Thursday, October 21, 2010

Play the #TwitterThesis Game With Me!

Hello, friends
As some of you know, I am currently in the throes of writing my thesis. It's about social media, specifically Twitter and I have chosen to do it about Twitter, through Twitter and to publish some of it on Twitter, in order to demonstrate the function and power of this social medium thingy [don't worry, I don't say 'thingy' in my thesis.] It is pretty interesting, covering topics from computer-mediated community formation, so Twitter and the law, Twitter and politics, new media vs old media and much more.
For this purpose I have started a hashtag: #TwitterThesis. So now anyone who wants to participate can use this hashtag. [By the way, if you don't have a clue what I'm talking about because you don't "get" Twitter, get off my blog, or get on Twitter. Okay I'm kidding about the first part. You can carry on reading, but it really will not mean much to you.]
So, on Saturday I have to present my #TwitterThesis to a room full of suits who are old and oozing academicalness [yet another term not used in my #TwitterThesis]. Now, they expect us to do a Powerpoint presentation, or use the overhead projector, or print handouts, anything along those lines. But rather than participate in these archaic time- and/or paper-wasting methods, I am doing something different.
In front of me I will have my laptop, connected to the Internet. I will have my Twitter page open and in the few minutes before I start talking I will be doing updates for all to see. Stuff like, for example:
  • Okay, about to present my #TwitterThesis. Wish me luck!
  • Remember to play the #TwitterThesis game in the next few minutes as I present it to 'The Board'.
  • Also, guys, please no weird sex references and such when using #TwitterThesis, please. This is serious. [@BarryTuck I'm looking at you.]
  • Ready to give some thoughts on #TwitterThesis? Aaaaand go! All updates will show up on the screen for 'The Board' to see.
And as I present the #TwitterThesis, I will hit refresh every now and then on the #TwitterThesis hashtag search page. See, this will demonstrate the function of the hashtag, shed some light on the processes I have used in order to do this #TwitterThesis through Twitter, and it will demonstrate the power of Twitter, overall proving the point of the #TwitterThesis.
So, if you are on Twitter and you do follow me [if you don't, please do], please play along. The presentation will only be about 15 minutes long, but for those 15 minutes I need you to please bombard me with opinions on Twitter as a new, digital, social medium with the power to do many many things.
Will you play along, please?

No comments: