Video: Twitter in Plain English

I just got serious about Twitter today - so great timing on this. I became aware of it several months ago, but am getting into it now.

One question - where were the "Yaaaa's" and "Booo's"?

How fun is this?!!! Great way to explain complex answer when people ask What is Twitter. Great way to showcase your brilliance. And ditto to the comment above -- I found this through Twitter:)

I'm @EricaRKrieger

This is one of the best videos I have seen in awhile. Clean, concise, informative and fun! Great job, I'm sharing with everyone!

@lyf108

Great work again Lee. I have copies of all your web 2.0 videos on my N95 that I show clients when they ask "What is a wiki?" (Quoted from an IT rep at one business)

I agree with the several comments that Twitter is much more than just the "what are you doing". Yet Twitter itself hasn't updated that catch phrase since their inception, despite numerous enhancements to the service that encourage the other community building, information dissemination, and short witticism sharing that have become far more prevalent on Twitter. I think the reason is that "what are you doing" is still a good hook to get people in....it's hard to describe the additional benefits until you get in and start to experience them. Constant "cooking dinner"s would indeed be horribly boring, which is why it quickly evolved past that. But all of us who are avid (nay, addicted) Twitterers still all started there. So as a tool to get the beginner started, I think Lee and Sachi have nailed it again.

I also have to throw in Scott Brown's term I love from his commentary in the Feb 2008 Wired: Twitter allows us all to be "selectibitionists". A slight tangent, I just like to say that word.

And finally, it would be nice to answer once and for all the age-old question: is a post to Twitter a Twit or a Tweet?

I was so hoping you would do one of your wonderful videos for Twitter. I wanted to get my friends on it but didn't know how to explain it. This will be of great help.

Thank You!!

I have been trying to make my friend use twitter, finally she did, but it seems she does not totally understand its effectiveness, I am going to email this to her. You are great

Twitter has a potential to deliver more then the other Web 2 sites. It 's easy to connect with the people you know. It's still a bit challenging connecting with total strangers -perhaps, it's the weariness of stockers. The "following" concept may not be fully understood yet. I am at @fsechzer.

Hello Lee and Saachi !
I had not really heard about Twitter before, but while watching the video, I wondered how this was better than using the "status" line in Facebook to describe what you're up to, and see what your friends are doing. I guess there is no use of using both Twitter and Facebook?
Thanks again for a clear explanation, I'm a huge fan of yours :-)

-Ve from Montreal

Lee & Saachi,

People always ask me "What is Twitter?", and my usual response is "Mob-Driven Instant Messaging"...Which usually causes them to cock their heads like confused puppies.

Now I can just send them the link to your awesome video (like I do for Social Bookmarking & Blogs).

It would be great if you could do a video on "What is Social Media Marketing?"

Thanks,
John Atkinson

Finally a video that make sense on the value of Twitter and what it is designed to do! Thanks

This is great! I love what you do.

I am new to twitter & this will be a great link to send to friends and family who know nothing about it. Thanks!

When I first heard about Twitter I thought, "What's the point?" I figured that it was just what you depict in your video, but it's not. It's much more.

My Twitter network is a learning community. We share resources and ideas. We have real conversations. Read the blogs and see what people are really saying about Twitter and it's uses.

Lee and Sachi -- Another great succinct explanation -- sending it around the office now.

Very Helpful Video... Nice work. I heard about twitter but not sure if I could use it. Seems like a lot of extra overhead in the day. I don't have enough time as it is!

I think a lot of the folks got it right that there's something missing. There are a couple of things I noticed weren't in this video.

The humor (including the obligatory "yeah" and "boo" line) is missing. What I liked about that line is that it helped me understand in plain English how the technology was making my life better.

Maybe it's just me, but the emphasis on "What are you doing?" creeps me out a little. It's like a lot of folks mentioned, that very little of Twitter usage really focuses on that question. But the point in the video is very well stated -- the question "makes us feel connected and a part of each other's lives." So we learn more about each other's passions in life, etc. But there's something about the video that makes the point sound like, " it helps us keep tabs on one another."

Twitter user - @joeventures

it would be so cool to have a desktop twitter interface that looked like the papercuts in the video.

it looks like you already broke Twitter.

Well ... I usually love the commoncraft videos. And I definitely love Twitter! Frankly, I couldn't do my job without Twitter, and don't know how I ever survived before it came along! So I was all prepped and ready to just adore this video. :) But. Well. It ... doesn't begin to touch on any of what makes Twitter so exciting and useful for me. How about you take a look at:

http://www.toprankblog.com/2008/03/reader-poll-how-do-you-use-twitter

and maybe give this another go? For the folks I want to recruit to Twitter this video would simply reinforce the irrelevance of it for them. For me, Twitter has replaced RSS feeds as the way I keep current in my work.

Great timing. I've been trying to explain twitter to some non-geek types and this video fills the need perfectly - just like the rest of your videos.
It is a great intro video - and even though twitter can be "so much more", for the common user, it is about staying connected and you presented that main aspect perfectly.
Thanks!

Excellent way to get the message across.

D

Most of my friends would see this and think its cool but not understand how they can also use it with Facebook. I know it might be a little technical to mention, but there is a Facebook app called TwitterSync that will, uh, sync one's facebook status with Twitter.

Maybe a line in the video like "... and there are ways to sync your Twitter updates with your status on Facebook and other social networks." might help.

Hi Lee and Saachi

Thanks for your great way of explaining. I have used your videos to try to explain others.

Regarding microblogging (Twitter) I feel that I am missing the commenting opportunity, in twitter, that Jaiku gives me.

What do you think on this?

Br
Anders Bendix Kiel
Denmark

Thank you for making it simple.
I write a newsletter and blog to Irish Artists and crafts people in Ireland. Creative people honestly have no interest in computers...I know this because it was a huge effort to get my head around blogging, I started last October. (Last week I attended the Irish Blog Awards and was on the short list.) I am a crafts person and really need the visual aids you provide to get what it is all about.
I direct the groups of people I work with to your blog so they too can get it!!
Please never even consider stopping....too many people need things spelt out in plain english.
Twitter has been bugging me...I always ask why bother....I actually thought blog was a bad word.

Keep up the great work and I will keep sending people your way!
Thanks Karen

This video was very good. I however do not understand why it is hidden on blip.tv? I can't seem to access it on the site.

I'm new to this! Just sayin' hello!

for providing me with videos I use to education real estate agents at my company.

love the video, guys! i just posted it on my blog... i've gotta convince more of my friends to get on twitter! thanks for sharing...

www.twitter.com/jakemiller

Wow - you mean I can actually find out when my friends around the world are having a cup of tea, or mowing the lawn? I gotta get me some of this action...

Hi. I found your site through GeekBrief.tv. Love it. You make it easy for me to explain all these concepts and ideas to noobs and people like my parents..

Just wondering if you guys are doing one on podcasts. It's another idea which many people have heard about, but not many really understand..

Thanks and keep making these great videos!

I think I'll just keep checking back here to be in the know on the latest trendy sites. I'd heard of Twitter, but didn't know what it was all about. Thank for taking the time to break it down.

so twitter is basically a crippled chat room?

i don't understand what is so revolutionary about this (although that's my opinion about most things "web 2.0" anyway).

this just contributes to the already massive amount of information pollution on the internet.

I just love your Twitter video. Some of my friends try to explain Twitter but most of them just don't get it. Your video captured its essence.

The video was enjoyable to watch and easy to understand. Well done!

I'll be blogging about it soon ...

Thought it was very interesting! thanks!

Perhaps this should be required watching for new twitter users, like safety/harassment training at the office. Some twitter users, particularly new ones, want all tweets to be "useful".

What they do not realize is that the aggregation of tweets --regardless of what they are-- IS incredibly useful.

This video is based on the intent of twitter. I would be really interested in a Common Craft take on the extended twitter footprint including:

• Twitter Search
• Twitter Trending
• Other Twitter Apps

It's a briliant demo, thanks for the great tips.

Excellent video. I've been using this video whenever someone asks me what Twitter is.

Thanks for the CC license.

Great video! For some reason I thought Twitter was extremely complicated, guess not. :)

I have been dabbling on Twitter and was afraid it was like an AOL chat room for lonely adults.

Later after viewing your video I realize it actually has some meritorious use. Thanks again.

You can find me on Twitter @lauderdaleagent

In one day after watching your video I already received a noticeable spike in traffic on my Fort Lauderdale Real Estate Blog. Thanks Lee.

Ok, so I have started to see the value in Twitter, which only occurs once you are actually following some interesting people who put up posts with some value, which normally consists of a short comment and a link to something interesting. So obviously the commerical applicaitons are as follows;

1) receive new, timely information, e.g. uranium prices are about to run up due to the chinese cornering the market. ok, let's buy uranium.

2) plug your own website, e.g. hey, check out my California Real Estate Website and hope that enough people are following you that you actually increase meaningful traffic received.

Am I still missing the point? Please help.

The video was (Well Done) and easy to understand.

I'll be adding a link to you from my blog today so others can watch this video!
Myrtle BeachMyrtle Beach CondosMyrtle Beach VacationsMyrtle Beach Real EstateSpartanburg Real EstateMyrtle Beach Land
Thanks
Mike

this is the best Twitter tutorial vid ever. YOu've managed to explain the whole concept in a brief, no-nonsense manner, and in just under 3 minutes.

Good work!

Thanks
chris

As always your videos are fantastic. I always enjoy them and learn so much. Thanks!
Mike

Great video - I using twitter and starting to get the hang of it for my Fort Lauderdale Real Estate website. Thanks for the pointers

Can you do a plain english video for this program?

I love your videos, so easy! I was getting stressed out with all of these new programs/websites from a class I'm taking at Harris Real Estate University.

I was stressed out that I was getting behind. Your videos are showing me that blogging is easy.

Thank you!

Is it possible to translate your videos to other languages?

I use twitter to update all my customers about my current satellite phone inventory and rental availability.

Thanks for the video explaining Twitter. I watched it several months ago. I think I have the hang of it now. I'm still a little challenged on replying back to some from my cell phone. All of your video demos are great.

Thanks for a great video! I have heard a lot about twitter lately but wasn't sure if I could use it for my business. I'll give it a shot. I guess I could do a twitter about each of my products and when I get new items. I wasn't sure people would care to follow me though.

I agree this was very well done. Thanks!