With July Fourth on the horizon, I set out to write this blog about the connection between Twing and the week’s most top-of-mind subject: freedom. In particular, how the free exchange of ideas — a defining measure of freedom — has reached new heights in our Web 2.0 world and how Twing, as a search engine for online forums, contributes to that.

Deep concept, huh? Which is why (and where!) I got stuck.

Since there’s no fast cure for writer’s block, I considered alternative, more superficial topics related to the upcoming holiday: I could focus, instead, on the merits of doing a Twing search if you’re planning an Independence Day parade or designing a fireworks display and want to connect with others who are, too. I could have effortlessly switched gears and talked about how Twing’s search provides a refreshingly direct route to folks exchanging July Fourth recipes and patriotic craft ideas. (Indeed, there’s nothing wrong with using Twing for celebratory planning, so the links are yours if you need ‘em.)

Still, I kept coming back to my original idea. It was deep, sure. But, hey. Wasn’t Twing all about diving deep? What was I afraid of?

So with renewed confidence, I searched twing to see what real people were saying about topics — tough topics — that live at the heart of American debate. The war in Iraq, the energy crisis, presidential politics, immigration and healthcare policies, equal rights.

The results reminded me of two things: First, while other search engines consider everything but the kitchen sink, Twing’s focus on online forums promises better possibilities for individual voices to get heard. Second, free speech is most powerful when others can hear you and respond.

Could participating in online community or searching with Twing actually be patriotic? Between the barbeques and fireworks this Independence Day, think about that!

So I just finally got a chance to write something up about the most recent Online Community Unconference we attended, (Twitter hash #ocu2008). It was last week in San Francisco. If you haven’t heard of an “unconference” yet, it’s likely you will soon. It’s an increasingly popular format where participants in the conference determine most or all of the sessions. Then participants to to the session and… well… they participate. The outcome is ideally some good notes and learnings for unconference goers, the same information - assuming a good note taker - gets captured in the conference Wiki for the whole world, and also - in this case - Twinkies. (A picture of the snack table.) I hadn’t had Twinkies in years. So, sadly, I had to choose a couple of those over the more healthy snacks. But… I digress…

The Changing Character of the Unconference

These are getting better. I have to admit, when I first experienced the “unconference” format, I was at first skeptical and afterwards, my low expectations were met. The experience was lacking. However, after attending several more, (at Web 2.0 Expo, this conference and some others), I’m changing that opinion. Why? What’s happened with unconferences?

• The Participants: Attendees are learning how this format works and making more of it. Some are showing up with solid clarity on what topics they want to propose. Which has pros and cons of course. The pros being at least some sessions with clearer agendas, the cons being the nature of an “UN”conference is to have a ton of flexibility. In any case, it was nice to see a few semi-structured sessions at this one mixed in with all the more organic sessions.
• Unconference Leaders: In spite of the open nature of these things, there still needs to be some clarity in original direction and session coordination. The companies and individuals running these things are getting better at that.
• The Venues: While one would think such things could be anywhere and have value, (and they can), there’s certain aspects of the venue that can make a difference. Having good spaces, that have laptop connections to projectors and solid WiFi available make a huge difference. Organizers have been better about making sure venues are ready.

Twing as a Sponsor

Twing actually attended this conference as a sponsor. We were fairly popular. I’d like to think it was just because people loved Twing. And we did get some really good feedback. But we also gave out these great book premiums as well. (We brought 100 copies of Patrick O’Keefe’s Managing Online Forums book.)

I think being here as a sponsor was an overall positive experience for us. Besides gaining awareness for our product, we got great feedback from people who are deeply entrenched in social media. They understand what we’re trying to do and as a result were able to offer helpful comments. It’s difficult to do the conference / sponsor thing; not just due to the costs in dollars, but the time / effort to organize and attend when you’re trying to build new features at the same time. But this one was one worth it. Hopefully, you’ll see more of us at such venues in the future. (Though more often a bit closer to our metro NYC home.)

Scott

So for whatever reason I’m up late and surfing some press Twing has gotten over the past few months. There’s one comment in particular that just strikes me as being right in line with our message. It’s from Craig Stoltz at Web 2.Oh…really? in his post on Twing: Searching the Deep Web. Here’s what he said towards the end of his blog post:

“But Twing has shown me this: That whole creating communities-of-shared-interests thing? That whole power-of-collective wisdom thing? That whole long tail thing? You know, that whole web 2.0 thing?

It’s been under our noses all along. We just forgot where to look”

The thing is, this is what I’m trying to get across to everyone in the media when I get a chance to discuss things with them. It’s funny to me that it was Craig as a media person who’s expressed so perfectly what I try to get across.

Forums have been for years, and remain among the best places for group communication. There’s just something fundamental about the forum / threaded discussion user experience that’s best for this kind of thing. This is probably why forums, which maybe feel a bit retro compared to the newer, sexier web tools du jour, are gaining ground. Besides ongoing use by hobbyists and various special enthusiast folks, companies are adding them both for public support and private user feedback as well as internal company discussion.

So Thanks Craig. Thanks for not just “getting it,” but expressing the value so well. We’ll try to live up to the responsibility of helping to make these venues more accessible to everyone through the Twing Community Search & Discovery Engine!

There are two kinds of do-it-yourselfers: DIYers by choice, and DIYers by necessity.

C’mon, you know the difference. DIYers by choice find real sport in finishing a basement, sewing pillows, pruning shrubbery, or changing car oil. For them, there’s nothing more gratifying or self-satisfying than a project complete. DIYers by necessity, on the other hand, won’t take on any project without first weighing the cost, complexity, and time commitment of DIY versus hiring help.

Whichever camp you fall into, a twing search can transform your next do-it-yourself project. Because while anyone can provide you with a list of how-to’s, only twing can cut through the clutter and connect you in a click to real, live people who’ve been there, done that project before…and want to discuss it with you. Imagine having not just a set of instructions at your fingertips, but also voices of experience to coach you. When you DIY with the help of online community, you’re not really doing it yourself at all!

To prove it, we searched twing for a few popular DIY topics. Don’t see any that speak to you here? Then DIY! That is, do a twing search of your own.

• Wedding planning
• Automotive repair
• Home repair
• Home decorating
• Computers

This Father’s Day, June 15th, you have a choice: You can make a tie salesman happy, or you can use twing to inspire a Father’s Day full of ideas that are as special as the dad (or dads) in your life.

For starters, why not take a moment to learn a bit about the origin of the holiday? You’ll look smart and thoughtful as you share your newly found knowledge with your family, and no one has to know that it’s all thanks to a twing search that was as easy as 1-2-3!

Of course, no amount of historical signficance can erase this holiday’s contemporary Hallmark holiday status. But let’s make the best of it by infusing that requisite Father’s Day card with some personalized forms of expression. Whether you design your own card or go for a storebought one, a twing search will deliver ideas aplenty.

And how about a present for Dad? If we’ve convinced you to cross “tie” off the list, you’re likely in need of new direction. So think of something, anything, Dad likes (or pick from our handy list below) and twing can take you to people talking about the latest and greatest on the subject.

• Sports
• Power tools
• Gadgets and gizmos
• Movies, music, and books
• Cameras and photography
• Barbeques and grilling
• Men’s fashion