Retweet Twitter

I finally got the new retweet function today. So far I am not impress. I don't know how other use retweet, but most of the time I like to add a comment to the end. Even if it's just an amen or that stinks. The new retweet just goes out without allowing any addition. This means noone knows why I retweeted, did I like the tweet or not. Also putting the number people who retweeted the tweet seems to me a way to gurantee abuse or misuse. Besides do I really need to know that.

I would rather have them improve the list function. I would like to be able to do list within list. I also want list to update in real time in the desk application of my choice. I know this is a short post, but I wanted to put down my initial reactions on the retweet option.   If you have the retweet option, what do you think of it?

Twitter: Customer Service Tool for Today and the Future

If you are a company with a customer service department and are not on Twitter, then you are working in the past. Whether your business is on Twitter or not, that is where people are talking about your company. If you don't believe me go to Twitter Search and input the name of your company. Then go and sign up for a Twitter account at Twitter .   

Great now you have an account, Next create a list with your companies name as the keyword. Have at least one person whose main job is to follow that list and response to questions and complaints. Answer questions promptly, even if it just to ask for the person to direct message you so you can get further contact information. Kept the customer updated on your progress if it's going to take sometime. If the customer knows you are working on the problem, they are less likely to get frustrated. After the problem is solved follow up to make sure everything is going all right. Many people will be more likely to express their frustration on Twitter, then they are likely to pick up the phone. A frustration expressed on Twitter can quickly become a tsunami if not handled correctly. However a lot of good will, can also be created when a problem is handled promptly.

This also means that companies will have to find new ways to measure success within their customer service department. The main measurement for most customer service department is talk time and number of calls completed. Obviously, this matrix cannot be use for service done over Twitter, so how do you measure success . That is the problem that companies are just beginning to deal with in the new era of social media. There is great opportunity for the person or company who can solve this problem.   

business, Social media, Twitter

ACTA: A Call To Action

Why are we so willing to give up our rights so that an industry which is unwilling to move into the future can continue to survive. That is what the movie and music industry are trying to do thru the Anti Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA). This is an agreement which is being negotiated in secret among several countries. The only participates are members of the industry, their are no consumer advocate participating. The only reason that anything is known about the agreement at all is that there was a leak. According to the leak documents, if the agreement was to be adopted, ISP would be forced to cut off Internet access to anyone who is accuse three times of downloading illegally from the Internet. The accused name would then be on a data base which all ISP would have access to. There are a couple of things that I want to point out about the last statement, first mere accusation is enough, second the cut off has no time limit and third there are no exceptions for individual use.

If this agreement passes it would mean that it it would over ride the Fifth Amendment of the US Constitution:

"No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation."

Under this agreement there is no due process, there is no need for the accusation to be proven in a court of law. If you are accused three times that's it you are cut off from the Internet. For how long you ask, no one knows it could be for a month it could be for a life time, I assume the accusers will decide. Most people believe that if they purchase a song or movie, that they have the right to copy that movie or song for personal use, both the MPAA and the RIAA consider the action illegal. If this agreement is ratified, then they would get their way, no matter what the courts of an individual country decides. As I said before this agreement would over rule the law of the land.

Putting aside the constitutional issues, trying to enforce this would be a nightmare for the ISP, who would have to keep the records and act as the police. Do they enforce base on IP address or by name. If they do it by IP address that means anybody using that IP would be cut off, punishing a group for the action of one. What would stop someone accused under this agreement of simply going to a local Internet cafe and login there. Besides with the use of encryption and bots, the real pirates will get around the enforcement easily. Clearly there is a large part of old media who would rather use the law to try to maintain their control instead of innovating and embracing the new technology. I believe that one of the most important tenants of the U.S law is that a person who is accused of a crime has the right to face his accusers in a court of law. The rights and profits of an industry should never override the rights of an individual. If you want to find out more about this agreement and how you can act please go to the Electronic Frontier Foundation Web site. If you do act, please let me know, I would appreciate it.

Freedom, rights

Lets Hear it for the Button Pushers

I am been thinking a lot lately about people who have the ability to push the right button to start conversation that involve a lot of people. Robert Scoble is one of those people. If you follow him at all on Friendfeed you have seen conversations that involve hundreds of people. It is interesting to follow his conversations over time, because you can watch as people get pulled  into a conversation, they know it's happening, but they still participate. I have been trying to figure out how he does it. I haven't figured out every thing, but I have determine a couple of things. The first is he makes definate statement, like Friendfeed is dead. Second he participates in the conversation, no matter how the conversation is going.   Third,  if convince he is wrong he is not afraid to admit it.  Some people see this as being wishy washy, but I see it as a person who is willing to listen and change his position based on new information.  

 Do you know someone like that in your area of interest. The person everyone follows, the one that starts the most interesting conversations.   If you do then follow them,  not only will you learn a lot but you will be entertained.   

Update on Thursday, November 5, 2009 at 21:45 by Kim

Edited for spelling,  that's what I get for posting early in the am