Yesterday was another chapter in my “edumacation” in the world of Twitter. A tweetup (i.e. meeting of Twitter users) was held at the Shorebird restaurant to meet self-professed GeekGirl Chistine Lu (@christinelu).
I’m going to be honest and tell you that I didn’t actually get to meet her. I was trapped in the middle of the banquet table against the wall, but I did get to observe the interaction of those who were there.
What I observed was people from all walks of life engaging in conversations about what they do, where they do it, and how they insert the Twitter lifestyle into their daily lives. I was introduced to several new people and was genuinely impressed at the breadth of both online and offline experience. I had a long discussion with @matmatsu about his growing list of clients looking for help with selling their personal items. I was amazed at the general lack of knowledge the public has with services like Craigslist and how Matt has been able to cultivate a growing list of clients. For a person like me, who has been virtually surrounded by the tech world for over 20 years, these kind of stories are eye openers. My mind began to whirl with possibilities regarding who would be willing to pay me to tell them things I thought everyone already knew!
I also learned a valuable lesson in connectivity from @AlohaArleen who explained that by simply placing myself on her following list, people would start following me. I had wondered how so many people from across the continental U.S. had decided to follow me in the last week. I know that you readers are thrilled with the quality and content of my posts but even that couldn’t account for the growing number of followers. As I sit here writing, the count sits at 114 with several new followers joining each day. Thanks for the boost@AlohaArleen! When I get my first comment from the east coast, I’ll know that your reach has helped me to hit the big time. Until then, I will have to rely on my plodding and clumsy attempts to prod and cajole my friends into becoming regular readers. My thanks goes out to you faithful.
So That's Life? 
Ticket to Ride
01/28/2009One of the most useful (and free!) applications that I found for the iPhone is the Public Radio tuner. It aggregates the streaming audio from public radio stations from around the country into one, easy to use, interface. Most importantly, both of Hawaii’s stations are available to listen to on my daily bus commute to work.
With the iPhone, I’ve come to expect a 3G signal just like I expect clean air, clean water, and a dial tone. I pay my monthly bill and in return, I expect to have my internet connection wherever I go. I plug in my headset as I walk down to the bus stop and the latest news is delivered via the iPhone. I board the bus and and the experience seamlessly transfers to my city & county limousine. However, as I enter the urban core at the intersection of Kapiolani and Kaheka, my listening experience is suddenly and inexplicably shattered. Without fail, the stream is broken and I suffer sporadic coverage throughout the remaining 1 mile of my ride.
If I were in some outlying area or even in a concentration of tall buildings, I could understand this problem. However, this stretch of road runs through the commercial center of town. There are literally hundreds of businesses operating and thousands of employees working in this area. Hello AT&T, can you explain where my signal went? The most ironic aspect of this outage is that the public radio broadcast emanates from within this area!
While this service disruption is annoying, I find it more emblematic of my personal dilemma. How do I fit technology into my everyday life when something as simple as a radio signal can’t be relied on? I want to embrace the online experience. I want to be wired but if I can’t get a signal in the middle of town, is this lifestyle really ready for prime time?
Posted in Blogroll, commentary, tech | Tagged AT&T, commentary, tech, wifi | 2 Comments »