I’ve been watching Leo since the early ZD-TV days. It feels like it was early Internet, but it really wasn’t. Here was a guy and a show that was part of this tech world that I was a part of, that no one else understood. So for their last podcast for 2009, TWiT 228, they got a bit nostalgic (and funny). Good times. This was not the case several weeks ago when Leo and John C. Dvorak made fun of the NASA Tweet-up and totally forgot about what Twitter really means. Basically they took the low road and made jokes about what the hell are you going to say in 140 characters except, “I just peed in my diaper.” Twitter isn’t about the 140 characters or what one has for lunch. It’s about the community and connections that happen over time. So, sometime Leo gets it, and other times he goes for the cheap shot. Surprise, he’s human.
It is a bit strange to feel a connection with an Internet personality (who was a Cable-TV personality from a small network before that) and then discover that there’s a whole community of weirdos like me who work in tech. Following is a short documentary featuring Leo talking about the moment we’re at right now where it’s possible for a small media company can compete with giant corporations and get their message out without all the filters imposed in the past. It’s about the individual and the community and the message. It’s not about 140-characters.
Bonus video: Here’s a video circa 1996 during which Leo Laporte predicts the future. Given next week’s Apple announcement, Leo’s talk about the power of the Newton in 1996 might be all the more interesting:
Sources:
* YouTube video: TWiT 228: The TWiT Of The Decade posted by TWiT. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaq_FoA8jmo retrieved on 1/19/2010
* The Spark Series, Part 3: OPEN by Michael Sean Wright and Marc Ostrick. http://www.eguiders.com/exclusive/the-spark-series-part-3-open retrieved on 1/19/2010
* Of Mouse and Man. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzIV8BxlaQs retrieved on 1/19/2010
I really appreciated your defense that “Twitter isn’t about the 140 characters or what one has for lunch,” but it sure seems that way for some people who twitter. I have to confess that I only lasted about a week as a Twitter fan. With so many other networking options, it seemed like I was only getting superficial or nostalgic temporal information about people. I understand that some people have loyal fan followings who dote on very status update, but that is usually what it is. I think when utilizing specific, important purposes, Twitter works for some, but it just didn’t work for me. I have a few outlets like Facebook and texting that I use to keep in touch with people. When I want information or news from certain sources, I visit their websites, not their Twitter feed. I am curious about how long Twitter will last. My bet is not more than another year before it fizzles out…but I could be wrong.
Well, I’ve been on Twitter … at least three years…? I use it like an RSS feed following a number of the news outlets and tech writers. And with the open API I rarely ever go to the Twitter website. My Twitter stream comes to me. Unfortunately very few of the real folks in my life are part of the twitterati, so I have to pay attention to Facebook. 🙂 It’s all about staying connected.