LessFuss Design

So I’m on Twitter now (@mr_beeps ) (always the early adopter, me), and already it’s changed how I keep in touch with people, how I find news and how I find all that weird stuff on the web. Here’s a few observations from my first week. One thing I’m doing less of now is logging into Google Reader. While far from cumbersome, using Reader now feels like a monumental effort compared to opening up TwitterFox . The majority of the bloggers I follow announce new blog posts on Twitter, and many of the web design blogs – like @smashingmag and @sitepointdotcom – use Twitter to announce not only their own new posts but those of other authors blogging on relevant topics. When you’re getting that spoonfed to you, even logging into Reader makes you feel like you’re having to search out new stuff. Course I still need to use Reader to actually read some of it – when you’re behind a corporate firewall, it’s a lifesaver.

Another thing I’m finding is that Twitter is the first place I hear news. A couple of the big stories from this week came to my attention via Twitter long before I saw anything on news sites or on the TV. David Carradine’s death – and the circumstances around it – came via a tweet from BBC Breaking News , and I could get details of Friday’s Cabinet reshuffle, along with a lot of opinion and analysis, without having to visit a single news website. And once a story has broken it quickly becomes a trending topic on Twitter. The trending topics are a rambling tirade, providing a rich seam for the news sites (the BBC will follow trending topics and pick out tweets to publish with their news stories). One of my favourites from the davidcarradine trending topic on Thursday:

Was I the only one hoping that when David Carradine passed it would be from the Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique? @causticchic, Jun 4th

Who I’m following

Four main categories, and some examples:

People I know in real life: work colleagues past and present and freelance contacts.

Celebrities: mostly comedy types, including the obligatory @stephenfry (shouldn’t new twitter accounts come with him included to save everyone the effort?), @jimmycarr , @alandavies1 and the real David Mitchell (@RealDMitchell ). All of them tend to use Twitter to plug their TV or radio shows. For me, the celebrity who probably gives the best insight into their bizarre world is @ThePaulDaniels , from whom you get updates like this:

I hereby declare my home and garden to be independant of the UK. Danielsland is now a Republic. Show your passports when you visit Jun 5th

And:

Debbie has just cracked me up by doing the ‘walking down stairs’ gag and vanishing behind the sofa… My wife is mad. Jun 7th

People I know of from local government and web accessibility: prolific bloggers like The Pickards (@ThePickards ) and Paul Canning (@paulocanning ), and Blair Millen (@discusster – who runs the excellent The Letter ).

Web-related: design magazine @smashingmag , @wordpress , Google’s @mattcutts and Noah Stokes (@motherfuton ).

Followers

So far it’s either people I know, people who are curious and blatant follow-gatherers. A number of times I’ve checked out new followers to find they’re newly registered and yet are following several thousand people, or that their accounts are suspended due to ‘strange activity’. I started by blocking these types (and still do for those with explicit porno avatars), but soon gave up. I’m sure they’ll drop off my Follower list given time.

Summary

It’s fun, sometimes weird and wonderful , a great way to stay up-to-date, and a window in on a global conversation that would otherwise completely pass you by.

The name? AndyBryant was taken, Andy_Bryant too, and Mr Beeps was a name I went by many moons ago. Even then I had to settle for an underscore (@mr_beeps ). Sometimes even early adopters can’t be choosey.