Social media overload

March 4, 2007 By

At LIFT we talked about Internet addiction, that turned into an article on the BBC. I spoke up and said that my addiction got me lots of benefits. More friends. Invites overseas. And lots of interesting experiences including dinner with Douglas Engelbart (still one of the highlights of my tech tour).

Well, I’m not overloaded enough, so today I’m adding all 719 of my Twitter followers as friends which means my home page is fast and furious. Why do that? So I can listen in on 719 of the world’s early adopters. That might be interesting. I might learn something. Or, I might just get overloaded. We’ll see. It certainly isn’t easy to do. Twitter wants to make it hard to add friends. Probably so their servers don’t get overloaded.

That leads Chris Saad to ask when we’re going to get overloaded? Oh, Chris, we’re well past that point. It’s just that by listening to a larger network I see trends earlier.

Oh, Francine Hardaway links to a video of the presentation I did on Thursday in Phoenix — she also linked to almost everything I talked about, which makes it seem like an info-dense presentation. I started it by showing how I read feeds in Google Reader.

Speaking of last week, I finally met Phil Windley (formerly Utah’s CIO) and someone shot an awesome photo of both of us in front of the Utah snow. Damn, I wanted to go skiing so bad. It was a real honor to meet Phil. He’s as smart and nice as he comes across in his blog.

Shahar Boyayan wrote about the Utah “Slopecast” presentation I gave and said she liked meeting me. I liked meeting her. Back at you Shahar and keep it up, sounds like you’re doing an awesome job helping businesses learn their way around this new world.

Along these lines Louis Gray has 10 ways to improve Google Reader. Oh, I should make a list too!

My first suggestion? Make a “read” item disappear instantly out of my “all items” view. I really hate seeing items I already read there.

Filed Under: 1
  • http://inoveryourhead.net/ julien

    robert, i have to say- adding your 700+ followers on twitter as friends may be the coolest experiment in radical listening i have seen in a very long time.

  • http://inoveryourhead.net/ julien

    robert, i have to say- adding your 700+ followers on twitter as friends may be the coolest experiment in radical listening i have seen in a very long time.

  • http://inoveryourhead.net julien

    robert, i have to say- adding your 700+ followers on twitter as friends may be the coolest experiment in radical listening i have seen in a very long time.

  • Pingback: Three Lessons from Podcamp

  • http://www.christopherspenn.com/ Christopher S. Penn

    Robert,

    Here’s my Yahoo Pipes config to make “custom twitter groups” in case there’s something you want to pay more attention to.

    http://www.christopherspenn.com/2007/03/05/how-to-make-custom-twitter-groups/

  • http://www.christopherspenn.com/ Christopher S. Penn

    Robert,

    Here’s my Yahoo Pipes config to make “custom twitter groups” in case there’s something you want to pay more attention to.

    http://www.christopherspenn.com/2007/03/05/how-to-make-custom-twitter-groups/

  • http://www.christopherspenn.com Christopher S. Penn

    Robert,

    Here’s my Yahoo Pipes config to make “custom twitter groups” in case there’s something you want to pay more attention to.

    http://www.christopherspenn.com/2007/03/05/how-to-make-custom-twitter-groups/

  • http://beth.typepad.com/ Beth

    Okay, I read you on Twitter before seeing this context.

    Here’s my theory and I’m still working on it. I think those of us who consume a lot of information – it has helped our brains evolved, our synthesis muscles to get — well tight — so don’t necessarily get overloaded. Yep, occassionally – we bounce, or are unfcoused. And the naysayers talk about this as a bad thing.

    But I think we’ve master rapid attention shifting and there something in our physical brains that has shifted.

    Nothing basedon science .. just hunch.

  • http://beth.typepad.com/ Beth

    Okay, I read you on Twitter before seeing this context.

    Here’s my theory and I’m still working on it. I think those of us who consume a lot of information – it has helped our brains evolved, our synthesis muscles to get — well tight — so don’t necessarily get overloaded. Yep, occassionally – we bounce, or are unfcoused. And the naysayers talk about this as a bad thing.

    But I think we’ve master rapid attention shifting and there something in our physical brains that has shifted.

    Nothing basedon science .. just hunch.

  • http://beth.typepad.com Beth

    Okay, I read you on Twitter before seeing this context.

    Here’s my theory and I’m still working on it. I think those of us who consume a lot of information – it has helped our brains evolved, our synthesis muscles to get — well tight — so don’t necessarily get overloaded. Yep, occassionally – we bounce, or are unfcoused. And the naysayers talk about this as a bad thing.

    But I think we’ve master rapid attention shifting and there something in our physical brains that has shifted.

    Nothing basedon science .. just hunch.

  • Pingback: Social media overload - twitter.com « The Bankwatch

  • http://jetsongreen.typepad.com/ Preston

    Not to make light of the situation, but here’s a link to a story on extreme online addiction (or online overdoing it). Hope this doesn’t break the page:

    http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=internetNews&storyid=2007-02-28T085229Z_01_PEK267720_RTRUKOC_0_US-CHINA-INTERNET-ADDICTION.xml&src=rss&rpc=22

  • http://jetsongreen.typepad.com/ Preston

    Not to make light of the situation, but here’s a link to a story on extreme online addiction (or online overdoing it). Hope this doesn’t break the page:

    http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=internetNews&storyid=2007-02-28T085229Z_01_PEK267720_RTRUKOC_0_US-CHINA-INTERNET-ADDICTION.xml&src=rss&rpc=22

  • http://jetsongreen.typepad.com Preston

    Not to make light of the situation, but here’s a link to a story on extreme online addiction (or online overdoing it). Hope this doesn’t break the page:

    http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=internetNews&storyid=2007-02-28T085229Z_01_PEK267720_RTRUKOC_0_US-CHINA-INTERNET-ADDICTION.xml&src=rss&rpc=22

  • http://thothzone.spaces.live.com Rajiv Das

    This reflects the growing inadequacy of feed readers to match each others presentation features, in the absence of platform software. Probably the Vista RSS Platform will offer some respite at the lower level.

    I did a small study from the top of my head, today.
    http://thothzone.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!7B788E69E0FD64E2!499.entry

    Please give your comments if any.

  • http://thothzone.spaces.live.com/ Rajiv Das

    This reflects the growing inadequacy of feed readers to match each others presentation features, in the absence of platform software. Probably the Vista RSS Platform will offer some respite at the lower level.

    I did a small study from the top of my head, today.
    http://thothzone.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!7B788E69E0FD64E2!499.entry

    Please give your comments if any.

  • http://thothzone.spaces.live.com/ Rajiv Das

    This reflects the growing inadequacy of feed readers to match each others presentation features, in the absence of platform software. Probably the Vista RSS Platform will offer some respite at the lower level.

    I did a small study from the top of my head, today.
    http://thothzone.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!7B788E69E0FD64E2!499.entry

    Please give your comments if any.

  • Pingback: louisgray.com: live

  • FixedR6

    We’re processing faster; you’ll either filter faster, scrap it as a bad idea, or get bored.

    It’s not “extreme online addiction”, we’re all just getting more connected. Twittering to the States from my phone here in Australia, the Google Talk twitter feed which means I’m updating at work, the integration of the Google personalised pages, and yahoo pipes. Everything’s moving towards convergence – like the iPhone ;)

  • FixedR6

    We’re processing faster; you’ll either filter faster, scrap it as a bad idea, or get bored.

    It’s not “extreme online addiction”, we’re all just getting more connected. Twittering to the States from my phone here in Australia, the Google Talk twitter feed which means I’m updating at work, the integration of the Google personalised pages, and yahoo pipes. Everything’s moving towards convergence – like the iPhone ;)

  • FixedR6

    We’re processing faster; you’ll either filter faster, scrap it as a bad idea, or get bored.

    It’s not “extreme online addiction”, we’re all just getting more connected. Twittering to the States from my phone here in Australia, the Google Talk twitter feed which means I’m updating at work, the integration of the Google personalised pages, and yahoo pipes. Everything’s moving towards convergence – like the iPhone ;)

  • http://www.nigelcooke.com/ monkeyleader

    re: twitter. I see you stopped at the letter i. Come on Robert you can do it .. only another 18 letters to go :)

  • http://www.nigelcooke.com/ monkeyleader

    re: twitter. I see you stopped at the letter i. Come on Robert you can do it .. only another 18 letters to go :)

  • http://www.nigelcooke.com monkeyleader

    re: twitter. I see you stopped at the letter i. Come on Robert you can do it .. only another 18 letters to go :)

  • http://www.nigelcooke.com/ monkeyleader

    oh and as for online addiction .. pah ! I think being connected is fantastis, especially right now as I blog from Perth (AUS). Keeping in touch via twitter, textamerica and eyejot and of course my own blog is great. 10, hell even 5 years ago times like now would have been even more cut off from the family when travelling.

    Online connected addiction rocks !

    Nige

  • http://www.nigelcooke.com/ monkeyleader

    oh and as for online addiction .. pah ! I think being connected is fantastis, especially right now as I blog from Perth (AUS). Keeping in touch via twitter, textamerica and eyejot and of course my own blog is great. 10, hell even 5 years ago times like now would have been even more cut off from the family when travelling.

    Online connected addiction rocks !

    Nige

  • http://www.nigelcooke.com monkeyleader

    oh and as for online addiction .. pah ! I think being connected is fantastis, especially right now as I blog from Perth (AUS). Keeping in touch via twitter, textamerica and eyejot and of course my own blog is great. 10, hell even 5 years ago times like now would have been even more cut off from the family when travelling.

    Online connected addiction rocks !

    Nige

  • Pingback: techipedia. » Blog Archive » Twitter is Really Only an AIM Away Message for an Older Generation

  • Pingback: Bent stimuli at charisma:18

  • http://uk.geocities.com/gay264gay/male-dorm-spanking.htm kugmjnvgxy

    gay leather cops

  • http://uk.geocities.com/gay264gay/male-dorm-spanking.htm kugmjnvgxy

    gay leather cops

  • http://uk.geocities.com/gay264gay/male-dorm-spanking.htm kugmjnvgxy

    gay leather cops

  • http://www.sintras.de/ Joe

    Not to make light of the situation, but here’s a link to a story on extreme online addiction (or online overdoing it).

  • http://www.sintras.de/ Joe

    Not to make light of the situation, but here’s a link to a story on extreme online addiction (or online overdoing it).

  • http://www.sintras.de Joe

    Not to make light of the situation, but here’s a link to a story on extreme online addiction (or online overdoing it).

  • http://www.ekwh.de/ Allen

    Okay, I read you on Twitter before seeing this context.

    Here’s my theory and I’m still working on it. I think those of us who consume a lot of information – it has helped our brains evolved, our synthesis muscles to get — well tight — so don’t necessarily get overloaded. Yep, occassionally – we bounce, or are unfcoused. And the naysayers talk about this as a bad thing.

  • http://www.ekwh.de/ Allen

    Okay, I read you on Twitter before seeing this context.

    Here’s my theory and I’m still working on it. I think those of us who consume a lot of information – it has helped our brains evolved, our synthesis muscles to get — well tight — so don’t necessarily get overloaded. Yep, occassionally – we bounce, or are unfcoused. And the naysayers talk about this as a bad thing.

  • http://www.ekwh.de Allen

    Okay, I read you on Twitter before seeing this context.

    Here’s my theory and I’m still working on it. I think those of us who consume a lot of information – it has helped our brains evolved, our synthesis muscles to get — well tight — so don’t necessarily get overloaded. Yep, occassionally – we bounce, or are unfcoused. And the naysayers talk about this as a bad thing.

  • Pingback: The Social Media Friendship Bill of Rights (and Other Sticky Wickets) » aimClear Search Marketing Blog