How I’d like to use Twitter for work
I describe Twitter to average Joes as “mini-emails that everyone sees.” I know that’s a lame way to capture the spirit of Twitter but for it to get adoption in the enterprise, it’s going to have to be that simple. That said, I really do think that something like Twitter could go a long way to replacing a lot of the messaging we currently do with email.
I’ve been thinking about a way to use a Twitter-like service with Clearspace. As I’ve been using Twitter, I’ve realized that there are some posts I make (or that I’d like to make) that are related to the work I’m currently doing. For example, I’ll post a URL that I’d want the people working on Clearspace 2.0 and our PR Agency to see. I’d love for posts like that to be visible to both my coworkers and appropriate outsiders (like my PR peeps). More, I want to be able to publish them to appropriate areas within Clearspace so that they become associated with the most appropriate work-effort. That could be my to-do list or a project space for our product launch.
I can imagine going to a product launch space and seeing a thread of tweets that people have saved to it that are related to that project. That would keep me even more in the loop on what’s going on with that effort. Then I could stay connected via RSS, comment on the posts, and otherwise make them actionable. Obviously, this would all be built on XMPP. I’ve sketched out how this could work below. Love to know what you think.
Things people have said about this post
this really works in practice; I started using Twitter solely because I was working on a site launch and wanted to know what the heck my designers were up to (if one of them twittered that he was heading to the SXSW afterparty, I knew I couldn’t count on having that second draft of the mock done that night… ;). now my remote team often uses it to share news and keep abreast if someone is sick / having a baby / on vacation / quitting / buried in paperwork. it’s so much better than the awkward emails to lists, “hi, my son is throwing up, I need to give him a bath and I’ll be on later” etc. It’s also great for announcing highlights that need to be shared both externally and internally (we just launched a new xyz!), brainstorming, and replaces the water cooler chitchat for those who don’t work in an office together.
I totally agree! But if you’ve had conversations like mine, you hear things like, “I don’t have time;” “What?” “Sounds like fun, but I don’t see how it would help me…” etc.
What early adopters need is an interface between what we know and what others need to know. Malcolm Gladwell says idea mavens need connectors.
@Gary - but that’s what Twitter offers, a method of connecting. Many of the people I am currently talking to across a range of work issues cropped up as Twitter followers. As I watch their Tweets, I learn who to trust across different aspects of what I’m trying to achieve.
@ Gary - My sense is that you’d have a mix. Some of your Tweets wouldn’t be appropriate and you could leave those undirected or unposted (”I don’t have time”). But I’d image that there would be some you’d want to mark as connected to something you were working on. Even if it was a to-do. For example, “@todo Make sure the designers know the new deadline.” The beauty of this is that some of the designers will see it right away, even though it’s your todo. Other people could see that there was a new deadline, even if they weren’t on your official team.
@sarah That’s really interesting that you already are using it so much for work.
FYI: This was a feature, or at least something very similar, in CS 1.9.
@Dennis @Sam I absolutely agree with you, but just tonight, with one of my best friends (who is as innovative and progressive as I), he made the comment, “I can’t keep up with all your surfing.” I hate to say it, but it ticked me off.
Even basic level Web2.0 is awesome stuff to stay collaborative, but Twitter is a new phenom that is opening knew potentials (If you ask me)!
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