It's worth checking out Yammer (www.yammer.com), which allows you to maintain internal micro-blogging by subscribing via email addresses. It publishes a feed from all who are subscribed, which seems like a useful way to keep a pulse on goings-on in a company or museum.
Some things I'd like to see Twitter/micro-blogging used for in museums: --wade into social media. Twitter is the absolute easiest way a museum can publish content in Web 2.0. Lowest barrier to entry, no expectations of frequency, high incentive to join the conversation rather than just lurking. --exhibit maintenance. Exhibits could be set up with accounts and send automated SMS messages when they are not functioning or when visitors hit a button, etc. --exhibit feedback. This could be done yammer-style, with each exhibit given an account and a keyboard, and then you could view all exhibit feedback from a central feed (in the lobby!) --update museum "status" of all kinds across the institution. It would be very easy to use a Twitter feed as a homebase via SMS for program locations, closing announcements, exciting events that could be published throughout the galleries. --live events. twitter is used pretty extraordinarily at some geeky conferences and concerts. I know this is where Brooklyn had trouble, but it could be useful if used properly. I use it frequently for research to ask for quotes, suggestions, and resources. It's also really nice that you can use it as a Facebook update. I'm always surprised that a question posted on Twitter will receive as many responses via Facebook as through Twitter. But my real aha moment came months ago when I got trapped in the Dallas airport, an old friend saw my status change, called me, and offered me a comfy bed instead of an airport floor for 72 hours. Nothing professional about it. :) Nina Nina Simon Museum 2.0 - www.museumtwo.com 831.331.5460 nina at museumtwo.com 1040 Mystery Spot Road Santa Cruz, CA 95065 skype, twitter, yahooIM, flickr, facebook: ninaksimon On Sep 18, 2008, at 9:03 AM, Jim Spadaccini wrote: > Everyone, > I did a search for "museum" on Twitter a few weeks back and found > about two dozen museums. I've been on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/jims > ) for about a year or so and frankly haven't done too many updates. > > An interesting way to use Twitter is to set up auto-posting via a > service like TwitterFeed. This will automatically post blog postings > or other information from RSS Feeds. This could be useful for museums > that have RSS feeds for blogs, events, Flickr groups, or dynamic > collections. > > I blogged about Twitter feed two weeks ago. I > http://www.ideum.com/blog/2008/09/05/using-twitterfeed-to-update-twitter/ > > TwitterFeed requires OpenID, so you will need to set up an account if > you don't have one already.I use TwitterFeed in conjunction with more > personalize posts. > > Another way to update microblogs is Ping.fm (http://ping.fm/). This > allow you to update multiple accounts simultaneously. > > Best. > > Jim > > Jim Spadaccini > Ideum "ideas + media" > 4895 1/2 Corrales Road > Corrales, NM 87048 > phone: 505-792-1110 > fax: 505-792-1111 > portfolio & blog: http://www.ideum.com > Try RSS Mixer: http://www.rssmixer.com > > > On Sep 18, 2008, at 6:25 AM, Beck Tench wrote: > >> We're using Twitter at the Museum of Life and Science in Durham, NC. >> I'm trying to make it a "what it's like to be at the museum everyday" >> snack bite of information. We've got about 70 followers in a little >> over two months. >> >> I've tweeted with a visitor while he was here and we ran a #hanna >> tweet experiment, asking folks to tweet their weather conditions >> using >> the Beaufort scale (which is something we have an exhibit on). We've >> also had a retweet of a particularly funny animal dept. blog post and >> I have tracked traffic on our site relative to tweet days/times and >> we're seeing small spikes. >> >> http://twitter.com/lifeandscience >> >> Small successes, but they've all been "feel good" ones. >> >> Beck Tench >> Director of Web Experience >> Museum of Life + Science >> http://lifeandscience.org >> (919) 475-3421 >> >> On Wed, Sep 17, 2008 at 6:05 PM, Chuck Patch <chuck.patch at gmail.com> >> wrote: >>> Hi Perian, >>> >>> One potential use of Twitter that may only be relevant to folks >>> living in >>> disaster-prone areas is for post -disaster communications. I wish >>> we had >>> this following Katrina a few years ago when the cell network was on >>> its >>> knees for weeks. Here's a video that describes its use for that >>> purpose: >>> >>> http://tinyurl.com/yq93w2<https://204.213.35.27/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://tinyurl.com/yq93w2 >>>> >>> >>> Chuck Patch >>> >>> On Wed, Sep 17, 2008 at 5:40 PM, Smith, Koven <Koven.Smith at metmuseum.org >>>> wrote: >>> >>>> The Brooklyn Museum (@brooklynmuseum) and Columbus Museum of Art >>>> (@columbusmuseum) are both using Twitter to communicate with their >>>> audiences. Brooklyn Museum's stream has pointed me to some really >>>> interesting stuff over the past year. >>>> >>>> Incidentally, I've been playing with Twitter Stream Graphs of late, >>>> which is actually how I discovered the Columbus Museum of Art's >>>> stream: >>>> http://www.neoformix.com/Projects/TwitterStreamGraphs/view.php >>>> Twitter >>>> Stream Graphs parses out the relevant concepts from tweets, >>>> aggregates >>>> them, and graphs them over time, so you can see what people are >>>> posting >>>> about and when. I graphed "Metropolitan Museum of Art" just to >>>> see what >>>> was interesting about us to the Twitter community, and found a >>>> relative >>>> paucity of postings until the opening of the Poiret show in late >>>> August, >>>> then a settling down again, followed by a huge explosion in >>>> postings >>>> when our new director was named. >>>> >>>> I guess it's a little geeky, but still really fascinating. >>>> >>>> Koven J. Smith >>>> Associate Manager of Interpretive Technology >>>> The Metropolitan Museum of Art >>>> 1000 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10028-0198 >>>> (212) 396-5063 >>>> koven.smith at metmuseum.org >>>> >>>> >>>> -----Original Message----- >>>> From: mcn-l-bounces at mcn.edu [mailto:mcn-l-bounces at mcn.edu] On >>>> Behalf Of >>>> Anna Holloway >>>> Sent: Wednesday, September 17, 2008 5:19 PM >>>> To: Museum Computer Network Listserv >>>> Subject: Re: [MCN-L] Twitter? >>>> >>>> We've experimented with Twitter, Pounce, Tumblr and Plurk - but >>>> only as >>>> a means for communicating with staff and interns to this point. >>>> We're >>>> hoping to launch a Mariners' tweet later in the fall - but so far >>>> we've >>>> only used it internally. >>>> >>>> That said, there's definite potential there to keep visitors/ >>>> members >>>> engaged! >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Anna Holloway, Vice President, Collections & Programs The Mariners' >>>> Museum 757-591-7740 >>>> 757-591-7312 (fax) >>>> >>>> The USS Monitor Center - Now Open!!! >>>> An Ironclad Promise of Adventure >>>> visit us at www.marinersmuseum.org >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> -----Original Message----- >>>> From: mcn-l-bounces at mcn.edu [mailto:mcn-l-bounces at mcn.edu] On >>>> Behalf Of >>>> Perian Sully >>>> Sent: Wednesday, September 17, 2008 5:12 PM >>>> To: Museum Computer Network Listserv >>>> Subject: [MCN-L] Twitter? >>>> >>>> Alright, alright, I'm slow to the game, but are any of your >>>> institutions >>>> using Twitter to communicate with your audience? I haven't used it >>>> myself, and only just set up an account to try and check it out. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> How is it working for you? Is it one-way communication between you >>>> and >>>> your followers, or are they able to interact with you in some way? >>>> How >>>> have you found this to be effective? >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Thanks in advance for any help or insight! >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Perian Sully >>>> >>>> Collection Information and New Media Coordinator >>>> >>>> Judah L. Magnes Museum >>>> >>>> 2911 Russell St. >>>> >>>> Berkeley, CA 94705 >>>> >>>> Work: 510-549-6950 x 357 >>>> >>>> Fax: 510-849-3673 >>>> >>>> http://www.magnes.org >>>> >>>> http://www.musematic.org >>>> >>>> http://www.mediaandtechnology.org >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> You are currently subscribed to mcn-l, the listserv of the Museum >>>> Computer Network (http://www.mcn.edu) >>>> >>>> To post to this list, send messages to: mcn-l at mcn.edu >>>> >>>> To unsubscribe or change mcn-l delivery options visit: >>>> http://toronto.mediatrope.com/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l >>>> >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> You are currently subscribed to mcn-l, the listserv of the Museum >>>> Computer Network (http://www.mcn.edu) >>>> >>>> To post to this list, send messages to: mcn-l at mcn.edu >>>> >>>> To unsubscribe or change mcn-l delivery options visit: >>>> http://toronto.mediatrope.com/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> You are currently subscribed to mcn-l, the listserv of the Museum >>>> Computer >>>> Network (http://www.mcn.edu) >>>> >>>> To post to this list, send messages to: mcn-l at mcn.edu >>>> >>>> To unsubscribe or change mcn-l delivery options visit: >>>> http://toronto.mediatrope.com/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l >>>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> You are currently subscribed to mcn-l, the listserv of the Museum >>> Computer Network (http://www.mcn.edu) >>> >>> To post to this list, send messages to: mcn-l at mcn.edu >>> >>> To unsubscribe or change mcn-l delivery options visit: >>> http://toronto.mediatrope.com/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l >>> >> _______________________________________________ >> You are currently subscribed to mcn-l, the listserv of the Museum >> Computer Network (http://www.mcn.edu) >> >> To post to this list, send messages to: mcn-l at mcn.edu >> >> To unsubscribe or change mcn-l delivery options visit: >> http://toronto.mediatrope.com/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l > > > > _______________________________________________ > You are currently subscribed to mcn-l, the listserv of the Museum > Computer Network (http://www.mcn.edu) > > To post to this list, send messages to: mcn-l at mcn.edu > > To unsubscribe or change mcn-l delivery options visit: > http://toronto.mediatrope.com/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l
