Careful, long-suffering readers of FrontBurner have probably noticed a subtle shift here in recent weeks. As Twitter has come into its own, we’ve all fired up our accounts and gotten to twittering. Because, you know, everyone else is doing it, so it must be cool. Some of the material we heretofore would have put on FrontBurner is now winding up on Twitter.
On opening day, for instance, I twittered like a madman from my seat at the ballpark. A year ago, I would have subjected FrontBurner to all my trenchant baseball analysis and artful iPhone photography. But Twitter just seems a medium better-suited to such “Hey, here’s something real quick” communication. Its iPhone interface (Tweetie) is certainly easier to navigate than the one we use to post on FrontBurner (WordPress).
FrontBurner has always been a mix of the high (arguments about the Trinity project) and low (shirtless pics of Eric). To my mind, that’s been part of its charm. If the latter largely migrates to our Twitter feeds, will FrontBurner suffer? Or will the change actually improve it? More important, how the heck are we gonna make money doing any of this?
81 comments
Boo.
I check out the FrontBurner a few times a day. I still do not even know what Twitter is or what it does. I feel old.
You’re one “gee,” two “darn’s” and a single “whatchmathingerbob” away from Steve Blow territory.
submitted via twitterfeed follow #treygarrison
I will not pay any attention to the Twitter posts. But I do regularly read Frontburner, which also drives traffic to your other blogs. If Frontburner becomes irrelevant, your other blogs will as well (at least as far as I am concerned).
I don’t like Twitter. It’s a fad. Basically, Tim, you’re killing the blog (which is like a fine pair of loafers) for the digital equivalent of crocs.
Really not interested in Twitter.
Keep putting quality posts on Frontburner, and its traffic will keep growing.
@ Trey: To be clear, man, I wasn’t marveling at all the kids who Twitter. I was puzzling through how a new medium will affect the one you’re reading right now.
Also, if Steve Blow starts twittering, I will follow that so hard that he’ll feel it. (What?)
Don’t do it. Don’t divert good content to Twitter. Not good for your advertisers or for your loyal fans. This means you too, SideDish.
I agree with all the posts above – except Trey’s.
I am not a fan of twitter. I keep Frontburner always on my computer and its just easier to hit refresh.
I like twitter for things like telling people I just smacked the hell out of my knee on my desk, and may die.
I like Frontburner for getting yelled at.
I just don’t feel it necessary to use a service that has “twit” as the root of its name.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/twitter
eff twitter. i agree w/ all above. please dont kill frontburner.
I heart Bethany
Not at all a fan of Twitter nor am I a fan of Facebook.
I do not need to know, much less care, about the goings on of people every five seconds.
No one’s life is THAT interesting. Period.
Before Halloween, Twitter will be passé and something else will dominate. It has that flavor of the moment about it.
While I check FB several times a day (and therby add to the page views from which D generates revenue), I will never subscribe to Twitter and D will never make money from Twitter. I hope Twitter dies.
“I don’t like (Choose from below*) It’s a fad.”
*Blogging, Facebook, MySpace,
That said, Tim, since you’re running Wordpress on this blog, why not just install a plugin to pull the twitter feeds of all your contributing writers into Frontburner on the right rail. All that’s needed is to set up an RSS feed that searches your tweets and add a #FB hashtag to your posts?
Problem solved. You’re welcome. You guys make it so difficult.
Tim, don’t let any of these fossils make you doubt yourself, dude. Blogs are so 2008. They even sound lame. Blog. Blah. Twitter and other immediately interactive microcommunication is the digital future. Kudos to you for being ahead of the curve. Really, you CAN fly. Close your eyes, stretch your arms out, shuffle a little bit closer to the edge, now lean forward and believe!
Seriously, I think its great Wick still trusts so much to someone who can’t tell the difference. To any of you reading this who might have recently been laid off, don’t let anyone tell you “things have changed”. Your big, fat runny piece of the American pie is still waiting. You just need to find out who has it and take it away from them.
Easy solution — integrate Twitter feed into Frontburner.
@ Chip: Thank you for demonstrating the REAL danger to FrontBurner. I’m sorry if you or someone you know was laid off. But please don’t infect us with your anger.
@Grant
Why haven’t you done that on my blog?
[scowls]
I agree with Drew. I am done. I do not need a blitzkrieg of information. I ignore all invitations to social network. If I have to look at someone’s baby photos, they should at least buy me lunch. And I have no intention of ever signing up on Twitter, even if it does mean I sacrifice updates on Tim’s bladder function.
@Trey Garrison
Because you haven’t posed the problem to me. I’ll do it this afternoon, right after I tweet the figure skating pics of you from this weekend.
@ Barbara: I’m typing this with one hand.
(No? Too much? Over the line?)
Chip, I’m-a go out on a limb here and posit that resistance to embracing new technologies is one of the big reasons newspapers have been suffering since long before the recent economic downturn, yes? Hmm?
I can’t access Twitter (or Facebook, or Myspace, or YouTube, or…) from the office, so if you go all Twitter-happy, you will lose me and I will be sad.
Twitter=CueCat…i.e., sounded like a good idea at the time, but both will eventually end up as the punchline of a second-rate Vegas comedian someday. IJS.
With no anger or hostility…that makes me sad, I will/would continue to check here daily. I won’t twitter – makes my head hurt to think about it. And yes I feel old too.
@Grant
That’s what Brian Boitano’d do, if he was here right now.
He’d make a plan and he’d follow through;
That’s what Brian Boitano’d do.
@Tim
“how the heck are we gonna make money doing any of this?”
It’s simple. You’ve created a virtual community. Now create events to bring those of like mind (or those who agree with whatever post(s) you’re trumpeting) together in the real world (ie. foster your community). You’ll find these people tend to like the same things. Bring forth products, vendors, or create businesses which support this community.
Look at Fox News. They’ve created and marketed the “Tea Party” as an extension of their brand. Even though I think it’s moronic, I’m intelligent enough to realize there’s a way to monopolize on bringing a bunch of people together that believe the same thing. I mean think about it…If you head to the party with a truck load of “Don’t Tread on Me” flag, “Rush is Right” mugs, and “Fox News Honey Roasted Peanuts”, you’re going to make a killing. Plus you’ve just gathered all of the advertisers for whatever market your gathering in one place. They’ll love you for it.
Oh. If you are adding photos to the commentary, perhaps I should reconsider. (If lines are to be crossed, I may as well leap. My apologies to Mrs. Tim)
sorry but I don’t follow twitter. I subscribe to FB via a RSS feed and check the feed every few hours.
the only use I see for twitter is to let us know when the Norks send a missile our way, then we can duck and cover
Twitter = pet rock
@Tim
Are you saying non-sequitors are the danger or criticism of posters are the danger?
The DMN Twitters. I suppose if everyone who is consistently out of touch with the world gets a cuecat, you’ll want one, too.
“Look at Fox News. They’ve created and marketed the “Tea Party” as an extension of their brand. ”
sorry Jason but Fox News didn’t create the “Tea Parties” they have just decided to follow them unlike the rest of the media
Don’t get Uncle Barky started on Twitter.
I’ve tried Twitter. It’s too much mindless noise that I don’t need, nor do my friends need. My eyeballs are drying up and my brains are constipated from sifting through all the digital information choices. How’s a fly to decide which pile to lay maggots in?
But I am so glad that I am not alone with my opinions and this post did not end up on Twitter.
I dunno, I mean, it’s kind of fun to sit there and twitter the hell out of something, you know?
update frontburner’s twitter page more often. thatway people can follow fb with rss feeds.
@peterk
“they have just decided to follow them unlike the rest of the media”
I would believe they were only “covering” the events if Glen Beck hadn’t said the following:
“…you can “celebrate with Fox News” at any of four “FNC Tax Day Tea Parties”
See for yourself (it’s at the 16 second mark): http://mediamatters.org/countyfair/200904060023?show=1
So we’re getting into semantics here. In the end, it’s an awesome marketing opportunity. Happy tea-bagging!
Covering
@ Bethany…I don’t like twitter, period, but instead of FB? No, way. Sometimes we need room to move about.
I’m also annoyed by the abbreviations. Our language is already watered down enough, let’s have some words bouncing back and forth.
Gadfly, your obvious anger (if you’re not angry, my point won’t work, so I have to say you are) is the REAL threat to FrontBurner and your Luddite view of embracing new technologies killed newspapers.
Personally, I’m going to follow Bethany’s lead and make fun of Twitter, then be sort of for it so that whichever way the majority opinion moves I’m covered.
When did we work the teabagging into the conversation?
so lost…
Chip: Never give a direct and precise answer when a vague one will do.
I don’t do twitter.
why has twitter blown up in recent months? It’s been around for 2 effing yrs.
Anyone heard of Facebook? I think it’s going to be big.
Twitter, Facebook, whatever. I don’t want any of it. I can’t even keep my own blog up to date; why would I want to have a Facebook page?
Twitter is a mixed bag. I think to call it irrelevant and next year’s punchline is a bit too far. Everyone assumes that Twitter is just a place to describe every 5 minutes of your life — which it can be, if you want — but the real power of Twitter is that it has a chance to be what email marketing could have been, if it wasn’t overridden by spam and unwieldy content ordered into it by marketing managers that struggle to understand the medium.
If that’s been your experience of Twitter — then I suggest not following the people you’re following, even if they’re your friend in real life. Use Facebook for that. There are people and organizations that use Twitter to communicate small, relevant messages at properly timed intervals; they’re the ones creating a great buzz for Twitter and that will make it relevant more than a year into the future.
(Next up… looking at Twitter in the aggregate. Another wonderful use…)
I don’t Twitter. I have more of a life than listening to my cell phone “tweet” every 2 seconds.
@Bethany
Sorry about that. peterk and his friends are going to teabag city hall in a few days. I think he felt I was minimizing their plans. I was actually congratulating them on the enormity of that effort.
Even as a bleeding heart liberal, I’m more than happy to see the mayor get teabagged.
Jason: If you horizontally flip this photo, you can see what that kind of looks like.
http://cityhallblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/06/everyone-have-their-blowup-dol.html
I like the small bird on the company’s Website. I couldn’t really figure out anything beyond that.
Tim as a fan and professor of new media I think you are comparing apples with orang-utans. You can use one to feed the other, not replace.
Bethany, I agree entirely, more or less. New technologies can be a two-edged sword, cutting both ways, this year’s Twitter could be next year’s CueCat, so it’s important to stand firmly behind someone enthusiastic about one. Say, ten to fifteen feet.
To answer your question…
You won’t.
A former DMNer.
Tim, not feeling Twitter.
Frontburner is the best thing since sliced bread, really.
I’ve noticed it has not been as interesting lately and couldn’t figure out why. If you guys continue to twit or tweet or whatever you call it, I’ll just move on. Thanks in advance for the memories.
Tim, you asked “how the heck are we gonna make money doing any of this?”
As I said in our daily staff meeting today, I am willing to pay for you kids to be on the Twitter for as long as it takes to be profitable. You told me you and the boys need $1,500 a month to pay for the Twitter, is that still enough?
@Trey:
They’ll cut your **** in half,
And serve it to a pig.
And though it hurts you’ll laugh,
And dance a ****less jig.
And that’s the way it goes,
and though you’re **** upon,
though you die, La Resistance lives on.
Sigh.
I signed up for a Twitter feed, or account or whatever to follow one of my favorite bloggers (Hi Bethany!). The next day in my mailbox were like 20 emails, all discussing different points of conversation. I guess I did something wrong, or didn’t check a correct box, or something.
So then on opening game day, I was going to comment on your twitter feeds (something like “Say Hi to Kevin Sherrington from Amy”), but then I found out I needed a sign in and password, which I had done before, but had not written down or saved.
Sigh. Like D above, I feel old.
I prefer fluttering to twittering. IJS
Chip, I had no anger in me when I wrote my comment. Absolutely zilch. I was making a funny about my posting name. Obviously I am not a good writer like others on FB, but I am good with visuals. So if I were truly upset, I could create something like this:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/35405318@N06/3438609925/
Twitter has nothing to do with embracing new technologies. It uses TCPIP and the Internet, for heaven’s sake! Twitter is a way of embracing your own thought processes that are incapable of generating anything intelligent to say (or read) beyond 140 characters.
Or 255 if you are really “smart-stupid.”
Twitter reminds me of Frontburner, actually. For the current events, enertainment and career-related blogs that I read, I use an RSS reader. But Frontburner doesn’t really work in that format. FB is good for checking in a couple times a day and finding a few new inane, amusing posts. It is Twitter, damnit, only with Twitter you assemble your own D magazine staff.
Bethany, just because you banged your knee doesn’t mean people won’t yell at you. They’ll yell that you’re stupid. They’ll yell that you’re clumsy. They’ll yell, You’re going to turn out just like your father, Danny, a shiftless red-nosed drunk! So it’s not like they’re mutually exclusive.
Twitter = bubblegum for teenyboppers and a few desperately trendy adults. I’d say it’s beneath your dignity, Tim, but we both know I’m a terrible liar.
I don’t know, Bill. I mean, being able to edit yourself down to 140 characters is (if you’re not resorting to text speak) a feat and marvel of copy editing abilities.
Way best comment string ever on FB Nation. Way.
I’m with Wick,nice logo – for 1968.
Jason:
Selling t-shirts and coffee mugs at a Tweet meet does not pay for network journalism. It wouldn’t keep a single TV station or a single magazine like D in breakfast muffins — if the staff numbers were anything more than, say, the high single figures.
Trey:
Typically, your technology-killed-the-newspaper-dinosaurs is a pretty simple-minded, techno-party line on what’s happened. Even two years ago, when the cutbacks started, newspapers were still making the kinds of profit margins that Exxon would kill for. The technology didn’t hurt them; the evaporation of classified advertising did. So, wise-ass one, how do you get classified advertisers to pay you on your internet site when they can use craigslist or monster.com for free?
Newspapers may have been slow to respond to new technology, but blindly following or anticipating new gizmo trends was never the solution. CueCat, anyone? And oh yes, YouTube is on track to lose half a billion dollars this year.
Develop a special code and use Twitter as the communications locus for a mid-scale narcotics distribution network or a high-end call girl service.
That’d make money. I joss keeding. I’m innocent!
@ Gadfly:
I know you weren’t angry. I was just being gratuitously sardonic while riffing off of your illustrative comment to make contrasting fun of two others you also read, comments which unlike yours actually contained the specific language I was poking fun at. That’s sort of how you can tell I wasn’t seriously criticizing you. But I do apologize for only using you.
It was awfully thoughtful of you, though, to make a special graphic just for the occasion, particularly one especially engraved with each of our names. What is the item the fly is supposed to be feeding on?
Don’t make more of this than it is, but has anyone else told you you’re quite handsome for a fly? You are.
integrate don’t hate…..tell your IT types you want to use this…and the twitter feeds will show up in a side bar on the side of the blog. That way you have the best of both….long form for those things that require wordy explanations. and short form for when you want to make 140 character funnies.
http://www.velvet.id.au/twitter-wordpress-sidebar-widget/
Chip, cool. Anyway, this is the first time I’ve ever been called “handsome”. I’m a she, and I will be changing my name soon to smallrooms when my website is up and running. “Gadfly” is an ugly, masculine kind-of name.
The best new technology on FB was opening up the blog comments. There are no limits to the number of characters who comment here.
I love Twitter! I put it on my blog to keep those who follow it from complaining that I don’t update my blog enough. So now they get a few choice thoughts and occurences, and an “extended” version every few days. Best of both worlds!
What mkw1342 and elbow said. Blog with a side of tweet.
Read something on Tim’s Facebook post where Zac had replied with a post and linked to his Twitter where I found Eric had a twitpic which had an emoticon of this guy’s Friendfeed blog and somehow… I ended up back here. :-/
And another thing, Twitter rhymes with shi*ter and FrontBurner doesn’t rhyme with anything.
St Benedictine… thank you. Classified was where the money was, and now classified is gone. And will never come back.
If you only used Twitter, you’d have missed Bethany’s fabulous comment about tea bags.
Nuff said?
If you only used Twitter, you’d have missed the whole Sandra Crenshaw post at the elections – well maybe it would have been shorter and even harder to decipher.
Frankly, I don’t have the time to keep track of activity on Twitter. I do, however, have time to check Frontburner once a day.
If you only used Twitter, you’d have missed everything that RayRayRay has said.
On second thought. F Frontburner.