3 Things That Would Improve Twitter Suggestions
Today Twitter added a new interesting feature which is common on other networks like Facebook and LinkedIn, where you are suggested who to follow. According to the twitter blog the suggestions are based on several factors, including the people you follow and the people they are following. 
I find this feature very interesting, especially for twitter users who are still new and who have not yet got a hang of it. It has sometimes been difficult to find interesting people to follow that you do not know from before. At least from my experience I usually follow the writers of the blogs I read and the people that I meet in real life. I rarely sit on twitter and try to find people to follow. But maybe that is just me?
Twitter also added the feature “if you like this person, you might like these as well”. Interesting, but I wonder what will happen if it starts suggesting organisations and people that you don’t want to be associated with.
Anyway, in the right menu you can see the users suggested, and you can also press “view all” and see come to a new page where you see a longer list of suggested people. In the right menu you get to see their name and a picture and have the option to follow them in directly from the right menu. Most of the time these features are in beta when they are first published, so they might have more coming on this one. But here are three things which I would like to see in the feature which would make me use it even more.
1. Tweeter rollover – displaying; location, latest tweet, bio, followers, website etc. 
In the “normal” feed you can get more information about the tweeter by rolling you mouse over his/hers screen name, this I feel is very useful when you want more info about the person you are following. This is even more important I feel when it comes to people that you are not following and that you might want to learn more about to follow. If I’m going to follow someone by pressing follow in the right menu, I want this info there as well.
2. The reason – why should I follow this person?
Twitter says that the suggestions are based on several factors, I want to know which one. Am I recommended this person because we live in the same city? Or because my friend follow her? Or is it because she tweets about the same subjects as I do? I think this information would make me more interested in following this person.
3. Variables – give me an option to choose what people to are shown – perhaps depending on language.
I rarely, or almost never follow people because they are from the same city as me or live close to me. So I would like the option to turn of that factor. On the other hand I love to listen to people who tweet about social media, marketing and business development, so then I would be nice to have the option to be suggested people two tweet a lot about this keywords.
So far the best thing with this feature, if it works, is that if you “click “hide,” and we’ll try not to suggest that user again.” However, could this could be bad if you click it unintentionally and cannot find the person again.
What will happen to Apple after Steve Jobs?
I just read this “In 2008, a CNN iReporter (the amateur arm of user-generated content for the U.S.-based news service) reported incorrectly that Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs had suffered a heart attack. The report knocked the Apple stock from $105.27 to $95.41 in just a short moment, leaving everyone reeling” in the book trust agents.
This got me thinking of leaders and leadership. I’ve also read the book from good to great, which among other things says that great leaders contemplates a lot before they choose their successor, and does it with the companys’ best at heart. Meaning that they care for the company they work for and the people there and not only their own success and careers, which is one of the things that make them great.
This have always sounded very good and logic in my head, but what will happened when Steve Jobs is going to choose his successor, if he wull be the one who does it that is. If he is a great leader, can he actually convince everyone that the person he chooses will be able to “fill his shoes”? What do we really know about Steve Jobs, everyone know that he is the CEO of Apple, but what do we really know about him as a leader? Would we trust the person that he choose to replace him?
I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man! – Kanye West lyric
The lyrics for Kanye West fits pretty well here, for many, Steve Jobs is Apple. But what does that mean? If we do trust him as a leader, does that mean that he will choose a great successor. Do we actually believe that he is great enough to do this? Is there any possibility that his choice wont have an impact on the apple stock? Or will his departure mean the end for apple as we know it today?
Startups vs. the well established & the power of simple web solutions
Most companies create their website by putting together a list of demands and features they want, which they hand over to a developer who build this from scratch. Companies are usually very happy with this solution and sticks with it for a few years until it is outdated and then they send in a new list of demands.
Lately, however, I’ve realized that lots, I mean really many, companies have website which leave more frustration than anything else. I might visit a website of the bookstore I’m going to, only to realize that they don’t have their selection online. (This happened today) Something that is extremely frustrating, as nowadays I expect this from a website.
This got me thinking of how many times I check in on blogs which are better than newspapers and online stores which have more and better info than the IRL stores. Some purchases I might want to do IRL but, don’t do, because the website of an e-company is just so much better.
What will big companies do, when smaller, unlikely competition begins to beat them? And fast?
We all know that things happened extremely fast on the web. But bigger companies realized how fast they can become out dated because of this. What happened when the web beats bureaucracy?
To my point earlier, about hiring a developer to create a website from scratch. What will happened when free versions are better than the customized? This scenario is possible because we like what we know, and if many uses the free one’s that is what we now. They don’t even have to be free, they just have to be made so they can be adapted. Developers can even use them, but will probably not be able to charge for as many hours.
Are big companies, and bureaucracies ready, for the power of good, simple web solutions?
3 ways of using Yammer as meeting support
For those of you who have not tried it, Yammer is an internal microblogg. This means that only people with the same email can see each other microposts. Just like twitter you can also send DM and Reply messages to the people in the network, so they are very similar in that way, which is very helpful when you are introducing other people to the network.
Either way, so far I’ve only used this tool at a smaller company which I worked for and in smaller groups, but it is very interesting, and I’ve found one time when it is particularly useful, if it is frequently used. That one is meeting support.
When you are in a meeting, Yammer can be a great, “silent”-way to communicate with the rest of the office, both to ask questions and to see what is going on.
Three ways of using yammer in meetings:
- When you need to ask a question, “yam it” – then you can ask the question without interrupting the meeting by making a phone call.
- Let people contact the meeting – Let people contact the meeting without interrupting by sending a message.
- Now what is going on outside the meeting – If you are in longer meetings for project groups check office status on yammer in the breaks.
Iphone blog: Make the summer the time to get ahead
I’m at the airport waiting for My flight to nice, France. In my suitcase i have two books, trust agents and six pixells of separation. I got them around christmas, but have not had the time to read as Ive been busy reading school litteratur. I have à rule: no reading for fun until done reading for school. As this never happened, i try to do all of My reading between the courses and om the summer holiday.
And after à few years of using the time i have off to read non-fiction litterature and work, i have learned far more which is useful for My work Than at the university. Simply because i’ve read what interests me instead of what i have to read. I think that most People underestimate reading to complement school and says that work experience is the best and often only complement. And i agree that is is, but reading Will teach you à lot.
When we work and/or study, that is our excuse to not go that extra mile. When we are on a vacation we just sant relax.
But why not bring à few books to the beach or your computer to the summerhouse for rainy days. You might just learn à few new things or get an idea which Will give you à promotion you wanted. Reading on the beach might be what reduces your stress in the fall. Give it à shot?
Does anyone cares about iPhone apps rating?
Before I download and app, regardless if it is free or paid I always check the rating. How many starts the apps has got. If it is a popular apps with low rating I usually also check the comments. Therefore I’m very surprised when apps with only a start or two, with almost entirely negative comments reach up on the top list.
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Is it because I’m the only one who readers other comments, or could it be that people want to try for themselves. Or could it be that apple has not succeeded in optimizing this function?
Though it might like the idea of standing out, I think my first reason I rather unlikely. The second I don’t believe in that much either, since people in general are rather lazy, and usually believe in what everyone else says. If I would tell someone that the hamburger place on the corner sucks I doubt that many would go. If 10 other people said the same thing as me, I believe that number would be even lower.
The only option left (in my mind) is that apples system on rating is not user friendly enough. People might see the star rating but feel that the comments are two difficult to find, or might not even know where they are. Therefore they try the apps themselves instead of listening to others. “The app might be good for me, as I don’t know why others don’t like it”.
Another reason could be that most people only rate apps when they throw them away, meaning that apps which people don’t want to keep are more likely to be reviewed than those that people are currently using.
What do you think? Do you care about the iPhone apps rating?
