One part of this I've been thinking about lately is the need and ability to break down large, abstract problems into small, solvable ones.

For example, there's this ticker you might have seen over the weekend. I didn't actually know how to build that sort of thing when one of my colleagues had the idea early last week.

But part of what I like about programming is figuring out all the discrete bits of functionality I'll need, and then writing each specific function and watching problems start to fall off. Something like that widget is mostly a collection of jQuery pluggins, plus some relatively simple math.

I used to do something similar on big stories: start with a list of known facts, then list everything unknown, then list sources who can fill in those gaps, then start reporting. It's that same habit: building systems to break big problems into small tasks.

Chris Amico

785

There's the recently-launched media.twitter.com. Also, I'd recommend Craig Kanalley's site, Twitter Journalism; specifically, tips and how-to's .

Some things I compiled for DMN when I interned there last summer:

• Interview with Ron Sylvester about using Twitter as a reporting tool
• Q&A: One reporter’s journey from Twitter skeptic to Twitter believer
• Twitter to journalists: Here's how it's done
• Twittering Class by Monica Guzman
• The Journalist’s Guide to Twitter
• Everything I Need to Know About Twitter I Learned in J School

I plan to set up Status.net soon, but defer to Daniel Bachhuber in the meantime.

Greg Linch

554

Sree Srinivasan from Columbia J-school has many Twitter-related journalism resources here:

http://sreetips.tumblr.com/post/87435969/twitter

Burt Herman

385

It's been around for a while now, but Common Craft's video "What Is Twitter" is still a fun and easy intro.

Add: I haven't installed Status.net, but I have used Identi.ca, which is based on Status.net. It's pretty similar to Twitter. Works well, but there's a much smaller crowd using it.

Chrys Wu

395

"Media hacker" is still my favorite. Dave Winer reference = ++

Megan Taylor

263

Hoping the thinking here encompasses the absolute beginning of the knowledge management as well.

By that, I mean I crave an Idea Management System now that I'm back in a newsroom, managing many many freelancers and their ideas and assignments on the front end.

Email doesn't cut it. Traditional text budgets don't cut it. Story folders and budgets integrated into proprietary content management systems don't cut it.

I need something that allows people to document ideas, somewhat free form but with annotations and fields and tagging (and time elements if they exist). I need a way to share those ideas within and outside of an organization. I need a way for people to claim those ideas, and sometimes for someone to approve those ideas and the person who claimed them, and then I need that idea to flow automagically into a production budget, and after finished, exportable into a list/budget for people to be paid.

Yes, this is somewhat like what Spot.us code does, and the ability for crowdsourcing of pledges of payment would need to be included. Some of the automated email alert features of SeeClickFix would need to be included. And ideally, it would be web based so I can start using it in "the enterprise" and invite specific people to join a project or collection of ideas without having to beg, borrow or steal an internal developer's time.

The payment system and accounting with contributor's private information would have to be secure and acceptable under standard accounting procedures to an enterprise.

Can I have it by next week?

andriak

80

This isn't an FAQ, but my one constant piece of unsolicited advice for everyone who wanders into my office wanting to use Twitter for work:

Use it for yourself first. Twitter is a way of talking to people. It can be great for finding sources, getting a read on a piece of news or promoting content. But that's not how the vast majority of people there use it. So you need to understand how Twitter works first, then understand how it can work for you. (Same goes for Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.) It's my little, "First learn stand, then learn fly" bit.

/rant

Chris Amico

785

I'd recommend starting with a decent client, because the web interface won't sell any newcomers on Twitter's strengths.

If you start of with Tweetie, Twhirl, or Tweetdeck as desktop clients, and then go seek out some people to follow on Listorious.com, you should be fine. That's the basics. The specifics on how you want to use it (i.e. for research, listening, broadcasting, etc) are up to you.

Update: Merlin Mann tweeted a wise 'twitter philosophy' today,

My Twitter Guide: 1. Be yourself 2. Try 3. Take breaks 4. Follow what you enjoy 5. Unfollow whatever tempts you to write a Twitter guide

Rick Martin

247

Mashable.com has some pretty good Twitter tutorials, especially geared towards use for journalists. http://mashable.com/2009/05/14/twitter-journalism/

An interesting piece on getting retweeted: Report: Nine Scientifically Proven Ways to Get Retweeted on Twitter

I have used Status.net (when I was working with CoPress) and really liked the "private" Twitter use within a small group. Really great way to communicate.

Megan Taylor

263

I have a short tutorial posted: 5 Power Tips For Using Twitter For Research.

http://www.robbmontgomery.com/2010/03/5-power-tips-twitter-research/

Robb Montgomery

10

My Delicious library links for Twitter tools: http://delicious.com/andriak/twitter

andriak

80

"mom, this is how twitter works" is a one-pager with the essentials about Twitter. Yeah, you can probably show it to your mom and she would get it.

http://jessicahische.com/spendstoomuchtimeinternetting/?p=259

juan

0

I agree that journalists new to Twitter ought to get started by just using it for themselves. If you come in expecting to pull out great story ideas or answers to questions before you've even established a network or built an authentic presence, you're bound to be disappointed.

Still, I think it's helpful to have a couple examples of how newspapers have been able to use Twitter to do good journalism. For the cynics, or for the simply curious. Because that's the goal, right? Not to be on Twitter just for the sake of being there, but to find ways to cover your community better than you could before.

A couple bookmarks I keep handy:

Steve Buttry: A case study in using Twitter on breaking news

Daniel Victor: In a pinch, Twitter found a long shot source

I'd love to find more examples like this; if you know of any, please share!

Ryan Pitts

95

H&H got a shout-out and link to this post on Twitter's media blog:

Help for hacks and hackers

Greg Linch

554