Re: Using twitter as an outage notification

[Stefan <netfortius () gmail com>]

For DR issues (among many others, of course) think of Twitter as a paging
system of global proportions: not a lot to be said, but if you get the
message right its broadcast and amplification capabilities are unmatched.

-- 
***Stefan
http://twitter.com/netfortius

On Sat, Jul 4, 2009 at 5:19 PM, JC Dill <jcdill.lists () gmail com> wrote:

> Roland Perry wrote:
>
> > In article <4A4F6EF5.9030502 () gmail com>, JC Dill <jcdill.lists () gmail com>
> > writes
> >
> >  What I'm trying to anticipate is the objection to *also* posting to
> > > > Twitter, which might be raised on the grounds that it's too "unofficial", or
> > > > "unsupported" or something like that.
> >  Anyone who makes that argument is just showing how little they know about
> > > Twitter.
> >
> > So that's 98% of the population then...
>
> We aren't talking about the general population.  IMHO anyone in Network
> Operations or NOC management who doesn't know about emerging and cutting
> edge communications is in the wrong job or the wrong industry.
>
> >  It would be like complaining you shouldn't use email because "not
> > > everyone has email".
> >
> > But email has become respectable, although I still see "people who know
> > better" starting speeches with 'of course, ten years ago none of us used
> > email, but now....' which shows they are very late adopters themselves.
> How many of them are running Internet Networks?
>
>
> > > > It's this richness which confuses the ordinary person.
> >  That's a lot like saying Perl is too complicated for the ordinary person
> > > so never use Perl.  :-)
> >
> > You are confusing the tool with the platform.
> Twitter is a tool just like Perl.  You can reach twitter from any browser,
> and most mobile phones.
>
>
> >  How are they to know which bit of the scattergun approach is the right
> > > >  one to use? Or whether "posting everywhere" has some hidden disadvantage.
> > >
> > > You can configure it and use it however YOU want.
> >
> > Again, that's about the platform called posterous. How can I explain to
> > the School Board that posterous has enough credibility to be used.
>
> You explain that it's a tool.  You configure it and then you give a
> demonstration.  Send a post, then show them how users who keep up with local
> news will find the info depending on what channels they use most often to
> get important info.
>
> Even easier, you make an email address on your system that is an alias to
> posterous.   So they send to "post () schoolsystem edu" which .forwards out
> to posterous, which posts to the school blog, myspace, facebook, twitter,
> and any other system you configure.  Show them how a radio station can
> retweet the info and then announce "to get info on school closings, follow
> us on twitter at...." and everyone can send the info TO the radio station
> and get the info FROM the radio station quickly and easily.
>
>
>  I don't think it has. All they ever hear about other Web2.0 like Facebook
> > and Bebo is how dangerous they are for kids.
>
> Sheesh.  Cars and bikes are far more dangerous for kids than Facebook and
> Bebo.  That's why kids are taught the rules of the road, to always wear bike
> helmets, to always buckle up in the car, and they get driver training.
>
>  But I'm beginning to think that finally maybe Twitter has the right
> > profile for this application.
>
> Again, why limit yourself?  Use all the tools available.
>
> jc