Twitter as the universal information stream
Richard Daletwitter.com/rdale
Social Media Jungle BostonSocial Media Jungle, BostonMarch 10, 2009
An unconventional look at unexpected uses of a
h lnew technology
Disclaimer: All these are personal opinions and notthose of any other person or entity.
Anyone can put information in the stream,y panyone can take information out of the stream,
Anyone can put information in the stream,y panyone can take information out of the stream,
and everyone knows where the stream is.a d e e yo e o s e e t e st ea s
We have lots of ways to keep trackways to keep track of the stream
Th i h d i f ti t itt l dThere is hard information on twitter already
What if we added a flood of tiny drops of data?What if we added a flood of tiny drops of data?
Traffic flow status, from everysensor, on every block, every minutesensor, on every block, every minute
What if we added a flood of tiny drops of data?What if we added a flood of tiny drops of data?
Traffic flow status, from everysensor, on every block, every minutesensor, on every block, every minute
What if we added a flood of tiny drops of data?What if we added a flood of tiny drops of data?
Location (zip code) and product h d h ti bpurchased each time someone buys
something from a soda machine
I don’t want to “follow” all this boringI don t want to follow all this boring automatic data…
But I do want to aggregate or drill down to theBut I do want to aggregate or drill down to the data that is meaningful for me … mashing it up using filters counters spreadsheets and mapsusing filters, counters, spreadsheets and maps.
What if every prescription d l bwas posted anonymously by
the pharmacy network (just i d di i d d )?zipcode, medicine and dose)?
What if these devices twittered, telling your friends what you are watching, and perhaps telling the world (anonymously, in aggregate) what everyone is watching.
And what about at checkout…checkout…
Or at home, reporting power usage with “Tweet‐a‐Watt”Tweet a Watt
But, … aren’t these all a little artificial for Twitter?f
NO … because Twitter is an information stream.
Twitter is already being used for automated broadcast of information, and for automated reading/searching…g/ g
Because with Twitter, anyone can put information in the stream, anyone can take information out of the stream, and ,everyone knows where the stream is.
So let’s put ALL THE DATA into Twitter, because then we know where it is.
And with the right search tools, I can find gjust the data I want, all in one place
Perhaps I will extractPerhaps I will extract data on weather and
i ti fprescriptions from across the country…
or data on sales of soda… or data on sales of soda and chips just in my zip code
Yes, Twitter is Social Media
It is also Universal Media
A Universal Information Stream
What data stream can you imagine on twitter?you imagine on twitter?
Please feel free to contact me
Richard Daleh [email protected]
twitter.com/rdaleli blventurecyclist.blogspot.com