Twitter's meteoric rise in the  social media world has had quite a few people, at least in my class, puzzled. When we discuss Twitter in Media Trends there's usually some jokes made, or puzzled looks from people who just don't get it. Is it just a passing trend, or a great new way of interacting on the internet?

Twitter was founded by Biz Stone and really was built around 2006. Since then, the site has gone nowhere but up. To be perfectly honest, when I first joined Twitter, I didn't get it. It seemed like a lame version of RSS feeds where people's useless blather was given a place on the internet. Isn't that what MySpace and LiveJournal are for? Or so I thought.

The way Twitter works is this: For yours and any account, there are  "followers" and "following." Your "followers" are people who find your "tweets" interesting. You can consider them pseudo-friends. Your "following" users on Twitter are the people that you, your account, are following. You choose who you follow.

The thing people need to keep in mind is the public nature of Twitter. Unless you turn on Twitter's privacy settings, ALL your tweets, no matter how embarassing, can be seen by all. Yes, stupid tweets have gotten some people fired before. Use your common sense- if you have any.

I've been a member of Twitter for well over a year now. I won't say I've got it totally figured out- because I don't, but I can offer some observations and insights on it to newcomers, or people who just flat out hate it.

Here is a list of things I've learned on Twitter

1. Twitter is what you make of it

I can't tell you how many stupid guides I've seen to "Maximize your potential on Twitter" or "How to get tons of followers!" that really have no clue what they're talking about. No matter how you view it, Twitter is just a tool- treat it as an extension of yourself. Be yourself, learn how it works, and if it's your bag you'll enjoy Twitter as I do.

2.  You're more likely to connect with people you never dreamed of.

The other day, I pulled up my email, to which Twitter sends emails when I have a new follower. Lo and behold, it was one of the animators for Terminator:Salvation and X-Men Origins:Wolverine. The likelihood of me connecting with this other person otherwise, if not for Twitter, is practically impossible. I do that as just one example.

3. Once you get the hang of how to interact on there, and pick good people to follow, it's much more enjoyable

There's quite a bit of lingo that's popped up because of Twitter. For example: let's say I see a friend post a great blog or tutorial to Twitter. I would repost it, but with the original twitterite's username: RT @username: post    ReTweeting, as it's called, has helped a lot of great content spread like wildfire.

4. If you're interested in it, or it's your job, there's guaranteed to be cool people to connect with.

I have some standard criteria I apply to each person or corporate entity I follow.

             a) Are their tweets useful, thoughtful,  or just mindless blather?

                    I get new "followers" every day. Sadly, not all of them have quality tweets. I define someone as a quality twitterer if their tweets aren't all self centered, and it's obvious they're there for more than just some stupid get-rich-quick internet scheme and there to interact with others, and share good content. I recommend you read my friend Aaron Irizarry's amazing blog post, "You Are Only As Good as Your Content." http://www.thisisaaronslife.com/you-are-only-as-good-as-your-content/ IF you don't contribute good content, or retweet good content, chances are I'll ignore you. I could care less about how you rediscovered how you like pickles.

5. There's plenty of mindless blather to be had

But I thought you were going to convince us otherwise? I am, but like any large community of people on the internet, not all of what they post is going to be good. Like in real life, you choose your friends wisely. Sir Spam-a-lots about mundane trivial details of their life are sadly not hard to find on Twitter.

6. The uses of Twitter have yet to be fully realized

Twitter has been used in incredible ways already- the least of which is a breaking news source. When the plane crashed in the Hudson River recently- it was a picture on Twitter that the news networks all picked up on, not some AP Photographer or major news outlet who got it first- it was citizen journalism on Twitter. One big thing I can think of recently has been  "Twestival" a effort run by and funded by Twitter users to raise money for charity- they raised worldwide was $250,000- http://twestival.com/ Giveaways by companies have also been popular on Twitter- Drobo, a company who sells its Drobo product that is for large file storage solutions, is currently giving away a free Drobo. I personally have won free iPhone apps from @chrispirillo, the Tech editor for CNN.com.

7. If you think it, you can find it on Twitter

Comedy? Check. Fake accounts like @Chewbacca are full of funny tweets. The fake accounts of celebrities, or pop culture icons are often the funniest. Comedians are on Twitter- personally, I follow @jimgaffigan. Learning? Check. My personal interests, as a VMG student, consist of Motion Graphics and Visual Effects. I follow all the Envato accounts- @AETUTS, @PSDTUTS, @NETTUTS, @FLASHTUTS, @collis, @TUTSPLUS, and @VECTORTUTS. The traffic Twitter can drive to websites has made it very attractive to companies of all kinds. One of the more bizarre things I can remember lately is @MirimaxFilms giving 1 free Ticket to Adventureland, the movie, because someone made a public tweet that she wouldn't pirate the film.

8. Twitter is a lot like shouting into the dark

As the popular spoof video by _Current would state, Twitter is a lot like shouting into the darkness of the internet- but almost always, somebody answers. For example, today I was looking at different web hosting, and tweeted about it. Within minutes I got pitches from 3 different webhosts who were active on Twitter. Some of my favorite companies are on Twitter as well- @RedGiantSoftware is one of them, who makes the Trapcode Particular plugin for After Effects. The great thing about that is they usually post when there's a great deal they're offering- Twitter has saved me money with special coupons and discounts on more than one occasion

9. There's a billion different ways to interact with Twitter

The programs for Twitter are almost endless, but there's a few that have risen to the top of the pack. The web interface Twitter offers is just scratching the surface of Twitter. The most popular desktop programs for Twitter right now are TweetDeck, Nambu, and SeesmicDesktop. I prefer Nambu because of its intuitive interface and Mac-ness to it. The thing that makes these programs great is you can group the accounts you're "following" into different categories. For example, I have my Filmmakers in one group, and Creatives in another group. When you're following over 100 accounts, this keeps things from getting cluttered.

10. You can take it with you anywhere you go

In keeping with the previous number, Twitter has pervaded many mobile devices. Personally, I use TwitterFon for the iPhone. It's great, and free. Tweetie has proven to be the most popular on the iPhone, but it costs $2.99. There's a number of apps for the BlackBerry, as well.

Basically, envision what you want to do with Twitter, and do it! Don't tweet useless blather, and don't spam. Use your common sense- whether or not you realize it, your online presence is an extension of yourself to some extent- a representation. You don't want people to think you're an idiot, do you? I thought not- most people don't. Use it to its full potential- I've used it to befriend creative individuals who I've learned quite a bit from, get great deals, news, and really anything I decide to use it for.

You can dismiss Twitter as a fad, and useless blather- but you're depriving yourself of a fantastic resource, and web community. The thing about Twitter is it's many communities within the umbrella of Twitter. There's tons of people I've never "met" on Twitter, and don't care to meet. I've discovered how Twitter is useful, and how to connect with great Twitter users. Try it out for yourself and see if you don't do the same.

You may follow my updates at http://www.twitter.com/TheRedOwl - I can answer any questions you may have felt were not addressed here.

A roundup of some of the coolest news to come out of NAB this year. From what I can gather, attendance is down due to the economy, and portable field units are a hot topic. Check out my roundup of media from NAB 2009-

Panasonic debuts prototype stereoscopic 3D camcorder

Panasonic has debuted one of the coolest things ever in my opinion. It consists of a twin-lens P2 professional camera recorder and a 3D-compatible high definition Plasma display. Panasonic is exhibiting concept models of the 3D system at NAB 2009 in Las Vegas. This camera shoots in 1080p. Read about it here.

I-Movix SprintCam v3 Demo Reel

Or, as I like to call it, 1000 fps of awesome. It claims is the only fully integrated slow motion system capable of 1,000 fps in full HD for broadcast. Check out the full feature on it and the demo reel here.

Adobe Flash platform for HDTVs & connected devices

Adobe has debuted plans to bring Flash to every home, via HDTV's and connected devices. Personally this was a surprise to me, but a welcome one. Especially considering the content that's headed down the pipe- read up on it here.

Zaxwerks Serpentine

Zaxwerks is known for their great After Effects plugins, and at NAB 2009 they have rolled out a new one: Serpentine. They've also enlisted the help of veteran motion graphics genius John Dickinson.  Creating 3D noodles, also called path extrusions, is no longer difficult nor time consuming. Read up on it here.

Vegas 9 Announced at NAB 2009

Sony Vegas, Sony's editing software, has  a new version coming out. This one looks pretty ambitious with a laundry list of upgrades and changes. The most interesting feature, in my opinion, is Blu-Ray disc authoring. You can read the full list here.

Blu-Print

In keeping with the last item, this new software is Sony's premiere Blu-Ray disc authoring system. Personally, I'm not impressed- especially with the branding for it or the look of the user interface. You can decide for yourself here.

Avid unveils new brand identity

Avid has unveiled a new brand identity this year at NAB. CEO Gary Greenfield stated, "Avid is coming together as one company with new offerings, a new strategy, and a new operating model. We are stronger as one company than we are as separate parts, and we have a unique opportunity to help our customers achieve greater success in a digital world. Our new identity is one of the powerful ways we are communicating the evolution of our business as well as our commitment to partner with customers by understanding exactly what they want to do. Whether it's the flawless execution of a global television broadcast, a chart-topping hit song, a lean-forward moment on the big screen or in a sold out concert venue, or a home movie that family members will cherish for a lifetime, our customers want integrated, interoperable, and open audio and video offerings.  By pulling together all of our category-creating technologies under one roof, we are beginning to serve our customers with digital media solutions unlike any other company in the world."

What I can surmise from what I've read about the web, Avid is introducing a lot of 3rd party integration. You can read the story here.

Sony's XDCAM line of cameras a big winner

Sony’s big NAB news items were large sales of its high-definition cameras and associated production gear to reality TV titan Mark Burnett Productions and to the National Football Leagues’ Dallas Cowboys franchise for its $1.1 billion new stadium. It appears Sony's XDCAM line of cameras has been a big win for them.

Panasonic shows off new HPX-300

A great video from FreshDV showing off Panasonic's new video camera. It offers a shoulder-mount configuration, 10-bit, 4:2:2, AVC-Intra, and a host of other professional features. You can see the whole video at FreshDV here.

Pictures from NAB 09


Philip Rosedale of Linden Labs, creators of Second Life. He gave a talk at a NAB general session.


Ice sculpture at the Sony booth


Veteran motion graphics designer John Dickinson at the Zaxwerks booth