot of random messages that seem to have little interconnection.   Sometimes there is interaction like brief instant message exchanges, but mostly it seems to be users saying random things to no specified person or promotional bits touting some book, product, or link.

       There were times when I was scrolling through the tweets that I would find a potentially interesting link that I would visit.  I did find a few items that caught my attention and even found a couple of blogs that I ended up following.  But quite frankly I mostly just skimmed through the tweet lists and most of it just whizzed past my eyes in a blur.  A person could just sit all day following tweet links.  And it looks like some people are tweeting links all day--sometimes over and over.

        So I'm probably having some of the same thoughts that some of you are having.  And my approach to my initial tweeting experience is based on what I saw others doing.  What is the primary purpose of tweeting? Is there a right or a wrong way to approach the Twitter message?

         Rosalind Adam, one of my blog friends, greeted my arrival on Twitter and then added  "Twitter's an excellent way of getting feedback and chat but it's not for just selling."  


         She was a bit miffed about the practice of some Tweeters of only promoting product and suggested that she might stop following some of those who were doing only this.  I can understand some of her frustration as their were times when I felt like I was looking at an online version of newspaper classified ads with some that were duplicated periodically.  I for one ignored these for the most part.  I'm wondering if sales result from these promo tweets?   Or is it like a repetitive message that gradually embeds its way into ones psyche for later retrieval?


        There were a few instances of banter that I saw and I even engaged in a few brief exchanges.   However with so much going on it feels like being in a crowd or at a party where everyone is talking at once and any real meaningful conversation gets lost in the hubbub.  Do you ever have an exchange of substance?  Or do you merely joust in inanities and minor pleasantries?  


         Then I saw a lot of quotes and absurd statements.  That's mostly what I ended up doing as I engaged in experimentation.  I wanted to see if I could generate interest in my Thursday post on A Faraway View by interjecting cryptic mentions of "Federal Duck".   In a sense I was trying to test the medium as a means of messaging a concept that might stimulate curiosity and draw readers to the post later.  I did get some new readers so I guess my attempt worked in a minor way.   Then again, maybe "Federal Duck" sounded so inane that most people just ignored it as stupid.  Well, I thought it was funny and I think I came up with a few clever lines, so if nothing else I entertained myself.


        So is that a big part of not only Twitter, but much social media--especially social media in the short form such as Twitter?  Are we mostly just tossing our words out there hoping that someone will latch on to something?  Does most of our twitter chatter fall on deaf eyes unless we are Angelina Jolie's leg or Lady GaGa or some such entity?   And even then, are they idle words that fill a temporary space in time with little lasting value?


         Is Twitter most effective as marketing, communication, or fulfillment of self?   I'm curious to hear from those who have more experience with this or who have given the Twitter concept more thought?  I often walk through life in bewilderment and like to see if the explanations that others give me can clarify the way I see things.    So what can you tell me?   How can I best spend my Twitter time?  Or should I run away and not look back?


        Oh and by the way, don't forget to click my Twitter button in the sidebar--there are two of them.  I want more followers.  It will increase the odds of somebody hearing this Bird tweet.

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When Things Don't Go Like They're Supposed To

Image via CrunchBase

         Today I was supposed to have a post about Twitter and my observations on the first few days of using it.  Well, I changed my mind.   My plan now is to move that scheduled post until Friday--if all goes right.

          I was even announcing my Twitter post on Twitter over the past couple days.  Now I'm all red-faced that it's not gonna happen today.  But I will get to it.  And actually I'm not red-faced anyway.  I have my reasons.

          Weird computer issues.  Don't know what was going on yesterday, but I'm sure most of you have had issues like this before.  Actually I think it was Alex J Cavanaugh's fault by setting the blogosphere on fire with the release of CassaFire.  What a day for Alex, eh?  Congratulations on what seemed to be a very successful book launch.  Of course, I missed much of it dealing with whatever unexplained things I was dealing with.  Must have been Alex's fault,  Yeah, that's who I'll blame.  I don't think the Federal Duck would do anything like that.

         Then there is this new Blogger comment thing that seems to only be present in the pop up box.  No "subscribe to comments" option seems to be available.  I saw where others also mentioned this so it's not just me.  What's up with that?  It's difficult to keep track of the conversation without the notification and I can't keep track of where I've left my comments.  I hope Blogger fixes this.  Does anyone know what's going on with this?  The design of the pop-up box is even different now.

           Last time I looked you could still subscribe to comments with the embedded comment box, but so many people had said they were having problems with that system (and I used to as well until I started using Chrome) that I switched to the pop-up box.   Now I'm thinking I might change back--I like the possibility of interaction even though it usually didn't happen.  What's everyone else doing?

          I was also having problems with leaving comments on WordPress sites.  I would compose a wonderful comment, but then when I submitted it the comment just disappeared.  I thought it was just a fluke until it kept happening with every WordPress comment I left.  Now what's that about?  Did anyone else have any problems with that or is this something on my end?

         Twitter did see some action from me over the past couple days and that's what I really wanted to talk about.  Hopefully that will happen on Friday.   Although maybe anyone who saw my tweets about Federal Duck would just wish I'd shut up.   I'm serious about the Federal Duck issue.   Some out in Twitterland probably just thought those tweets were wise quacks.

          So now after a tedious day of frustrations I'm tired.  I'm ready to duck out of here and go to bed. Looks like I'm back on line, but now it's too late to do anything with it.  Tomorrow will be another day from where I stand (or actually sit), but for now tomorrow waits for today.  And ducks are birds too.

          And if all goes as planned, Federal Duck will be my Thursday topic on that other blog of mine--A Faraway View.   Quack!

           Did any of you experience the comment box problems that I mentioned above?   Are you on Twitter? If so, how do you use it and do you find it useful?

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Just Rambling -- #atozchallenge

Image via Wikipedia

      In the mid-1960s my parents bought a Rambler station wagon.  It caught fire somewhere outside Pulaski, Virginia.

      Actually there was only a tiny bit of fire inside the engine when it overheated as we climbed up the mountain after exiting off Interstate 81 because the gauge was registering a high temperature.  The car didn't really catch fire, but it makes for a good story to tell it that way.  This story is always good for some laughs at family gatherings.

      This has nothing to do with my post today.  I only used this thought because I used the word "rambling" in my title and had a flash of word association.  This concept of making associations is something I'll be blogging about in the future.  How can anyone say they can't come up with something to write about?  Or is it more of a case of having so much to write about that you don't quite know where to start?

     Today I'm just killing some time with this post.  In the future I'll be putting up a post about the topic of "killing time"--somehow that post keeps getting postponed.  I kind of hate it when I have to pone my posts, but these new ideas keep interrupting my schedule.  And since I have a special post scheduled for tomorrow, I thought maybe I'd just blabber today.

     And speaking of blabbering:

                    Image via WikipediaI am now on Twitter!  Please follow me @ArleeBird

 

       
         As the cheering subsides, I will continue.   This was destined to happen.  I began playing with Twitter this past Saturday on the A to Z Challenge Twitter account.   Then when I started getting a bit out of hand with my tweets about "Federal Duck" I knew it was time to take the conversation to my own Twitter site.

       So now you can get updates on "Federal Duck" and all sorts of other inanities and nonsensical wise quacks on my own personal Twitter site--that is unless the Twitter folks decide to kick me out of the aviary for my palavering.  And from what I've seen on Twitter so far I'm probably in no danger.  After all, an Arlee Bird needs to Twitter.

       Yes, this Federal Duck thing is going somewhere.  Some of you might hope it will be going far away and if so, you will be getting your wish.  Be sure to check this week's edition of A Faraway View, another blog that many of you probably don't I have.  How's that for some product placement?

        Speaking of product placement, I'm not done with that topic yet.  I've still got more posts to come on that topic, marketing, advertising, and all sorts of capitalistic fun.  Consider this mention today an advertisement of things to come when I'm not getting sidetracked with other topics.

        So like I was saying, this coming Wednesday on this blog--Tossing It Out--I will be putting in a few words about Twitter. It will be more than 140 words you can rest assured, but I'll try to keep it relatively short.

        Here's my goal:  I want to learn about this Twitter thing.  I'll be tossing out my thoughts on it and looking for some education tossed back to me from you Twitter experts.  And I'm sure that even those of you who don't give a whit about how to twit can offer some valuable insight.

       But I'm stealing my own thunder.  Come back Wednesday for that story because I hear the sound of a nearer storm approaching.  Could it be a CassaStorm?   No, that's coming later.  The roar of revelry I hear in the near future is the sound of the party tomorrow for Alex J. Cavanaugh's Catch Fire CassaFire release party.  Are you ready to feel the burn of a hot new best seller from Alex?

       Join us tomorrow as the Blogoverse erupts when Alex makes his grand re-entry into the sci-fi scene.  Are you ready to party?

        And do not--I repeat, do not--forget to sign up for the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge.  Tell your friends, enemies, family, and family who are enemies to get on board with us as we strive to achieve the amazing feat of 1000 by this Thursday March 1st.

        Then we'll talk about April 1st.

         Oh, and one more thing.  Be sure to stop by Yvonne's blog Welcome to My World of Poetry as she versifies the visit we had with one another.  Thank you for your sweet words, Yvonne.

     

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