The 'T' Word

I have commented on @TicketTattle's blog about Twitter usage for audience participation: http://bit.ly/ijlC7Hless than a minute ago via TweetDeckMark Mapstone
markmapstone





Here, here.

I think I blogged a while back about being in a cinema (with my phone off) and immediately after it finished I wanted to share my experience of it. I wanted to know what the hashtag was, see a stream of consciousness projected on the wall in the Foyer... but could I? nope. Well I could ping a random tweet out and hope someone spotted it.

Another thought: I was sat at a table for a speakers awards dinner and instinctively I wanted to get my phone out and make notes about the conversation that was going on. I sensed others around me wanted to do the same (it was table of about 15) ... anyways, it wasn't until about 2hrs into the dinner did the oldest guy on the table (in his 80s) pulled out his iPhone and proceeded to show me his website. That was it, the flood gates opened and soon everyone had their phones out checking various things whilst still keeping the conversation going. It was like the general had given his blessing to the room!

Another thought that springs to mind is monitoring the Shift Happens conference from a coffee shop in Somerset whilst it was all going on up North (Leeds?)... whilst watching the twits, I felt like I was in the room! The conversation was fantastic and I was correcting conversation that was being delivered by my colleague DK who was on stage at the time. I also fueled the twitter-sphere by suppling a word cloud of all the twitter reaction to his talk. In short... it was as exciting (if not more) and certain dynamic to be attending virtually as it was physically (in my biased opinion anyway) :)

Your point about people not raising their hand, due to feeling like a dumb-ass, has given me a good thought for the future - I'm going to embrace the dumb questions next time I take a Q&A... once people realise dumb questions are just as relevant as 'technical' or 'challenging' ones, the better for all I think.

Twitter just rules I feel... being without it for a conference, social gathering or an event of any kind feels odd. Actually, more than that... If I can't share what I'm seeing and doing in the room during the quiet times for others, then I feel a selfish!

Obviously I'm in the minority, compared to the rest of the population, but it'll tip eventually. I do agree that the venues of this world need to switch on to this technology and embrace it en-masse and quickly. The kids and FaceBook generation are bored so easily (me included)... leaving 'instant communication' out of a projects' marketing plan is about as relevant to today audience as placing a money-off coupon in the local newspaper.

I asked a kid for his email address once so I could send him his photos. He looked at me like I was a space-cadet and said... nah, just facebook em...

... it made me feel so old.

Good blog post... thanks for sharing :)

mark
http://twitter.com/markmapstone

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