Microblogging: Digital CB Radio
Always looking for analogies to describe new technology to clients, Twitter and its Microblogging competition is, to me, a lot like the CB radio craze of my childhood.
My uncle Nathan is now on the Barron’s list of top financial advisors, but in the late 70′s he was “The Skate.” There was nothing more fun than riding around and seeing who else was out there on the airwaves (not pictured).
Every passing truck became my own potential convoy, imagining all kinds of cool guys who shared my love of truck-driving monkeys (pictured), Sesame Street, and the Electric Company. The realities were slightly different. Not many truckers were really interested in talking with me. And that’s if you could connect with anyone at all. Your CB would have to be in a certain radius of ours to connect.
Now fast forward almost thirty years. Twitter and Microblogs have a structure (when used only in the present) that is extremely similar to CB radio. You “tweet” (read: type) a short message out to your followers (and the public timeline, if you wish), and if someone finds that interesting, you’ll get a message back. 10:4 has been replaced by FTW (For The Win), and the endless combinations of emoticons and keystrokes I have yet to learn.
It’s important to note the fact that this dynamic occurs in the present. Once tweets roll into the past, the narrative changes (which we’ll discuss in a future post).
Of course, there’s one main difference that completely changes the dynamics of this communication.
Your Location is Both Physical and Interest-based
Continuing to follow the CB metaphor, Twitter and Microblogging gets a lot of engagement when it’s local. For example, take this exchange from last night:
This is pretty much a straight-up CB conversation. Completely location-based knowledge of restaurants being shared in a conversation. I could easily see this taking place along a state highway as you’re rolling into town.
Here’s where it gets interesting
Because Twitter is easily accessible via the Web, text message, desktop applications (like twhirl) and a variety of sites that allow you to find other tweeters via Twitter API technology, my “location” is where I have common goals and interests to other people who tweet.
With me, it started at Summize, a Twitter search engine, just looking for people that like the same things I do: good usability, user-centered design, etc. I imagine that since I work in Interactive, that finding folks with similar interests was easier. Since then, I’ve found new people connected to those people, and vice-versa: some have found me through others.
What has resulted is nothing short of the nicest, most interesting group of people that I have met through any social networking service. Even more than my experience with StumbleUpon, Twitter has developed into its own social convoy; exchanging ideas, links and conversation that I would never have had another way.
What do you think? Comment below, Twitter, Plurk, or identi.ca me and let’s continue the conversation.
10:4 good buddy.
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