Bird House Rules » All a Twitter

Episode #13: Review of Echofon (with Nifty Tech Blog)

Twitter's Tee Morris — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 05:15:09 +0000

Following a deep dive into Tweet Flow, Bird House Rules, with special guest Nifty Tech Blog in studio, take a close look at Echofon for the iPad. This review is the beginning of “Old Friends Revisited” as Doc Coleman and I bring up some familiar names of smartphone clients now working to make their mark on Apple’s latest innovation.

click for a full-view of image

This episode is part of the Bird House Rules-Nifty Tech Blog miniseries on iPad clients for Twitter. For the next few months, we will be featuring reviews on iPad clients, some of which you might be seeing in the Second Editions of All a Twitter and Sams Teach Yourself Twitter in Ten Minutes!

Guest introduction by Kreg Steppe.

Episode #12: Review of Tweet Flow (with Nifty Tech Blog)

Twitter's Tee Morris — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 07:21:05 +0000

In the wee-small hours of the morning, Bird House Rules comes back with a series of podcasts all about the iPad. Alongside the Nifty Tech Blog, I review Tweet Flow, an iPad client that keeps it simple.

This episode is part of a Bird House Rules-Nifty Tech Blog miniseries. For the next few months, we will be featuring reviews on iPad clients, some of which you might be seeing in the Second Editions of All a Twitter and Sams Teach Yourself Twitter in Ten Minutes!

Guest introduction by Meg Jarrell

Episode #11: The Zen of Follow Friday

Twitter's Tee Morris — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 12:15:47 +0000

Back with another Bird House Rules (and well under that ten minute window), I’m here to talk a bit about the evolution of Follow Friday. what started out as tweets like this…

Follow @digitalsista, a Social Media mistress and resource located here in Washington D.C. #followfriday

…many Twitter feeds are getting hit at the end of the week by tweets that look like this…

@digitalsista @chrisbrogan @geechee_girl @ITStudios @chrisabraham @sigmastudios @dananner @fishdogs @LindaVandeVrede @riznphx #ff

Take a deep breath, relax, and follow me to your Zen of the Follow Friday.

Guest introduction by Michael Spence

Featured television clips:

Firefly
Black Adder

INTERVIEW: All a Twitter on Breakthrough Business

Twitter's Tee Morris — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:15:53 +0000

As mentioned in the previous Bird House Rules postings, Que Publishing has once again featured All a Twitter in Barnes & Noble Bookstores everywhere, and in my response to Que’s “Whatever you can do to get the word out…”query, I feature Michele Price, the host of Breakthrough Business. On her BlogTalkRadio show we talk about Twitter, about my job at Intersections Inc (which you will find out more about later on Imagine That! Studios), and about approaches that go against the grain of the marketing books. We talk about how “old school marketing” just doesn’t work with Social Media, and how businesses need to understand that Twitter (and Social Media, on a whole) is about people.

We had a blast on this interview, and I hope you enjoy the listen. Feel free to comment, post, and share!

INTERVIEW: All a Twitter featured on View from Vahalla

Twitter's Tee Morris — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:30:55 +0000

With the return of Bird House Rules, I am getting back into my groove on this blog. Que Publishing has been instrumental in bringing me back into this groove after contacting me concerning All a Twitter. As mentioned in the previous BHR, the book is being featured once again in Barnes & Noble Bookstores everywhere, and asked me “Whatever you can do to get the word out…” I sent out a query to my Twitter and Facebook networks, letting them know that I was available for interviews.

From Twitter I heard from long-time-friend of the Bird House @Odin1eye who featured me in a particularly fun interview on his blog View From Vahalla. This blog features podcast reviews, commentary and rants on Social Media and the world it impacts, and (now) interviews. Odin1eye and I talk about about how Twitter has changed, where it is headed, and what went into the writing of All a Twitter. Here’s a selection from the interview:

I find that the Social Media Experts (a/k/a Evangelists, Mavens, Enthusiasts, Oracles, etc. a/k/a Social Media Douchebags a/k/a SMDs) are becoming less and less tolerated. Some of these self-proclaimed Twitter Messiahs are preaching their gospel to a flock in the hundreds of thousands, but tend to follow back less than a thousand or even less than a hundred.

What’s up with that?

I’m just going to call it like I see it: Everybody wants to be Chris Brogan (@ChrisBrogan)(respectful [ding]) but so few are achieving the balance between pro and personal. Chris isn’t perfect, but he is maintaining the genuine while managing the massive numbers. (One of many reasons I got that trust agent to write the AAT Foreword.) There are others like Jeff Sass (@sass) and CC Chapman (@cc_chapman) who are putting forward that effort to stay honest on Twitter. Between 2008-2009 there were SMDs left and right who nurtured the numbers and then stopped participating in their feeds. Oh sure, they would preach how they used Twitter to “connect” but look at their feeds and it would be RTs, quotes, and questions that linked back to their own site.

This interview was a real pleasure, and I hope you enjoy the read. Feel free to comment, post, and share; and expect more from my blogosphere-podosphere tour this month.

Bird House Rules — Episode #9: Location, Location, Location

Twitter's Tee Morris — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 13:15:55 +0000

No, you’re not seeing things. I’m back, and I’m coming out of the Bird House swinging!

It’s been a long break, the first half of it expected and the other half completely unexpected; and I return to talk about foursquare, Please Rob Me, and the current concern sweeping through the Twitterverse. Adding to the debate of how much information is too much information comes FortheHack and their stand against sharing GPS coordinates for neat-o badges and free stuff from various vendors in the real world. Hear my own view of it from the Bird House and pick up a few twips in this episode on how to stay safe while sharing with your fellow Twitterakians.

Guest introduction by Starla Huchton

Featured movie and TV clips:

Firefly
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
Monty Pyhton’s “How Not to Be Seen” sketch
Army of Darkness

Featured People and Stories:

Security Expert Robert Siciliano
Siciliano’s Twitter posting to CBS segment on “Please Rob Me”
Siciliano’s tweet concerning “Please Rob Me”
Exchange between me and Brand Gamblin
Brightkite

Album Artwork by Paul Fischer of Dancing Cat Studios

Bird House Rules: Episode #8a — Keeping Up with TweetDeck (Video Addendum)

Twitter's Tee Morris — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 04:13:43 +0000

Just when you thought I was done with TweetDeck v0.32.1…

TEE MORRIS’ TWEETDECK EPISODE
THE VIDEO PODCAST!

The audio is still the same, but now I have MOVING PICTURES to go with it! this is NOT going to be a regular feature at the Bird House, but when the mood strikes me, when the time allows, and when it is something that REALLY NEEDS the visuals, I will offer this kind of video addendum. I hope you all enjoy it!

Imagine That! Studios now presents to you the highlights of TweetDeck v0.32.1…in colour!

Featured movie and TV clips:

Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl
Iron Man
Monty Python’s “Spanish Inquisition” sketch
Firefly

Featured Resources on Twitter:

“What’s New on v0.32″ from TweetDeck’s Support Forum
Camtasia for the Mac
LinkedIn
Facebook
YouTube.com

Album Artwork by Paul Fischer of Dancing Cat Studios

Bird House Rules: Episode #8 — Keeping Up with TweetDeck (v0.32.1)

Twitter's Tee Morris — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 05:15:43 +0000

Finally….after several attempts…after daring the Fates…after waiting for just the right time…and weathering an unseasonal snowfall in Washington, D.C.

TEE MORRIS’ TWEETDECK EPISODE!

This has been a long time coming, and I have decided to pull out all the stops and not only post a longer-than-usual BHR, but in the feed tomorrow and posting on YouTube as well will be an accompanying video companion to this podcast, filmed and edited on both Camtasia and the Final Cut Suite, bit-cheeezzz!

A labor of love and a lot to take in, here comes the highlights of TweetDeck v0.32.1!

Guest introduction by Coach Ian Scott

Featured movie and TV clips:

Six Million Dollar Man
Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl
Iron Man
Monty Python’s “Spanish Inquisition” sketch
Firefly

Featured Resources on Twitter:

“What’s New on v0.32″ from TweetDeck’s Support Forum
Camtasia for the Mac
LinkedIn
Facebook
YouTube.com

Album Artwork by Paul Fischer of Dancing Cat Studios

Bird House Rules: Episode #7 — The Zen of Retweet

Twitter's Tee Morris — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:30:52 +0000

A question I get a lot on Twitter is what the “RT” preceding a tweet is all about? That’s the “Retweet” and this episode spends some quality time talking about a popular method of making 140-character posts a viral sensation. I retweet. Many Twitterakians retweet. It’s a part of Twitter. This means that, of course, some users really abuse the retweet.

So for this particular Bird House Rules, take your shoes off at the door, assume the Lotus position, and breathe in deep. We are here to explore the Zen of Retweet.

Guest introduction by Viv

Featured movie and TV clips:

Star Wars
Aliens
Farscape
Stripes

Featured Resources on Twitter:

“Why the Retweet Will Kill Twitter” from Jenner Web Design Blog

Album Artwork by Paul Fischer of Dancing Cat Studios

The Official Bird House Rules Promo

Twitter's Tee Morris — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 15:17:36 +0000

A few podcasters have asked if the Bird House had a promo for people to play on their own respective podcasts. I hadn’t really gotten around to it until podcaster and storyteller Starla Hutchon asked me for a promo to kick off an episode of The Dreamer’s Thread. So I finally settled down and put together something for people to circulate and play in their own podcasts, or just to drop in their feeds for the fun of it.

Play. Listen. Subscribe. Tweet.

See you at the Bird House.

Bird House Rules: Episode #4 — Twitter Tweaks

Twitter's Tee Morris — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 04:30:04 +0000

So, I turned my back for a moment, and Twitter went on and changed their interface on me. Hello! Well, maybe it’s not that dramatic, but it did need to be addressed, especially if you are using All a Twitter as your guide though beginning steps. It may not seem like a big deal, but here’s a quick glimpse of what someone’s page on Twitter.com looks like now…

Thank you, Dan Sawyer, for loaning me your Twitter.com page as a show-and-tell!

Let’s take ten for this Bird House Rules to talk about some of the tweaks that have taken place on your Twitter homepage.

Quick reminder: I’m going to be speaking at Blogworld this year, so please come on out and say “Hi!” I also encourage tweeting from my speaking events. Keeps things lively!

Guest introduction by Katherina

Drop-in from this episode are from:

Stargate SG-1
Black Adder
Iron Man
Army of Darkness

Album Artwork by Paul Fischer of Dancing Cat Studios

Bird House Rules: Episode #3 — Get to the Pointless!

Twitter's Tee Morris — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 04:15:35 +0000

What’s the topic of the day at the Bird House? Inspired by an August 20, 2009 article entitled What People Are Tweeting About, the marketing magazine eMarketer and Pear Analytics took a closer look at the traffic on Twitter in order to answer the question “What is the purpose of Twitter?”

I ask the question “Does Twitter — or Social Media on a whole — need a purpose?”

Bird House Rules: Episode #2 — Lovely Spam, Wonderful Spam!

Twitter's Tee Morris — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 04:30:53 +0000

Welcome to Birdhouse Rules, the Official Podcast of All a Twitter and Sams Teach Yourself Twitter in Ten Minutes.

I know on Twitter i have been promising to cover TweetDeck and my bad habit of double-posting (which on writing these show notes I just did…) but then when working through my follow requests, I got hard hit by the avatar you see with this post. Yes, if you see that image (and the variations on it) you will have been hit by a spambot that prefixes all their IDs with “STi_”. These useless accounts will fill your feeds with random links that serve no other purpose other than to annoy the crap out of you.

But what really bakes my birdhouse about the various “STi_” accounts is that they are posing as real people.

Welcome to spam on Twitter.

In this episode I cover the ways to tell if you are being spammed on Twitter. The offending tweets are broken down into three categories, and we also take a look at how some spammers are working into your feeds in order to use you and a delivery mechanism. Take a look at these screen captures from Stephanie Lloyd‘s account…

If you click-and-enlarge the left image, you will note that Stephanie’s tweets are coming from her feed are coming from recognizable applications. The right image, though, is a tweet coming from an API. That is just one (of a few) ways to tell that the spam your getting from friends isn’t their fault.

So tuck in and get ready — it’s a Feast of Spam at the Bird House.

Guest introduction by Indiana Jim

“Spam” from Monty Python’s The Final Rip Off

Album Artwork by Paul Fischer of Dancing Cat Studios

Episode #1: All Is Well — Lessons Learned from a Hack Attack

Twitter's Tee Morris — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 17:18:51 +0000

Welcome to Birdhouse Rules, the Official Podcast of All a Twitter and Sams Teach Yourself Twitter in Ten Minutes.

I promised that the show was going to post on a fortnightly schedule; but in light of recent events, I decided to shuffle the schedule around and make the first episode something timely. I wanted to talk about what happened on Twitter (and elsewhere) all day Thursday, August 6, 2009.

Just in case you missed it, you can hop over to the link I provide here in the show notes, but safe to say, it was a really busy day. It has taken Twitter a few days to recover. From the looks of things and according to the Status blog, there are still a few pieces needing to be picked up but Twitter — on a whole — is running smoothly.

This show was imspired not only by the events of last week but also by a comment left behind by our Guest Voice. Take a look at the blog, have a listen to this episode, and take a moment to send a “thank you” note to Twitter.com. They really managed to hold things together, and we should all be appreciative of their hard work for this free service they provide.

Guest introduction by Fred Castaneda

“All is Well” drop-in’s from National Lampoon’s Animal House.

Album Artwork by Paul Fischer of Dancing Cat Studios

PodioRacket is All a Twitter (Part One)

Twitter's Tee Morris — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 05:30:22 +0000

July 27. 2009 was one crazy night! I had PodioRacket on Blog Talk Radio All a Twitter over my upcoming appearance. Host Rhonda Carpenter was all kinds of excited to talk Twitter with me, but you might notice in the first ten (yes, as in one-zero-10) minutes, Rhonda is flying solo…while LIVE on BTR…

Why? Two words: Vonage Fail!

When I finally did get into the mix, the talk turned to All a Twitter and other aspects of the Twitter lifestyle and culture, and the time got by us so fast that we schedule a return visit for Wednesday, August 5, starting at 9pm. With Phil Rossi and Philippa Ballantine rounding out the PodioRacket pandemonium, tune in this week for my return visit! Until then, have a listen to Part One!

Feel free to syndicate this audio (making sure the link is pointing back to PodioRacket), and provide feedback or topics you’d like to hear discussed on Bird House Rules at 703.791.1701, tmorris (at) imaginethatstudios (dot) com, on Twitter, or here at the Bird House Rules Blog!

Birdhouse Rules: The Pilot Episode

Twitter's Tee Morris — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:11:59 +0000

Welcome to Birdhouse Rules, the Official Podcast of All a Twitter and Sams Teach Yourself Twitter in Ten Minutes.

This is the Pilot Episode or more commonly referred to as “Episode 0″ in podcasting. I’m introducing myself and my podcast to you, just so you know what you can expect in the next ten minutes, give or take a few minutes. With special thanks to Andrew Stone and TweetDeck for the inspiration, enjoy this informal formality of a new podcast’s first step.

Guest introduction by Phlippa Ballantine

Album Artwork by Paul Fischer of Dancing Cat Studios

Sigma Media is All a Twitter!

Twitter's Tee Morris — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 14:42:43 +0000

You remember my friend Gregory Lemon who was anxious to find out the status of my upcoming podcast for this blog? Well I found out why he was so anxious about my still-in-the-works iTunes link…Sigma Media is All a Twitter!

Greg posted that his copy arrived and shared with me and his relative networks this TwitPic. I am anxious to hear what he (and those of you also receiving your copy) has to say about my tutorials and observations on Twitter. Remember to leave a review at Amazon.com, letting me know exactly what you think; and feel free to TwitPic yourself with your copy of All a Twitter and tweet me with your questions. I’d love to hear from you!

Oh, and Greg…production on Bird House Rules starts this morning. More news to come!

Thanks again for picking up your copy of All a Twitter. I hope you learn something new.

“Computer Outlook” is All a Twitter!

Twitter's Tee Morris — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 14:30:27 +0000

On July 9. 2009, I was invited to talk about all things Twitter and (of course) All a Twitter with Computer Outlook, a radio show for computer professionals and enthusiasts based out of Las Vegas, Nevada (baby!). Hosts John and Christine Iasiuolo sit down with me to talk about Twitter from both a professional and personal perspective, serving as a great primer for the experience All a Twitter provides.

This was my first official interview for the title, and a terrific kickoff in promoting this latest title concerning Social Media. If you would like to have me on your podcast or would care to host a guest blog column with me, feel free to contact me here! Thanks for listening.

Don’t forget the Hashtag!

Twitter's Tee Morris — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 14:18:57 +0000

Good morning, Twitterakians!

It occurred to me that in the first week of All a Twitter being released, many in my circles are talking it up and giving it a nice, solid introduction to the world. I am both honored and humbled by the support I’m receiving from the Twitter community. I’ve been treading lightly when it comes to promoting the book on Twitter. One of my dilemmas is wanting to tap into Twitter’s promotional power without becoming “yet another huckster” who is turning Twitter into just one more place to push their crap on to people. I so do not want to be “that guy” on Twitter. However, the book won’t sell itself.

Then it dawned on me…well, okay, maybe not “dawned” as that can be subtle, beautiful, and gradual. No, this was more like accidentally cutting the rope Wile E. gave me thereby releasing the ACME anvil suspended over my head: hashtags. (You know, Tee — hashtags? From Chapter Six, page 123?)

Regardless of what side of the argument you are on concerning them, hashtags are a nice way of raising awareness without being obnoxious about it. Hashtags (a keyword preceded by a pound sign, such as #allatwitter, for example) are convenient tracking devices for tweets. If enough people use them, All a Twitter could easily creep into the Trending Topics of Twitter alongside Harry Potter, Firefox 3, and New Zealand. This way, I can promote (and so can you) in a fashion that won’t be considered abusive or obtrusive.

So please, when you are talking about All a Twitter or if you have a question for me concerning Twitter, use this hashtag:

#allatwitter

And don’t be embarrassed by a question and ask me in a DM. Share with the network! There’s a good possibility a few people are wondering the same thing you are, but have not quite mustered up the courage to ask me.

Thank you again for all the support, kind words, and “At-a-boy’s” for this week’s premiere. Keep talking, keep tweeting, and if you would care to have me on your blog or podcast to talk Twitter, drop me a line!

The books arrive!

Twitter's Tee Morris — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 12:30:40 +0000

Now, it’s officially official!

I also came up with an easier-to-circulate link, thanks to Bit.ly. Go to http://bit.ly/AllaTwitter and order your copy of All a Twitter today! And feel free to share this video across the blogosphere.

Welcome to Birdhouse Rules!

Twitter's Tee Morris — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 14:37:29 +0000

If you are looking for the official blog and podcast for…

…then you have come to the right place. I’m still working on the details and dusting off the furniture; but in the meantime, tell a friend about All a Twitter and stay tuned for what’s coming soon from Tee Morris and Que Publishing.