Meeting the geek behind TwitterVision

March 22, 2007 By

It’s interesting that out of a crowd of more than 1,000 at Jeff Pulver’s big party last night that the Twitter’ers find each other pretty quickly and easily. At one point a guy came up to me and asked if I was Robert Scoble, then introduced himself as “I wrote TwitterVision.” It was David Troy.

He’s been amazed at the response to it. He’s gotten emails from all over the world. It went up Sunday. He wrote it in four hours using Ruby on Rails. People have been telling him it’s the most addictive thing they’ve seen lately. He finds that almost scary. But, I told him I am probably going to buy a third monitor just to display TwitterVision. It’s just so cool to see Twitters in real time from around the world displayed on a moving Google map.

Anyway, it was fun to hear how he built it. I told him that he should add Starbucks icons randomly in between Twitters. That would freak people out. Thankfully he graciously declined to do that.

If you’re on Twitter you can tell Twitter your location by sending a message with “L:” in it. After the L: you should include your zip code or some other location information that Google Maps will understand. I did L:94019 since that’s my zip code. You’ll see my Twitter messages popup from Half Moon Bay, CA.

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  • http://www.gadgetvenue.com/ Matthew

    I just loaded twittervision for the first time and I can see how it can be addictive. I already sat for a few minutes just watching the map move around :)

  • http://www.gadgetvenue.com Matthew

    I just loaded twittervision for the first time and I can see how it can be addictive. I already sat for a few minutes just watching the map move around :)

  • http://soyapi.blogspot.com/ Soyapi

    Just tested TwitterVision too (also for the first time).

    It was cool seeing the globe scroll all the way to Lilongwe, Malawi after I twitted ;)

  • http://soyapi.blogspot.com Soyapi

    Just tested TwitterVision too (also for the first time).

    It was cool seeing the globe scroll all the way to Lilongwe, Malawi after I twitted ;)

  • http://www.realelivepeople.com/demo.html Christian (the Canadian)

    “he should add Starbucks icons randomly in between Twitters”; now wouldn’t that make for a great revenue stream? You could flag events, services etc. Once there are more than a few, just add a filter so users can specify what they are looking for but keep a system of regular pops also to keep sponsors satisfied.

    I don’t code; just daydream a lot, but a 5% share would be fine, thanks!

    Cheers!

  • http://www.realelivepeople.com/demo.html Christian (the Canadian)

    “he should add Starbucks icons randomly in between Twitters”; now wouldn’t that make for a great revenue stream? You could flag events, services etc. Once there are more than a few, just add a filter so users can specify what they are looking for but keep a system of regular pops also to keep sponsors satisfied.

    I don’t code; just daydream a lot, but a 5% share would be fine, thanks!

    Cheers!

  • http://www.dariosalvelli.com Dario Salvelli

    4 Hour,great: i already use this. I publish a post on 7am about Twitter tools and HappyTxt.

  • http://www.dariosalvelli.com Dario Salvelli

    4 Hour,great: i already use this. I publish a post on 7am about Twitter tools and HappyTxt.

  • met

    Wonder what the reaction would have been if he would have decided to display all the messages as they come in (together). Would have given the “real picture” A bunch of teeny weeny people saying something that no one cares :)
    This is addictive though (for a minute). Maybe if I could implement filters – I might be interested.

  • met

    Wonder what the reaction would have been if he would have decided to display all the messages as they come in (together). Would have given the “real picture” A bunch of teeny weeny people saying something that no one cares :)
    This is addictive though (for a minute). Maybe if I could implement filters – I might be interested.

  • met

    I thought I had seen the news being displayed this way before. Wonder why I didn’t bookmark it.

  • met

    I thought I had seen the news being displayed this way before. Wonder why I didn’t bookmark it.

  • http://ladow.net/ Bob

    Twittervision is great and have been using it since Sunday.

    Why do you need to send the location? Doesn’t it read the location from your Twitter profile? It seems to get me marked correctly and I have never sent an L: message.

    Troy did put in a nag screen that one needs to click through now at the 12-hour mark. I say get rid of it, but I suppose he is able to release the connections of those who do not click through.

  • http://ladow.net Bob

    Twittervision is great and have been using it since Sunday.

    Why do you need to send the location? Doesn’t it read the location from your Twitter profile? It seems to get me marked correctly and I have never sent an L: message.

    Troy did put in a nag screen that one needs to click through now at the 12-hour mark. I say get rid of it, but I suppose he is able to release the connections of those who do not click through.

  • http://techherding.wordpress.com/ techherding

    Earlier this year we had proposed doing something like this for a virtual show — where people around the world could see the content, comment and rate it, and add their own.

    Of course, ours wasn’t nearly as elegant. It is kind of “hypmo-tizing”, isn’t it?

  • http://techherding.wordpress.com/ techherding

    Earlier this year we had proposed doing something like this for a virtual show — where people around the world could see the content, comment and rate it, and add their own.

    Of course, ours wasn’t nearly as elegant. It is kind of “hypmo-tizing”, isn’t it?

  • http://engtech.wordpress.com/ engtech

    Twittervision is cool. I wonder if Twitter will end up banning RSS broadcasts once it becomes more popular?

  • http://engtech.wordpress.com/ engtech

    Twittervision is cool. I wonder if Twitter will end up banning RSS broadcasts once it becomes more popular?

  • Christopher Coulter

    It’s just so cool to see Twitters in real time from around the world

    I have about 30 seconds worth of patience for that inane dribble, but that’s just me.

  • Christopher Coulter

    It’s just so cool to see Twitters in real time from around the world

    I have about 30 seconds worth of patience for that inane dribble, but that’s just me.

  • http://mdoeff.com/blog Mike D

    At Christian (#4):
    I was thinking the same thing yesterday about the revenue stream:
    http://www.mdoeff.com/blog/2007/03/21/the-future-of-twitter/

  • http://mdoeff.com/blog Mike D

    At Christian (#4):
    I was thinking the same thing yesterday about the revenue stream:
    http://www.mdoeff.com/blog/2007/03/21/the-future-of-twitter/

  • http://depressionisms.com/tblog/ Craig

    Twitter on the desktop was working well until my third screen blew. :)

    Filters would be very useful as the traffic spirals.

    I’d like to see Troy add below the map a list of the last 5 tweets that popup. They disappear too quickly to click on some I find interesting.

  • http://depressionisms.com/tblog/ Craig

    Twitter on the desktop was working well until my third screen blew. :)

    Filters would be very useful as the traffic spirals.

    I’d like to see Troy add below the map a list of the last 5 tweets that popup. They disappear too quickly to click on some I find interesting.

  • seshadri

    one of the search engines should acquire twitter.

    The search results can be much more accurate if the engine already knows ‘what you are doing’ and ‘where you are’…

  • seshadri

    one of the search engines should acquire twitter.

    The search results can be much more accurate if the engine already knows ‘what you are doing’ and ‘where you are’…

  • http://scobleizer.com/ Robert Scoble

    Christopher: >I have about 30 seconds worth of patience for that inane dribble, but that’s just me.

    Based on your commenting style you’d fit right into Twitter.

  • http://scobleizer.com/ Robert Scoble

    Christopher: >I have about 30 seconds worth of patience for that inane dribble, but that’s just me.

    Based on your commenting style you’d fit right into Twitter.

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  • http://www.tickertattle.com/ Charles Wetherall

    Hey, why not twittervision with a purpose? Especiallly if you like monday. Tickertattle.com.

  • http://www.tickertattle.com Charles Wetherall

    Hey, why not twittervision with a purpose? Especiallly if you like monday. Tickertattle.com.

  • Hy ChanHan

    How can i put twittervision update in my site?

    Please send the solution to hy.chanhan@gmail.com

    Thanks,

    Regards,

    Han

  • Hy ChanHan

    How can i put twittervision update in my site?

    Please send the solution to hy.chanhan@gmail.com

    Thanks,

    Regards,

    Han