I started using Twitter in December at the insistence of my colleagues at CarSpot, and I really didn’t get it at first. Now that I’ve been “tweeting” for several weeks, and have my first few “followers”, I’m starting to see it as a useful communication tool (and apparently the fastest growing one on the Internet, according to podcast This Week In Tech).
I’ve been using it for a number of things, though I try (as on my blog) to stick with .NET programming topics. What I find is that some of my thoughts and avenues of exploration crescendo to the point where I have to blog about it, but most pursuits are smaller and never cross the threshold. Some of these small adventures in programming with new technologies are worth writing about, but I set such high expectations on myself for completeness of coverage, ability to reference reputable sources, providing adequately tested code samples, writing style including correct grammar and spelling, etc., that I put up a barrier to entry for each thought I might blog about.
Enter Twitter, the casual microblog. With Twitter, I can share informal tidbits of knowledge, the status of progress on my projects, or just my confusion and frustration at the moment. As I watch people watch each other on Twitter, I realize they’re learning from each other, and this provides not only as a channel of knowledge transfer, but also a sort of insider’s scoop, and an early look at larger things brewing (like a blog article, or a book).
I also occasionally make announcements as open invitations to meet somewhere fun, in case you happen to live in the Milwaukee area (or elsewhere when I travel). So if you’re one of those that has caught the Twitter bug, or you’re just curious to see what I’m working on, feel free to listen in.
http://twitter.com/danvanderboom
Twitter Microblog on Microsoft Oslo
One of the things I’ve been studying intensely and starting to work with is Oslo. I wrote an article to explain it, or at least to scratch the surface. As I explore and experiment further, I decided that a Twitter account would be a perfect way to let people know what I’m doing with it. I also plan to make important announcements about release schedules, suggest good articles and resources, point out key conversations (including some of my own) in the MSDN Oslo Forum and elsewhere, and share insights and fundamental concepts/definitions.
Whether you’re interested in Oslo and don’t know where to begin, are considering incorporating it next year, or you’ve decided to jump in and start using it now like me and simply want to compare notes with someone else in the trenches, feel free to tune in.
http://twitter.com/modelingoslo
The name refers to the fact that Oslo itself must be modeled, and that a discussion about modeling is meta-modeling.
I’m going off the beaten path with this one, so if you have any ideas for the type of content you’d like to see in an Oslo microblog, feel free to leave a comment and share your thoughts!
Critical Development 