I first read about Twitority over on CNet News, and they did a nice job of summarizing the authority discussion that is happening about Twitter between TechCrunch, Scobleizer and Le Meur.  The summary of the conversation is this, what does authority mean on Twitter, and who cares?

Twitter Search vs. Twitority (click for larger image)

Enter Twitority, a search engine that looks through Twitter streams and serves up terms based upon the number of followers a person has. I’ve been using Twitority for several searches, and I have to confess that I’m not all that thrilled.  The technology and look of the service are fabulous, and I think it was smart to build it in response to the ongoing conversation about authority.  End the end, I just don’t have a use for it.  One thing that does confuse me a bit is the depth of the timeline that it trolls, at doesn’t appear to go very far back.  In the screenshot that you see above I was searching for “Chrome”.  I came up in the top ranks on both services right away, I was on the top of Twitority.  An hour later, I was on page 4 of Twitter Search, but nowhere to be seen on Twitority, even though I should be been ranked #2 at that point (the #1 result had 1,320 followers and #2 had 403).  So is the authority of a subject only good for a short period of time?

So, this is “authority” now…how many people follow your tweets.  I won’t rehash the entire argument again, but I don’t think this actually is authority.  For example, Barack Obama has 156,000+ followers but hasn’t updated since November 5th (as of this writing).  In the simplest terms of the argument, Mr. Obama has the most authority on Twitter.  But..he doesn’t update anymore.  So is that really authority?

Taking this off of the A-listers, does a person who has 1,000+ followers have more authority than a person with just a handful of followers?  Sometimes, but not always.  For example, when I say something about my Zune, using pure numbers, I have great authority.  However, I follow several people that actually work for Microsoft that certainly are more qualified than I am on this subject, but they only have a few hundred followers.  So who has greater authority?

In the end, I think the question is moot.  It takes away from the very reason I use Twitter, and that is, I treat the service like a cocktail party, not a lecture hall.  Just like a cocktail party, different people have different influence, and some do have more authority than others.  However, it would be unfair and rather ridiculous to pull out little snippets of conversations from a particularly popular person and then state unequivocally that they have more authority than the others in the room simply because they are popular.

Go play with the service, maybe it will be useful to you.  If so, please tell me why I’m wrong, either in comments or over in the middle of the cocktail party.  You can find me on Twitter here.

I can’t tell you the number of times somebody has contacted me to check if I can see a website.  ”Is it down for you or just for me?”  9 times out of 10 I have to respond with, “just for you” followed by “just restart your computer, I’m sure it will be fine”.  It usually is.

Ding It's Up!

There are some neat web based services available that will help you determine if a site is down.  If you run a site (corporate, personal blog, etc.) then you should pay attention to these quick and easy services.

Before you call me, please go to Down for everyone or just me? This is really simple, just put in the name of a domain and hit enter.  It will tell you if the site really is down or if you need to restart your laptop.  Very useful.

Second on the list, and most valuable, is a service that you just need to give info to once.  DING IT’S UP! is a site that lets you choose a domain and then a method of contact.  You can go with an @reply on Twitter, an SMS to your phone or an email. I went with email, I didn’t want to clog my Twitter stream more than it already is. It will tell me when a site is up or down via a quick mail message.  Very useful!

I’m adding a third, because I know that most of you want to know when Twitter is up or down.  Yes, you can use the sites that I already mentioned, but why not go to a page specifically crafted for your obsession? Is Twitter Down is made for folks like you (and me, don’t think I’m throwing stones here) that have a hard time breathing when the the fail whale rears its ugly head.  Go to this site and it will make it pretty easy for you, either a Yes or a No will greet you and let you move on with your day.

I use these services frequently for sites that I monitor for clients, I hope you find them useful as well. If there are any others that you like, please feel free to share with all of us in the comments.

Digg_2000 on Twitter

As Twitter’s popularity continues to rise, a lot of businesses are finding creative ways to use the service.  Although I’m on record as saying that I view Twitter as a cocktail party and not a lecture, I also think it’s a great place for business to get involved with their communities as long as they offer value and don’t just try to shove stuff down people’s throats.

Enter Digg, the social news network where news is made or broken by Diggs (votes) from people all over the world. I love what they did with Twitter recently; they created several accounts that aggregate information and post them on Twitter depending on the category or amount of activity. What makes this so cool is that it is obviously and opt-in service, the tweets are only going to go to those that are wanting the info.  For example, I started following @digg_2000 that only posts stories that get 2,000 digs or more. This is a great way to get signal from noise, to let the community pick the best of the best and then send it my way.  An excellent use of social media!  Other categories include Apple, Offbeat and Political News.  For a full list, go check out the post on the Digg Blog.

Wired is reporting that a Zune phone might be in the works, and that possibly it will be announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on January 7, 2009.

Yes, I am one of the few Zune owners in the world, and I absolutely love it.  A while back I wrote a post about the math behind owning a Zune, asking the question to iPod owners: are you stubborn or just bad at math? So yes, I love my Zune and I love the Marketplace that is the focus of my passion.  If a Zune phone does truly come out, I will get it.  It’s just that simple.  Right now I still carry two electronic devices, my iPhone and my Zune 80 and I would love to combine the two into one, but so far each offers me something the other cannot.  

My biggest wish in this story is that Microsoft would work a little harder on the Zune brand before launching a second product.  Honestly, the biggest thing I hear from iPod users after we discuss the ins an outs of Zune ownership is, “I would switch, but I have too much invested in my music.  If only there was an easy way to convert my library”.  Of course there are several ways to convert files, but here is some free advice for Zune: you have a really, really good thing with your music subscription service, so you need to find a way to let people try it without them feeling like they lose.  Build a branded AAC to WMA file converter, offer it for free, and advertise the hell out of it.  I think that would help a lot.

Ischus on Zune

If you are one of the handful of Zune owners around the world, add me as a friend, my tag is “Ischus”.  I would love to share music with you, and of course we can compare notes on the Zune phone if/when it is released.

Since I just wrote about two different tech events happening in LA this week, on Wednesday and one Thursday, I thought a primer on how to not only survive but succeed at these would be good.  There really are some simple things you can do to prepare yourself to hang out with hundreds of geeks to make the most of your time and theirs.

1. Bring plenty of business cards.  I know, business cards are so old fashioned, just simple ink printer on paper.  Remember paper? It’s what we used to use before PDFs.  You may think that when you meet somebody new you’ll transfer info via mobile phone or some geeky Star Trek mind meld, but no…the best way is still with a business card.  Sometimes I’ll be talking to a group of 3 or 4 people, and after we introduce ourselves and chat for a bit the group naturally dissolves and moves around the room.  Always be ready to hand somebody your business card, and ask for theirs.  It’s the best way to keep track of who you meet, and frankly, you never know who you may end up wanting to do business with later.
2. Bring a pen, preferably a fine tipped Sharpie.  Pens are the archaic partner of paper.  I use a pen to make notes on business cards that I get from people, and to scribble things to others that I give my business card to.  I recommend a Sharpie because sometimes people have glossy cards, and sometimes other pens just don’t work.  Sharpies rock my world.
3. Bring gum or mints.  I know you think your breath smells great, but after a couple of Gimlets and the free stuffed mushrooms, I assure you that it does not.  I’m a fan of Wintergreen Altoids myself.
4. When you meet somebody, listen to their name.  You do it, I do it, we all do it…you meet somebody and 10 seconds after they introduce themselves you cannot remember their name.  That is just downright embarrassing.  I think this happens mostly because people you are thinking about what the other person is thinking of you when you meet…you focus more on your name and introduction than theirs.  Stop it.  I’ll tell you what they’ll think when you forget their name in three heartbeats…they will think you are a schmuck.  So, forget about yourself and really focus on them for the few seconds that i takes for them to say their name.
5. Don’t drink too much.  If you are there to make some future business connections, trust me…you’re not going to get the account when the potential client sees you on Flickr doing keg stands and wearing a lamp shade.  If you want to be the life of the party, you may want to excuse yourself early and head down the road to a local hangout.
6. Have your elevator pitch ready.  That isn’t to say that you have to sell something, but you should be able to tell somebody else what it is you do, or want to do, in less than 30 seconds.  Ideally if you can get this down to less than 15 seconds you are more likely to have a better conversation.
7. Mingle.  I’ve been to events where I simply didn’t feel like being there.  I was by myself and it seemed like everybody else was with a group of their best friends.  This is rarely the case, there are plenty of people looking to connect with others.  So, be approachable and come out of the corner.  I’m guessing you have some great things to share.  If all else fails, come find me and say hi, I’m always happy to talk.  I’m the bald, ugly guy that’s hiding in the corner.
8. Don’t belittle the host or any of the sponsors.  I say this because I’ve heard it done.  You never know who you are talking to or who is listening.  Hey, it’s their party, if you don’t like it…leave.
9. Have fun! This should probably be the first thing on the list because it’s the most important. Even though you are at a tech event to listen to speakers, find out about new technology and network with other geeks you should make sure you have fun.  Honestly, the fact that we get to play with gizmos and stuff on the internet all day long…that’s fun! The events should be fun too, so don’t be so serious.  Lighten up and have a good time.

I had a couple more thoughts, but as I like to buck trends I didn’t want to make this a top 10 list. I’m no Chris Brogan, but I’ve been to my fair share of tech meetups.  So…I hope to meet you at a tech gathering in Los Angeles or San Francisco soon.  If you really want to get my attention, send me an @ message on Twitter, you know I’ll see it right away and we’ll connect for real.

This is a busy week for big tech meetups in Los Angeles!  I mentioned that I’ll be at the techset Ignition party on Wednesday, but I’m also really excited for the Digital Family Reunion one night later, hosted at the beautiful Skirball Cultural Center.

The Digital Family Reunion is an event to bring together the 1.0 and 2.0 crowd.  The concept is fascinating to me, I’m sure the execution will be just as good.

The program for the evening has a great line up, I can’t wait to mix music and tech, conversation of old and new geek…oh yes, this is my kind of night.

Tickets are $60, but if you register with the promo code “dfr16″ you’ll get $20 off, which really is an incredible deal.  You’re welcome.

If you want to know more about the event, check out their website, their Twitter account on their Facebook page.  If you plan on being there, I would love to meet you.  Find me on Twitter and send me an @ message, we’ll connect!  See you Thursday!

I’ll be attending Ignition Los Angeles on Wednesday the 10th in Los Angeles, CA.  I love these kinds of information sharing and meetups, and if you are going I would love to connect with you there. This is a FREE event, so you really don’t have an excuse for not showing up do you? Leave a comment, send me an email or find me on Twitter, let’s meet!  Here is more info about the event from the website:

The spirit of entrepreneurialism is what drives all of us to innovate and excel. Economics aside, there is no better time than now to pursue and invest in that next big idea. This is your time to shine and we want to celebrate you, your vision and help you succeed.
Microsoft Startup Zone, in partnership with Stephanie Agresta and Brian Solis of The TechSet, is hosting this event bringing together the tech innovators in Southern California to celebrate the launch of BizSpark, a new program for those who contribute to a dynamic ecosystem that helps startups flourish. Join us at Beso in Hollywood for free hors d’oeuvres and drinks, and have the chance to network with some of the most influential technologists around. Some of the hottest startups in town will be around to showcase their products. Also, all attendees can participate in a “twitter raffle” to win an XBox 360 Elite.
If you’ve missed our previous events check out these pictures of New York and Austin to get a feel for the night, courtesy of Brian Solis’ bub.blicio.us.

There are so many blogs on the web that it’s hard to know where to go to get good information, and thousands of new blogs are added every day, making the choices seem limitless.  There are some “must read” sites however, and one that you should certainly have in your RSS feed is Mashable.

May I sweeten the deal a bit (or sour it depending on who you ask)…I have recently starting contributing articles to this incredible community that has hundreds of thousands of readers.  You can find my first post about Pandora vs Last.fm here and my most recent about how to use Google Reader here.  The first article, a head to head about online streaming music services, was a blast to write, and the comments lit up!  People get fairly passionate about their POV with music and services, and it turned into a great conversation.

Go check out Mashable, there are some incredible articles on the front page right now, and the 2nd Annual Open Web Awards are still taking votes. Naturally I would love to hear from you in the comments section, but being the incredible community of writers that it is, I strongly encourage you to go drop some comment love on the other articles too!

Okay, you caught me…this isn’t a tech post.  But, this is a “great deal” post, a first of it’s kind.  I love great deals as much as I love tech.

Los Angeles based Marc + Pearl is closing their virtual doors due to the poor economy.  It’s sad to see yet another victim of our difficult economic environment, but I’m passing this information along to you not because of the sad news but because of the message I got that reveals some pretty incredible online savings. If you like jewelery (or maybe that someone special is your life does…hint, hint…) then you will not want to pass this up.

Go log in to their store and browse through their beautiful selection of pendants, earrings and bracelets.  Then (here is the important part…pay attention) use either of these coupon codes to save a lot of cash.

Use discount code “75FriendsLove” and receive 75% off your order.
Use discount code “80MoreLove” and receive 80% off $800 or more.

It’s that simple.  Pass the word, and if you are feeling particular generous you can pick up the Keenan ring for me (size 11 please) for only $18.75 after the discount.  Happy Holidays!

Okay, this isn’t new, and it’s really not all that viral, but just made laugh! :59 of Aunt Mildred playing Halo in her mind.