Ramblings from the Twitterverse

About eight million people are now Twittering. Twitter, the popular “micro-blogging” social media, site enables Tweeters (Twitter users) to send Tweets, or small bursts of information (140 characters or less, including spaces) to their ‘followers’ (on Twitter, you follow others as you attract your own followers).

Twitter use has exploded over the past year, and every month usage seems to jump exponentially as more web users dive into the Twitter stream. Market research firm Neilson Online says Twitter grew by 1,689% from February 2008 to February 2009. Facebook still dwarfs Twitter in the number of users, but Twitter’s staggering growth is quite remarkable.

What’s to Tweet About?

Some tweeters are engaged in personal conversations, publicly (private messaging is also available in the form of DM, or direct message). While other tweeters use their Twitter ‘stream’ to deliver helpful, entertaining or informative information on a variety of topics. Positioning themselves as ambassadors or evangelists of their favorite topics, many of these tweeters are attracting dozens, hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of like-minded followers.

To find interesting Tweeples (those who tweet) to follow, browse or enter keywords on your favorite topics in a Twitter search directory such as WeFollow and Twellow.

Want to know what’s on the public’s mind right NOW?

Logging on to Twitter’s search engine enables you to take the pulse of the public at any given moment. Search.Twitter.com posts the ever-changing top trending keywords on its home page. And, you can enter any word into the search box to browse all the tweets on that topic, in real time.

Tech-savvy companies are monitoring Twitter Search to keep an eye on what’s being said about their brands. If a tweeter is complaining about a company’s product or service, it’s not unusual for the disgruntled tweeter to be contacted by a company representative (sometimes within minutes) interested in assisting with problem-solving.

It’s very important for tweeters to be aware that, even though the Twitterverse feels like a big party, what is being tweeted is archived for posterity. Even if you trash (delete) a tweet, it will still live on in the Twitter archives, available in Twitter searches. So, it’s always a good idea to think before you Tweet.

One Northern California-based tweeter learned this the hard way! After being offered a job at Cisco, the person tweeted about their dilemma of receiving a ‘fatty paycheck’ in exchange for a nightmare commute and work they would hate. See Olivier Blanchard's blog post "Losing Your Job in 140 Characters or Less."

It didn’t take long for this poor tweeter to be contacted by someone at Cisco, letting them know that they don’t appreciate employees who hate their jobs.

In shifting economic times, networking and establishing your own personal ‘brand’ is more important than ever. Twitter is packed with entrepreneurial-types, a few even becoming ‘Twitter celebrities,’ attracting hundreds of followers as they tweet about their passion or expertise. Once a large audience is amassed, could making money with Twitter be far behind?

Have questions about Twitter, or just getting started? Drop me a line with your Twitter questions.

Lisa Osborne, creator of Lisa.fm, Leading Edge Talk, is a radio broadcaster and media entrepreneur. Tweeting as @Lisa_FM, the astrology-themed @destinycards y en español @diosadeldestino.

Internet Radio Fights to Remain on the Air

As a 'Leading Edge Talk' station - Lisa.fm doesn't play music - but, we are supporting our colleagues who play music on their Internet radio stations.

Many webcasters will be heading to Capitol Hill this week (April 30-May 1) to urge their lawmakers to support HR 2060, The Internet Radio Equality Act. If passed into law this would overturn a recent ruling by the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB), which imposes a staggering increase in the royalty fees Internet broadcasters must pay in order to play copyrighted music.

These new fees being imposed by the CRB are 300-1,200 percent higher than the current royalty rates, and are are far greater than what AM/FM broadcasters are paying. Internet radio stations are now being asked to pay fees for each song listened to by each listener. This will result in payments far in excess of their minimal revenues. Even worse, stations are being asked to pay a $500 per-channel-fee, and the increased fees would be owed retroactively - going back 14 months!

Many Internet radio stations are barely making money (if any) as it is - often, these webcasters are in business because they are passionate about the music they play. This decision by the CRB must be overturned, if Internet radio is going to continue to be able to grow into a viable business. Internet broadcasters are only asking to pay royalty rates similar to what satellite & cable radio stations pay, or a percentage of their revenues.

There is a lot of music being played on the Internet. Live365, "the world's largest Internet radio network," streamed more than 25 million hours of music last month alone, by over 100,000 musical acts - many of these artists rely on Internet radio to play their music. Live365 and other webcasters have formed the SaveNetRadio coalition. They are asking you to call your congressman/woman to urge them to co-sponsor HR 2060, the Internet Radio Equality Act. Click here to get in touch with your Congressperson.

The steps taken between today and May 15th will determine whether or not music will continue to be playe on the Internet. You can make a difference!

Longing for a Good 'Old Fashioned' Scandal

Just back from Vegas and the National Association of Broadcasters convention - always a fun affair with 100,000+ people. Rick Dees was inducted into the Broadcasting Hall of Fame (what took so long?!?!). He's always a class act - was very gracious to receive this honor.

What a career he's had - from comedy songs to successful radio host - love the fact that, back in the '70s while Rick was a DJ in TN (Memphis?) his song, "Disco Duck" was a hit everywhere in the country - except for Memphis - where he was on the air. Rick mentions the song on his morning show and GETS FIRED - only to be picked up by the station across town. Don't you love it when someone gets FIRED only to go on to superstardom?!?!? (you know, they say in radio you're no one until you've been fired at least three times!). You go, Rick!

Anyway - I've had 'two seconds of fame' - filling in as a traffic reporter for two days on Rick's morning show at KIIS FM - and, Rick was very fun - even tried to make me a better traffic reporter - well, maybe not BETTER - but, he didn't seem to dig that my traffic reports sounded like KFI traffic reports.... take a listen.

Now - onto this Katie Couric thingie..... where her "Katie Couric's Notebook" vlog (video log) on the CBS News website sounded an awful lot like (mmmkay - was in some parts word for word) a story in the Wall Street Journal. It was about libraries - and whether or not they are still useful. Katie even recalled the thrill of receiving her very first library card. The CBS News producer who wrote the vlog (what, now there are ghostwriters for blogs/vlogs?) was fired. Some are calling it PLAGIARISM. Come on - doesn't this deserve more press?!?!?

Don't you think it's a shame that what could be such a delicious tidbit is being, for the most part, overlooked in the wake of the Don Imus firing (I guess Katie can thank Imus for that) and the devastating news of the Virginia Tech massacre?

Sometimes I long for the days of MonicaGate - something to dish that doesn't involve blood, guts & tragedy.

Wow - it's LUCKY Friday the 13th!

Are you feeling lucky on this Friday the 13th? Oh, come on - you're not suffering from Paraskevidekatriaphobia (the morbid irrational fear of Friday the 13th), are you? A study published in the British Medical Journal in 1993 actually found that there are people who are reluctant to drive on Friday the 13th and that, in factc, the number of car crashes was higher on Friday the 13th, among the area they sampled.

Not only is 13 believed to be an 'unlucky' number - so much so that buildings taller than 13 stories rarely will include a '13th floor.' But, the number 6 is also unlucky, according to myth. So - FRIDAY, being the SIXTH day of the week - coupled with 13 - has led to the superstition that unfortunate things can happen on Friday the 13th.

Now, given all the talk about The Secret - the DVD/book that talks about the Law of Attraction - basically, what you believe you receive, isn't it time that we start thinking less about any possible bad things happening on a Friday the 13th - and instead focusing our intention on making this a TERRIFICLY LUCKY DAY, regardless of the date?

After all - for talk radio host Don Imus - his unlucky day(s) fell prior to the 13th - he lost his show at MSNBC on Wednesday the 11th (11 is considered a LUCKY number for many) and got fired from his national radio show on Thursday the 12th.


Now - get out and make the most of this very lucky day - Friday the 13th!