Sadly, this was mostly about how to use Twitter than really an in-depth analysis of my arguments. I think you missed my main point about the commons and the abuse of the commons by those who blatantly self-promote. My response in depth on my blog will follow shortly.

@David Jakes: It wasn’t meant to be an in-depth analysis, just a conversation of how we use Twitter and how we don’t feel the “abuse” of the commons nor the sting of blatant self-promotion. We just unfollow those who don’t contribute in a way that gives us what we want from Twitter. We think that Twitter is what you make of it. You can shape it by following only those that give you what you’re looking for. If no one on Twitter is contributing in the way want, than you can just drop using Twitter altogether. It works for us. It is what it is. To each his own.

Helen and Anna,
I really enjoyed this podcast. You guys are awesome. You perfectly captured so many of my thoughts and feelings about Twitter. I am more of a blog reader than a podcast listener, I’m so glad I took the time to listen to this.

I follow LOTS of people on Twitter and so far it isn’t too many for me. I don’t seek out new people to follow lately, but when new people start following me I default to follow and figure I can always unfollow if I need to.

I evangalize Twitter so much that I like to follow people back (if they are educators or others who seem to be following me for authentic reasons). I’m inviting them to the party, the least I can do is say hello when they arrive.

B.T.W. I do follow you both and you both follow me back ;)
-Liz

Love the tech chick tips! A twitter friend sent me your link just tonight. You mentioned 50 was a good number to manage for twitter. I currently follow 51 and have 55 followers. Guess i’m doing something right being kinda selective in order to feel like i can connect in a meaningful way. I regularly add new people and “unfollow” people for a variety of reasons. I agree about the plethora of quality blogs out there and limited time to read them all. Twitter is filling that void in 140 or less. I’m learning so much through these micro blogs- professional development every time I log in. :)
SheilaT (on twitter)

Smiles to you both — I enjoyed the podcast — always do.

If I might, it is interesting to me that I really got to know David Jakes first via twitter. I had known him from conferences, but this past October, for some reason — we started to become friends via twit chat…..smiles, so you might read what I have to say next with a bit of bias — and that is okay. :)

His blog post with over 60 posts has created a great deal of conversation — which I think is fantastic. Though people have swayed from his original content or perhaps read between some lines that perhaps he did not intend or (smiles) got exactly what he meant to say — it still created conversations — and isn’t that what education is all about? Learning together — not always agreeing — but continually learning.

I just wanted to say also — and perhaps I am dead wrong on this — but don’t dismiss David being at the NECC Twitter meet up. I have — and you have — seen him have great fun with twitter. We have also seen him poke fun at himself and banter with others — and of course he has shared some great resources and ideas. End of June is a long way off — a lot can change between then and now.

It still amazes me that something like Twitter (140 characters or less) can create such controversy, such passion and emotion, and such division. Sometimes I just want to walk away — like tonight — yet other times I am almost glued to it just waiting for the next twit to be dropped.

I am sure that this is NOT the last we have heard on twitter. Smiles — I would bet money on that.

Looking forward to what you share next.
Jen

Jen and Liz–as always, appreciate your comments :-)

@Sheila Teri: Man oh man… I don’t usually even review my spam catcher on the blog. They’re hundreds there. And today I skimmed through the first page and found your comment! So glad I looked! Thanks so much for your comments!

@JenWagner: It wouldn’t surprise me either way to see David at a Twitter meet up. I think he might steer clear of me, though. Because NOTHING to do with his post AT ALL, but I’d been planning to wear an obnoxious Twitter t-shirt. This was before any of this conversation. Just thought it would be funny to have a Twitter blue shirt and my Twitter ID and a status. The epitome of shameless self promotion? Maybe, but just thought it would be fun.

@Liz Davis: Thanks for listening to our podcast! I’m glad you could relate to some of it. And now that you know a bit of our style, please share any ideas you think we should talk about!

Hi Anna

At NECC — and at several other conferences I have attended this year — people did wear nametags with their Second Life Avatars — and it was an easy way to put a RL person together with their SL persona. So the twitter t-shirt is a kinda good idea.

Why don’t you make some kind of generic one – like a Hello I am….and set it up at Cafe Press?? I bet they would sell well.

There is a difference between good fun and self promotional hype. I think the t-shirt would just be fun. :)

Enjoy your day
Jen

Thanks ladies for echoing my thoughts. I am so sorry for being the camel that broke the back of twitter, starting arguably a weird and fascinating conversation for many. I just wish anyone who had a problem with me, my tweets, or my blog posts would just contact me. As you said in the podcast, many of us have made ourselves very transparent on the web using the tools, and there is a lot of room for misinformation and misinterpretation with these said tools. A simple email, chat, or direct message could have prevented all of this–on both our parts. I had gotten to know David (or so I thought) from Twitter, his blog, hearing him at various conferences via Wes Fryer podcasts, Ustreams, and even the back channel from last year’s BLC. I met him in person at Edublogger Con in Atlanta, but didn’t “pop the bubble” of wedging my way into his inner circle at all then–didn’t feel I knew anyone well enough then. I then had the chance to meet him again face to face at Educon. It was at Educon that I realized how terribly shy he is with people he just meets AND how sensitive he is too. I admit I took liberties with a ping meant to be a tease, but Lord had I known the angered response he would have 9accurately directed no less with a ping of his own)…well it’s all water under the bridge now and I can’t change it. And it’s sad that I think I may have lost a few “virtual” friends from this. I never meant to make him feel like like he owed me anything, least of all an explanation. It was just supposed to be some fun teasing. I learned with crystal clarity not to tease with him. It’s just too bad, b/c I sense this has truly divided a lot of people. And now I am desperately trying to live down this “tragedy of commons.” It has made me back off some from twitter, and even rethink giving my preso at a conference here in SC he is keynoting. I have suddenly become very gunshy about even considering being in the same room with someone I used to admire, watch from afar, interact with at some level, and think of as a fun person and a person who stretched my thinking (mostly through blog posts). No more. I’m not even sure I want to attend BLC, Necc’s Edubloggercon, or even Necc now, all of which I’ve signed up to attend, and had been very much looking forward to. My assumptions have gotten me in trouble. You know what they say about people who make assumptions? Some things we don’t learn until we experience them. I have learned a valuable lesson.

Jakes feels everyone is missing the point of the post. Well that is easy to do when most are focusing one the heated MIDDLE (where I get my due). Perhaps if the post had just been left global with no specifics and no singling out, not as much ire would have been raised. My ping was harmless. His was hurtful. HUGE difference. Of course that is just my opinion. And just a tiny bit of communication could have maybe caused this part to not happen. But of course, that is all speculation. And that to me is the tragedy of the commons.

@Cathy Nelson: Seems like things are dying down now, thankfully. I’m sorry this topic hurt so many feelings. I don’t know if David Jakes thinks we missed his point or not, but we weren’t trying to re-hash or argue any points, either. We just wanted to share how Twitter works for us. Anyway, I hope everyone takes a breath and goes back sharing the Twitter love. :)

Sorry Cathy, but the great majority of the post does not have you in mind. One link. That’s it. And you are hardly the one that “broke the camel’s back” if such a thing did happen. I’m sorry you also think that you have to wedge your way into an inner circle, and I’m wondering why such a comment would be made? Why is that important to you? Where is this mysterious inner circle? For what it’s worth, when I sat down to have lunch at Educon with several of my friends, people started talking about there being an inner circle, and that we wouldn’t eat with anyone else. We’re just friends, and rarely get to see each other. Nothing more, nothing less. But that ruined the lunch, as several got up and left, not wanting to leave that impression. Why would people spend time in the library talking about that? So, there is two sides to everything…

As far as the direct communication goes, well, that ended with your last direct communication to me, and I won’t go any further with that, but I’m sure you remember what it was. Also, when you applaud a person (Bravo, Bravo) that does exactly what I was referring to in my post (self-promotion, in this case by dragging me through the mud just to get comments on his blog-and that is directly referenced in one of his tweets, so unlike the authors statements, it is indeed factual) I don’t have much inclination to converse with you directly.

I think that everyone has to be careful how they write things. That is surely evident with my post and how people took it the wrong way. That’s too bad, it was never intended to provoke that many. But I wrote it, and many people have called me on it, including linking to my post, so I have to stand up to it, which I have done, and done aggressively. Linking happens, and if you are saddened by my linking to the TweetCloud post, well, I won’t apologize for that. It’s fair game.

As for all the direct hate mail that I have received I can take that as well. As for people saying to me that I am self-destructing, well, I guess we’ll just have to see about that, won’t we?

As far as being shy, does anybody really believe that?

And finally, I’m feel badly about your reluctance to present and attend the conference in SC. You shouldn’t, please come if you can. I’ll even promise to come to your session! :)

So just that you know, I won’t be at BLC, and probably will not be able to spend anytime at the Blogger Cafe, so if that makes you more comfortable about your choices, I’d like you to have that information.

Sincerely, David

Hi Chix…
The moo is indeed cute!

Just wanted to share that tinyurl.com is forever too. At least according to the top of their website: “we will create a tiny URL that will not break in email postings and never expires.”

Love the show!
:-)