@textpattern on Twitter

milkshake · 2010-02-12 10:17:54

When I try and follow @textpattern on Twitter it says “This user has blocked you from following them.”

I’m not sure why, but I’d appreciate if the mods could change this. My username is ‘meleyal’.

Thanks!

Destry · 2010-02-13 18:05:52

Speaking of Textpattern on Twitter. I don’t really understand the model of use.

Let me be clear, I’m all for using Twitter. I’ve put an entire conference together using Twitter for speaker research, and email for business communication. Twitter is without a doubt a seriously powerful tool if you have the right reason for using it: research, networking, community development…

Where I see Textpattern making effective use of Twitter is for community development, but that’s exactly not what it’s doing. I see occasional pings about themes, and occasional pings about code updates to the core,—both are good and part of the game—but I don’t see any “human” interaction with other humans using Twitter. That’s a wasted opportunity for Textpattern promotion. Big time! (It’s also a bit reflective of many other ways Txp is missing the boat with community development, sad to say.)

Who’s behind the @textpattern account on Twitter? I’m just curious.

Gocom · 2010-02-13 18:32:15

Destry wrote:

human

You are right, it’s not human nor human interaction. It’s all bot — total of 6 real tweets that are replies.

The twitter feed is more about telling what is going on. But yeah, it is really useless. Just some cropped down messages from svn changes and sortened urls.

But if someone likes smaller feeds, then use it. It will save some quota. Those that like readable format can subscribe to:

At least those feeds are readable and don’t depend on external service’s external service.

I would like to see some hand pick tweets on @textpattern and seperate account or #-tags for that autospam. I don’t even really like how it pushes real tweets with #txp #textpattern tags down.

Who’s behind the @textpattern account on Twitter?

My 2cents are on We<3TXP’s owner, Sam. Just a guess. Just because We<3TXP is included in the feed, but other TXP site’s arent — no other implications. Do I win something if I’m correct? Lol.

Last edited by Gocom (2010-02-13 19:01:00)

maniar · 2010-02-13 20:13:01

That’s the reason I am not following @textpattern – perhaps this is bad marketing ! I rather search for #textpattern or #txp tweets – (I believe these should be added to TxPlanet as well)

It would not harm if there was another twitter account for textpattern tips and updates.

Last edited by maniar (2010-02-13 20:13:29)

jstubbs · 2010-02-14 09:50:51

Jaffer, there is a Twitter update for TXP Tips.

trenc · 2010-02-14 11:35:17

I’m following @textpattern. I myself find it useful to be up to date on svn changes, new themes, plugins etc. So I use @textpattern as a single one aggregator of different feeds.

The question is: Who is willing to feed twitter with human status updates and what will be the content of these?

Last edited by trenc (2010-02-14 11:36:16)

maniar · 2010-02-14 17:46:20

Thanks Jonathan ! (I had forgotten about TXP tips when adding that comment !) Following now …

P.S. I wonder if @milkshake’s issue has been resolved yet !

Last edited by maniar (2010-02-14 17:48:27)

Mary · 2010-02-19 15:44:51

IIRC, this was not an account created or maintained by the devs. May have changed since then…

wet · 2010-02-19 15:47:39

Nope. It’s an anonymous, yet manned jinni.

Destry · 2010-02-20 12:04:55

trenc wrote:

svn changes, new themes, plugins etc.

Yes, I’m sure everyone agrees, these are just some good kinds of information to tweet.

The question is: Who is willing to feed twitter with human status updates and what will be the content of these?

Actually, that’s two questions; both easily answered by looking at how it’s done in the rest of the world.

A_Q1 : A Txp Community Manager; someone appointed to the Txp team who’s primary responsibility is to promote and support community. This has to be someone recognized as a team member (and having reasonably competent skills in community management), as opposed to ~~volunteers~~ expecting everyone else to take care of it.

A_Q2 : Twitter is not just about broadcasting (like what @textpattern is currently doing). It’s about dialogue; proposing ideas, answering questions, and helping people. Sure, broadcasting information is an important part of it, but if that’s all it’s used for, then a lot of potential is wasted. Even the current broadcast tweets are formatted pretty horribly and more often than not chopped off. [Ed. Self-edited to spare you even further.]

—————————

Twitter is just one piece of the puzzle. The prevailing issue here is much bigger — growing community. Within that are more channels to take into account and more goals the Txp community could be reaching for. Look at what any other prominent open source CMS community has accomplished to date and what I’m saying should start to sink in. This is the kind of thing a Community Manager would help promote.

Don’t get me wrong, the burden isn’t solely on Team Textpattern (though granted, it’s natural the community looks there for initiative).

I have a question for people in this community: Why in all these years of Textpattern’s existence has there never been a single Txp meetup, TxpCamp, or what have you? I’m not even suggesting on an international level like other projects have achieved, but just something in one’s neck of the woods. I’ve never even seen anyone say they met at a pub for a few beers.

And don’t tell me it’s because Txp is so easy to use there’s no need to talk abou it, or that the one book is the holy grail of answers. To this date people still come to this forum expressing their frustration with getting over the Txp hump, or about the documentation. Plus, many people like more than just docs anyway, they want hands-on learning activities where their questions get immediate answers, and where they have a little fun in the process. We could also say it’s the trend anymore.

I sometimes akin the Txp community to a small country village abandoned by youth and barely kept on the map by a few seniors fiddling about in the chicken coups. Under this model, a lost community is only a matter of time.

It’s sad we don’t see any interest in meetups (whatever) here, because obviously there’s a lot of interest in those kinds of things. You start having events like that and it’s more to tweet and re-tweet about, for example.

You want to know how this works? Somebody just has to step forward. Like this…

If there’s any Txp users in Strasbourg or Paris, let’s touch base to plan a meetup, hoist one and talk Txp. We’ll take it from there how to raise the bar each time. That’s a genuine proposal!

Last edited by Destry (2010-02-20 13:46:10)

maniar · 2010-02-20 16:03:24

I am quite new to the TXP community but I too have wondered about this as well that while TXP ranks high among other CMSes, why is there no ‘Textpattern Confrence’ or a ‘Text-Camp’ (Sorry for obvious references) ?
And we don’t require the Founder or the Lead Developer to lead the meeting or give a ‘keynote’ speech !

Such meetings are not just for meeting and socialising, but it could bring TXP further into the limelight – and bring out the in-real-life community spirit.

Perhaps not everyone can physically meet but even perhaps virtual gathering over Twitter or Skype or similar can do !

Destry · 2010-02-20 16:28:51

I’m sure you are not alone, Jaffer. Not by a long shot.

There is some Txp history that influences things, and to be respected. For example Txp’s founder is no longer around, so that’s a moot issue. Also, it’s a well-known fact that core developers, who are worth their weight in gold, are generally not the initiator type, and we can’t expect them to be, at least not in terms of giving presentations or what have you.

But what can be done, like I mentioned, is core folks backing such an initiative and bringing someone else into the fold that is willing to spearhead a little more forward thinking outside of the machinery and into the social scene — the community itself. I think that kind of “leadership” (I hate to use that word, but you all know what I mean) is necessary if anything is going to happen, otherwise it would have happened already.

That’s not to say it’s too late for members of this community to do something on their own accord, without core team leadership, but so far nobody has shown any interest, for whatever reason. Until today, I guess.

jstubbs · 2010-02-20 18:00:42

This subject has come up several times in the past – its not new. It would certainly be good if there was a strategy for marketing and communication, but I don’t think its feasible or reasonable to expect the core devs to come up with this, and they may also have different ideas about marketing.

But since this is an open source product there is nothing to stop you or anyone else from putting a strategy together. As an example, Facebook (even though I dislike it) is necessary these days for promotion – at least while its still “cool”.

I have a project starting next week which should also help promote/develop TXP – anything that moves TXP forward is welcome.

Destry · 2010-02-20 19:23:37

Thanks for the points, Jonathan. I agree and disagree with yours, and I think you’re missing mine.

I’m glad you brought in the word “strategy”, though, because that’s what I’m all about.

Despite what you are suggesting, however, there can be no real strategy if everyone is off doing their own thing. The ‘more willy-nilly the better’ is not real strategy for Textpattern (the entity), nor does more automatically mean moving things forward. It’s that kind of logic that has got Textpattern nowhere (comparatively) but steady-state for six years now. Just look at the other open source projects and how their models differ than here, and the proof is in the pudding. “Open source” has nothing to do with it.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying people shouldn’t build things. By all means they should and have a good time doing it. I’m just saying don’t confuse real strategy with flights of fancy or personal projects. However good-intentioned they are, it’s not strategy unless it’s orchestrated harmoniously with other objectives. (A fact this community will likely never come to terms with.)

Facebook is just another channel in the strategy (like Twitter), it’s not a strategy itself. And speaking of which, let’s have a look there…

tap…tap…tap…Enter

Hmm. ~~Two~~ a group and a page:

~~A quick perusal of the three two tells me right away there’s no strategy going on whatsoever; not among the three locations nor in accord with the efforts of Textpattern itself.~~

The obvious outlier is the TextPattern group, which is not only falsely marketing the system, but is unnecessarily competing with the group correctly named. No offense to Viking, but if he really wants to help he should delete that group. This is clearly a good example that not all community efforts help move Textpattern forward. (As well a good example that Textpattern, the entity, should take better control of it’s potential resources so it can wield a stronger strategy.)

The actual Textpattern group on Facebook is promising, if but a little behind the times on the branding and no core representation. In fact, I’d say that group could give this forum a run for it’s money if it was properly promoted. I’m not a huge fan of Facebook either for personal use, but I’m perfectly fine with it for “group” objectives like this one. Frankly, I think this forum has outlived itself and then some. It’s like a Haitian presidential palace waiting for the first tremor.

I have no idea what the page is supposed to be doing. It has two posts on it’s wall, and the first post tells people to go use the forum. What? Another case in point of bad strategy. I’m not a socmed guru, but I do know you don’t put up shop in a social media location and then tell people that use it to leave there and go use something else. It should at least point to the Facebook group so that people who like using Facebook use the environment they want to use. (And like with the point of Twitter, each tool will have it’s specific characteristics of communication.)

I totally agree with the idea of putting a strategy together. I’m kicking ideas out there in this thread for those who might recognize it.

(Nothing but respect for Jonathan, like everyone else.)

[Ed. Edits per Viking’s quick action on the TextPattern group.]

Last edited by Destry (2010-02-21 01:29:01)

jstubbs · 2010-02-20 21:31:04

Destry, I agree with what you say so that makes me think I expressed myself badly!

My main point is I don’t know how this is actually going to work unless a) someone is going to manage this b) an agreed strategy is put in place first

With regard to the developers, what I meant was that they may not have the inclination or desire to make this effort themselves, and lets be honest we’d rather they focus on improving the product anyway..

I am not suggesting someone go off and do their own thing. What I meant was that you (or someone else) are quite free to come up with a strategy and then ask the devs for their blessing before implementation.

Personally I’d be happy to contribute with any efforts in this regard, but only as part of an agreed strategy.

Are we on the same page now? (Not Facebook!)

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#1 2010-02-12 10:17:54

@textpattern on Twitter

#2 2010-02-13 18:05:52

Re: @textpattern on Twitter

#3 2010-02-13 18:32:15

Re: @textpattern on Twitter

#4 2010-02-13 20:13:01

Re: @textpattern on Twitter

#5 2010-02-14 09:50:51

Re: @textpattern on Twitter

#6 2010-02-14 11:35:17

Re: @textpattern on Twitter

#7 2010-02-14 17:46:20

Re: @textpattern on Twitter

#8 2010-02-19 15:44:51

Re: @textpattern on Twitter

#9 2010-02-19 15:47:39

Re: @textpattern on Twitter

#10 2010-02-20 12:04:55

Re: @textpattern on Twitter

#11 2010-02-20 16:03:24

Re: @textpattern on Twitter

#12 2010-02-20 16:28:51

Re: @textpattern on Twitter

#13 2010-02-20 18:00:42

Re: @textpattern on Twitter

#14 2010-02-20 19:23:37

Re: @textpattern on Twitter

#15 2010-02-20 21:31:04

Re: @textpattern on Twitter

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