Twitter lists are smarter than I thought
by Phil on April 11, 2010
Lists know who they are following enough to filter @replies depending on whether both people are on the list. That’s quite smart, and unexpected.
Here’s on with my @replies to @Erica_Jane_MP included, followed by a list that only I’m on (ie not Erica) with those filtered out. Smart.
How web services help me budget
by Phil on February 1, 2010
A quick cross post to highlight a recent post – about how I built a personal finances system using web services and free software – at my internet banking site.
Money management is an area I neglected until I was in my mid-twenties. I can’t recommend it enough, and happy to talk about it to anyone who’s trying to sort their own finances out.
What excites me about the iPad
by Phil on January 28, 2010
I watched Gdgt’s live blogging of the iPad launch yesterday. I’m really pleased the tablet’s finally made it into reality, after reading rumours for years (might even spur me into adapt my apple tablet domain for the iPad).
As an Apple user for 2 years now, I’m looking forward to playing around with the iPad. From the launch blogging and photos, here are the things that were most interesting to me:
- It’s small: I can feasibly imagine carrying this around everyday. I use a Samsung NC10 netbook and don’t think twice about sticking it in my bag. The iPad could be even better as it’s thinner, and seems keenly priced.
- Large touchscreen: the iPhone interface works really well so I’m sure the iPad will too. I’d actually like to see some apps that allow you to use it as a mobile notebook, with character recognition for words and a blank jotter for doodles. I use notebooks heavily in meetings and would much prefer this information to be digital. This would need some sort of pen accessory, but it could work really well for artists too. I use Brushes on the iPhone and can see that working really well on an iPad. (Edit – just read Evernote’s blog post about the iPad – that’s a service perfect for this type of device).
- Apple processor: Steve said that they would be using a custom chip in the device. It’s really interesting to see how far through the production chain Apple are going.
Looking forward to first reviews from friends and contacts once they have one in their life.
My first post with the new iPhone WordPress app
by Phil on November 9, 2009
One of the things I’ve really wanted to see the WordPress app handle well is the image gallery.
The photos below come from my phone, so judge for yourself whether it works or not 
Last minute Glastonbury essentials
by Phil on June 24, 2009
Some have already set off for Glastonbury by Wednesday, but if you’re like me and going Thursday there is still time to grab your festival essentials.
If this is your first festival, there may be some things you find useful on here.
First, some personal favourites:
- Bin bags
- Bulk pack of wetwipes
- Painkillers
- Wellies
- String and gaffer tape
- Cheap or old clothes, obviously
- Waterproof coat
- Batteries for whatever things you are taking, and a charger if you have the patience to queue
- Snacks, even if you plan to buy most of your food whilst there
…some other tips from around the web…
- Wine boxes – lighter than bottles and more efficient to packing
- Dialyte powder (designed for replenshing salts after stomach upsets and great for hangovers)
- A chair – a stool or a big folding chair. Something to sit on at the end of the day
…and from comments…
- Anti-bacterial hand wash (Sooz)
- Sunglasses! (Sooz)
Leave a comment if I’ve missed anything.
A definition of satisfying work
by Phil on June 11, 2009
A short post to share a quote that is currently my desktop background:
[Three things] – autonomy, complexity, and connection between effort and reward – are, most people agree, the three qualities work has to have if it is to be satisfying.
Malcolm Gladwell in Outliers
Is your work always satisfying?
If not, make a step tomorrow to make it better.
If yes, congratulations. Be sure to keep it that way.
Google introduces public comments in search engine listings
by Phil on May 12, 2009
I see via Drew that Google has introduced public comments against its search engine results. ZDNet has covered the news in the US and there will be lots more buzz about this over the next couple of days.
There is an overlap between what Google is doing here (comments and ratings) with the social web.
But my first instincts, as a digital PR guy and web marketer, are to ask “what does this means for the algorithms that Google uses to rank results?”
Remember, Google currently uses inbound links as a major indicator of a good or bad result. In the 90s, when a website was both hard and expensive to launch for us mere mortals, influence was in the hands of the (relative) few. Blog platforms have since personalised the search rankings and their growth has enabled individuals to exert influence through by the links that we create to other content on the web. However, success brings manipluation and websites are now so easy to create that there is a massive industry around using the technology to manipulate SERPs.
So, what Google could be doing is less of a ‘me too’ feature creep into social networking-style fan mentality but instead a way of adding human voice into the search results.
Oh yeah, and it will also help make sure that everyone has a Google Profile set up and that they continue to deepen their relationship with everything we do on the web
Twitter charging for adverts on Twitter.com
by Phil on March 24, 2009
Links for external sites have begun to appear within the side bar for Twitter.com.
www.exectweets.com is sponsored by Microsoft and part of the endorsement for the service includes a promotion within the Twitter website.
There’s more to read at All Things Digital’s post Looky here! Actual revenue for twitter courtesy of Microsoft.
It’s a really elegant approach. If this sort of promotion can support the growth of the service then the Twitter community is in safe hands.
Wefollow: A lesson in superniches and mass marketing
by Phil on March 16, 2009
Wefollow is the new launch from Digg‘s Kevin Rose. It’s a user-generated Twitter directory to help us find each other.
How WeFollow works
You tweet @wefollow with 3 relevant tags that you’d like to be found for. Whever people search for that tag, you’ll appear in the listings along with everyone else who chooses that tag for themselves.
For example, Guy Kawasaki is tagged with #socialmedia – so if I search for ‘socialmedia’ on Wefollow Guy will appear high in the listings. And appear high he will.
Forget alphabetical order, that went out with the phone book. Rankings are based on merit, and merit here is the number of Twitter followers you have.
My initial thoughts about current- and future-versions
With only 3 tags per person, this launch version of the site seems focussed only on getting high visibility users out front to draw in the crowds and to get volumes up (which they’ll need later if they want to get some cash from subscriptions or advertising).
If I tag myself with broad professional tags – say #socialmedia #onlinepr #onlinemarketing then I’m pretty generic. In fact, I’d be so low on the rankings that I’d be invisible. With only around 500 followers on Twitter I’m never going to rank highly against the top people in my category.
Is it useful to follow people with mega follower numbers?
So why do certain people have high follower numbers? There are two very visible types:
- Interesting people who do interesting things (BBC promotion aside @stephenfry is genuinely fun and fascinating for lots of people)
- People gaming the system, deliberately hoovering up followers by following thousands of people and hoping for a 70% – 80% re-follow rate.
Search for a popular tag and you’re likely to get a handful of Twitter celebrities who you can’t interact with as they have reached fame’s critical mass, followed by another group of people who are proactively seeking out followers simply to appear in this type of list.
You’ll find people sure, but is WeFollow a sign that with popularity Twitter is now turning into a broadcast channel rather than a place to interact?
My choice of tags, then…
I’ve decided to go superniche and only tag myself with the things I want to be found for. They are #supermodelmasseuse #volunteersuperhero and #someonewillingtobepaidasalaryforlearningtoplaypiano
If you’re looking for these things, you’ll hopefully only find me when you search.
