Back in the 1980’s in Salt Lake City you had to step outside and buy your drink next door. You see, restaurants couldn’t sell liquor, but you could bring it in with you. It’s like that when you want to search Twitter.
We wrote on here recently that we couldn’t find a way to search Twitter – on Twitter (Whenever Twitter Closes a Door, Google Opens a Window). Turns out we were right. You have to go next door for your Twitter search. Dumb, but….
And, it turns out, tons of the Twitterers (Tweeters? Tweety Birds? Fritterers?) we’ve talked to don’t know this.
Go to Search.Twitter.com
Nice thing about Twitter’s next door bar – you can get as drunk as you want, and you don’t even have to pay for the restaurant meal. You can drink searches to your hearts content (see who’s talking about you – or her – or him).
Let’s try it. Today we’re attending the Colorado chapter of the National Speakers Association. There are two keynote speakers at the event – David Nour and Ron Karr.
There are lots of results for online social gadabout, David Nour. One would hope, David! There is only one – thank you, Gina Schreck – for Mr. Karr. But, there will be more. He tells us he has a book coming out next year, and you can bet he’ll do his best to get you to Tweet about it.
How ’bout you? How famous are you? And, are you Twittering on about yourself, or are others Tweeting your wonders to the world? It makes a difference.
As a local sports news anchor says, “That’s what I’m talkin’ ’bout!”
So, there you have it. Whether you use it or not, people searching for you on Twitter is the next online phenomenon you’re going to have to feel insecure and worried about. Is this a great Internet, or what?!
5 comments ↓
The odd thing is that the official Twitter search engine you mention here — search.twitter.com — is a bad way of *finding people* who use Twitter.
It’s a great search engine for finding stuff *discussed on Twitter*, but if you search for “Mike Keliher,” you’re only going to find a handful of tweets that mention me. You ain’t gonna find *me* (well, you will, but that’s because I’m self-centered enough to talk about myself — you get my point).
So while Twitter’s “people search” engine is down — a true absurdity, isn’t it? — I use another next-door establishment called Twellow.com. It’s intended to be a Twitter people finder, and it works pretty well.
Hi Mike,
I looked for a number of people who I know are Twittering – and Twellow was about as useful as YellowBook.com (wonder if they’re related?). Just one example – David Nour has been Twittering since June and Twellow says, “Twe Can’t Twfind Twhim.”
For our blog examples, I really did not want to search for people’s Tweets about themselves (you remain an exeption, my good man). Twitter is loaded down with people talking about themselves.
I was more interested in finding what is being said about people. I think that’s a fairly good way of determining who’s actually popular, vs. just who toots their own PR horn (again, present company….).
The search function is an interesting way to follow a topic (right now #motrinmoms is popular as there is a popular uprising to a motrin ad regarding the pain of wearing baby carriers). I also use it to search for a topic (I was interested in a congressional race in VA, and typed “Perriello” to find links to various news blurbs, as well as others who were following the race). I have also seen it used as a way to participate in a live event. (#gno – Girl’s Night Out – is one that I participated in when they have several travel bloggers on – it became quite a free for all with criss-crossing conversations, but enabled following the group without having to follow everyone who is participating).
Thanks Claire,
It’s been great meeting you on Twitter. You’re one of the few people who view Twitter as a way to have a “learning experience.” Still amazed at how many view it as a way to have yet another PR platform. We call blogs like that Puff-Blogs. So, we call Tweeters who only broadcast their own PR stuff and never provide any useful content – PuffTweeters.
You are the exception – offering new angles, views, resources and opinions. We thank you. And you say you’re just a casual user of Twitter!
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