Is Twitter Useful?

The question many people are dying to know…is Twitter actually useful?

Well, it depends on who you ask. If you are using the application just like any other social network to let people know that “I’m blow drying my hair right now”, or “I love ice cream”, then no, you will not see the benefit of Twitter.

However, if you are a journalist, or someone who loves to network and connect and see trends, then Twitter is the perfect place for you!

Twitter produces answers in real-time, meaning people are able to tweet what is going on at the sight of a scene.

Have you checked out websites such as http://www.search.twitter.com or http://www.trendmaps.com? If not, these are great resources to find out what is currently going on around you, or around the world! These websites, are dedicated solely to what people are saying on Twitter.

Additionally, on Twitter you are able to follow people in the news. For instance, you can follow George Stephanopoulos from Good Morning America and get news through a different form.

His latest tweets are:

1. 
   GStephanopoulos About to unveil “America’s Frustration Index” on GMA. Best measure by me and team of voter anger, what it means. Looks like ’94 and ’06 now 08 Jun 2010 from web
2. 
   GStephanopoulos BP COO Doug Suttles just told me on GMA that top cap working. Hope to capture most of oil flow by day’s end. Let’s hope good news holds 04 Jun 2010 from web
3. 
   GStephanopoulos Thad Allen: Palin’s Wrong About Oil Spill: That’s what he told me this morning on ‘GMA’ after Palin released the f… http://bit.ly/9Fl0eF 28 May 2010 from twitterfeed

– this quote was brought to you by quoteurl

Thus his followers are able to additional information that they might not otherwise have received.

There are a lot of reasons why Twitter is useful. This is why I have decided to start a series on it!

Apologies in advance, the posts will come in a little over a week!

Times Square Car Bomb Purchased With Cash

Just two days ago, an attempted terrorist attack took place in Times Square involving a car purchased for cash. According to CNN.com, the car that was used in the unsuccessful Times Square bomb plot was sold just three weeks ago for cash.

The car that was sold through Craigslist, was a 1993 Nissan Pathfinder. The seller confirmed that the exchange of the car took place at a Connecticut shopping mall, where the buyer handed over the money. No paperwork was done to confirm the selling of the car.

The Connecticut man that sold the car for just $1,800 dollars, said that the car was purchased by a man in his late 20s to early 30s. According to the New York Times, was Hispanic or Middle Eastern. This connection to the buyer might help the government track down the person that attempted this act.

People on twitter have started to make their own possible connections to the new owner of the car and the terrorist attack.

Many people don’t seem surprised that the Times Square bomb car was purchased through Craigslist. People believe that you can buy anything on Craigslists today, so why would it shock anyone that a car was purchased for cash without any sort of written contract.

While Pakistani Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud appeared on a video after the attempted car bombing failed, claiming Taliban fighters were prepared to conduct “extremely painful blows” in major U.S. cities, there is still no evidence as to whether the attempted car bomb had any connections to an international group such as Al Quaeda.

Authorities will continue to look for the man who purchased the car on Craigslists in order to find out who and what was behind the attempted bomb car in Times Square.

Where is Journalism Going:Did Michael Wolff find the answer?

Michael Wolff believes he found the answer to the evolving form of journalism: Newser. In a CNBC interview, Wolff attributes his Web site to the fact that no one wants to read long newspapers anymore. Thus, his website offers a short form of news stories that would be found normally in other news sources such as The New York Times, Time, and Associate Press. Wolff said though, “people do not just want to read the New York Times anymore.”

I agree with Mr. Wolff. As GEN Y continues to take over technology, people are looking to have everything they want as quickly and efficiently as possible. People are learning to love things in condensed models, for instance the iPod that continues to shrink, and cell phones that once were as large as a regular home phone.

To be able to go to a website like Newser makes it very easy to receive your news for the day in a couple of minutes.

But not all agree with the site.

Take Gawker.com for instance. Choire Sicha, managing editor of Gawker then said:

It’s the dullest thing I’ve seen all day, and I’ve been staring into a jar of pennies for the last half hour.

Newser lacks professional journalistic style. Who are the editors for the site? They remain anonymous. So how can we find such a site trustworthy? Other bloggers agree.

Wolff is a entrepreneur that is looking for his big shot at making something go big. Newser might have a lot of buzz around it, but it doesn’t mean the website will remain stable.

Aggregators decide what is important on Newser? I mean let’s be serious, not everyone has the same exact idea of what news is important to them.

If Wolff really wants to make a big mark on the technologically savvy world, he would be better off working with other news sources and having them write shortened columns for his right. As of now, his new ‘invention’ wont last for too long. The website is nothing more than what you can get on Google News. One message to Wolff, journalism will never die.

Robberies struck a high in Lincoln Park in Summer 2009

During late and early August of 2009 crimes in the Lincoln Park area struck a new high. Within a five-day period, seven robberies took place. These robberies were very similar. Of all seven attacks, police have identified four of them as being linked. The victims suffered from beating of the head and face. Additionally the attackers attempted to steal their wallets. For more information on where and when these crimes occurred view this map.

Safety Tip: All four victims of the linked attacks were men in their mid-20s, walking alone. To avoid such attacks, walk in big groups at night.

As of December 27, 2009 no arrests have been made.  The investigation continues. For more information about these attacks or leads on these stories please contact the Chicago Police Department.

FLYPmedia.com, looking to the future

FLYPmedia.com provides readers with a new type of magazine. Unlike other media forms online, FLYPmedia allows for options.

Of Mike’s 10 laws of interactive storytelling, FLYPmedia exudes several of them. While your typical CNN website allows for visitors to read stories FLYPmedia really uses all of its digital assets. For instance, in the Life or Death Story, they make the reviewer feel like they are a part of the story by setting a tone. Through the sound of the beep or the hospital bed, or the families we are introduced to in the story, it takes on a personal form.

Unlike a news website, each story is a whole package. They all have video, pictures, sound clips, and print.

Another law of interactive storytelling that is used–involving the public.

This website focuses on the people. For example the story a couples love for architecture combines a unique twist were the reader not only learns about their amazing architecture, but how it was through their relationship that they created such unique places.

This websites breathes interactivity. Every viewer is able to get a taste of the type of journalism they might like will still maintaining a magazine feel.  FLYPmedia.com is attempting to progress with new media trends. The website is helping viewers to live the story, much of a concept that google has tried to offer with living stories.

But FLYPmedia.com allows for more interaction that is key.

Lastly, unlike your typical magazines this magazine also is able to provide direct links to more information on stories. This allows users to be more interactive and further research stories. For instance, in the story “Under the Sea”, readers are able to see more information on the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute.

This website is the combined package that can attract all types of viewers because there are options. Options are key to gaining more viewers because each viewer likes their information delivered in a certain way. This website offers this.

What does a journalist need to succeed…

As I started my journalism graduate program, I thought about this question a lot. Along the road, I came to realize that the question isn’t, what skills does a journalist need to succeed, but rather:

What skill DOESN’T a journalist need to succeed in our current society?

You need to be a full package.

By that I mean, you must know how to write, edit, report, produce and maybe the most important, have a nach for technology. Without this understanding of technology, it makes it difficult for a journalist to be a complete package.

Are you constantly thinking about what is the next big thing? Forget about what is currently the big trend, you have to go one step past that to be a skilled journalist. Vadim Lavrusik’s piece “8 Must-Have Traits of Tomorrow’s Journalist” said it perfectly, you must be an entrepreneur and business savvy. That is how journalists get their shot in the field today, they are looking for new ways to innovate the new journalistic style.

Given this thinking process, you also must be in the right place at the right time. You must be willing to tackle any topics without a flinch.

BUT….On top of all these skills, you must have time management.

By that I don’t mean you need to have time. Because, well, if you aren’t already willing to give up all hours of the day and week, then journalism probably isn’t the right field for you.

You need time management, so that given the situation, if you receive a story, you can flip the story into an online piece, a newspaper piece, a broadcast piece within an hour. You must know the style of these different types of journalism. Without that, you practically are useless.

Without these elements, it will be extremely difficult for you to get anywhere in this field…keep your head up, because if it is down for too long you sure are going to miss out on a lot happening!