Developing a PLN-Week 2 Using Tweetdeck

This past week in class we experimented with using Tweetdeck to manage our tweets and the various feeds that we may be following. While I understand the reasons for Tweetdeck I found it to be a bit overwhelming. I don't know if I am still too, new on Twitter, but I found it to be too, crazy to watch multiple columns of tweets at the same time. I installed Tweetdeck right after class the first week and began playing around with it. I had it running in the background of my laptop while I was working on other documents or other things on the web. I found it to be distracting, but sometimes interesting to have the tweets pop up on my screen. Distracting in that I would stop to read the tweets and if someone had said something good, sharing a link etc. then I'd be off and running to follow that link. I started to be more off task than I am when I try to work at home and have Facebook up at the same time!

I think that Tweetdeck is outstanding for organizing columns of tweets so you can monitor multiple conversations at the same time or isolate certain people's tweets so you don't miss any of what they are saying. I tried to follow the #edchat and #wiunion tweets at the same time on Tuesday evenings class. There were so many tweets in both streams it was hard to keep up, much less respond. I was also trying to follow the PLN2011 chats and felt like it was all I could manage. I think for reading and just following, Tweetdeck is cool, but if I want to participate and respond I am still trying to become familiar with the tools to do this through Tweetdeck. It sort of feels like the interface is a bit hidden/compact compared to the easy, straight forward tools on Twitter. I think Twitter took off because of its simplicity.

I think Twitter has infiltrated many people's lives because of that simplicity. I read in the New York Times today how there are groups of people who are experiencing Twitter envy over the posts of people attending events that they wish they could go to. Some Twitter users feel people are just bragging when they tweet things like "I'm standing in line next to Danny DeVito etc." I think it is fascinating how this is taking over our social mores and Twitter etiquette is now part of the social structure amongst some groups. I think again that Twitter is able to do this because of it's simplicity.

Can you use Tweetdeck from your phone? If I'm at an event following multiple conversations on my phone how does that work? Not sure? Still experimenting with Tweets by phone. I am not entirely sold on Tweetdeck. Bottom line might be a design thing. I think the graphic design of Tweetdeck is a bit cluttery and since I'm a visual person maybe that's why I'm not thrilled with it. I wonder if HootSuite is designed better? I went to download, but it looked like you had to pay for HootSuite so maybe not. What do you think? Is there a better, cleaner design for following and organizing your multiple feeds?