Using Twitter, etc. for Curation?

[Doug Kaye]

Take a look at this interview by Howard Rheingold with Robert Scoble: http://blip.tv/file/3994424

They're talking about a somewhat different kind of curation than we are, but it raises a very interesting question: Should we be building our own curation system, or are we better off leveraging existing social systems? For example, could we harness Twitter or digg, using their APIs, into a system that helps people find the gest programs and feeds on a particular topic? I'm not talking about just following all the tweets and diggs that are already out there, although that might be good, too. I'm talking about generating tweets and diggs as a way to express curatorial intent, if that makes sense.

    ...doug

Doug Kaye, Executive Director

The Conversations Network 

A 501(c)(3) Non-Profit

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[Devon Weller]

Would it be feasible to leverage a Twitter statistics program like the open-source ThinkUp (formerly ThinkTank) to collect data about podcasts and help with curation?

http://expertlabs.org/thinkup.html

- Devon

[net500cg]

Doug, I like the idea of capitalizing on existing tools; it just
makes good sense. No need to rebuild the wheel if it's not
necessary.

Although 'digging-new-ground' means you can tailor the efforts
specifically and have the opportunity to become a 'draw' in-and-of-
itself. But we also know the 'costs' involved in 'digging-new-
ground'. Such costs are mitigated - to a point - using already
established SNware.

I'd not heard of ThinkUp, mentioned in Devon Weller's REPLY. But
after looking at the URL, WOW! .. what a tool! And it's Open Source.
I'll be doing some experimenting with it and have passed it on to a
few other folks, too.

So... What Else? .. is out there like a 'ThinkUp' that TCN could tap
into? I think a bit of effort in that research could prove very
beneficial. If nothing else it might spur some 'new-ground' ideas of
our own!

Thanks Devon for the 'ThinkUp' introduction!

les

> d...@rds.com

[Steve Scaysbrook]

Just managed to view Scobles interview, very interesting, point of view, does it apply to us, in certain areas yes, verification, checking, not so sure about twitter or digg involvement yes to show involvement, and generate links, but I tend to wonder if we get to involved we will be sucked up into their world, I much prefer to stick to our own path and build our own curation methods, path, system.

does it not build a unique identity if we do !

Best Regards

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[Doug Kaye]

Hi, Devon.

Yes, one could always use stats from Twitter, etc. But such stats are
precisely what I think we *don't* want to use. Finding out what's most
popular isn't the problem. There are all sorts of tools for that. Just
check iTunes. What we're trying to solve via curation is to find
what's best, not what's most popular. We want to encourage curators to
say, "I found this amazing thing that no one else knows about and here
it is."

So when I talk about using Twitter, I'm not thinking of analyzing
Twitter data, but instead using Twitter as a tool for the expression
of curation. The most obvious is to send out a tweet whenever someone
recommends a program, but I have a feeling there's a lot more
potential than just that.

...doug

Doug Kaye, Executive Director
The Conversations Network
A 501(c)(3) Non-Profit
do...@rds.com
v: 415.868.5461
twitter: dougkaye
facebook.com/doug.kaye

[Doug Kaye]

Steve & Les...

My suggestion to watch the Rheingold/Scoble interview wasn't because I
thought we could use anything directly from what Robert described.
Rather, my goal was to get us thinking beyond the obvious. (Note that
I didn't write "think outside the box." :-))

Robert uses tools, particularly in combination with one another, in
ways for which those tools were not originally intended. What he does
isn't the same as what we're doing at SpokenWord.org, but I have a
hunch that we can use some of those tools in ways quite different from
what even Robert does to achieve our goals. I don't know what those
ways are yet, but that's why I decided to run it past this group of
people who are smarter than I am.

(Robert is on our Board of Advisors. I need to run this by him, too.)

...doug

Doug Kaye, Executive Director
The Conversations Network
A 501(c)(3) Non-Profit
do...@rds.com
v: 415.868.5461
twitter: dougkaye
facebook.com/doug.kaye