Twitter History

Many social networking Web sites have lots of bells and whistles. Sites like MySpace and Facebook let users build profiles, upload pictures, incorporate multimedia, keep a blog and integrate useful or bizarre programs into homepages. But one Web company with a very simple service is rapidly becoming one of the most talked-about social networking service providers: Twitter.

So what does Twitter do? When you sign up with Twitter, you can use the service to post and receive messages to a network of contacts. Instead of sending a dozen e-mails or text messages, you send one message to your Twitter account, and the service distributes it to all your friends. Members use Twitter to organize impromptu gatherings, carry on a group conversation or just send a quick update to let people know what’s going on.

Twitter’s history is entwined with a few other Internet companies. Twitter’s founders are Evan Williams, Biz Stone and Jack Dorsey. A few years before Twitter was born, Williams created Blogger, a popular Web journal service. Internet giant Google purchased Blogger, and Williams began to work directly for Google. Before long, he and Google employee Stone left the Internet giant to form a new company called Odeo.

Kara Andrade/AFP/Getty Images Biz Stone (left) and Jack Dorsey are co-founders of San Francisco-based Obvious, the 10-person startup behind the popular Twitter social messaging service.

Odeo is a podcasting service company. According to Williams, he didn’t have a personal interest in podcasting, and under his guidance, the company temporarily lost focus. However, one of Odeo’s products was just beginning to gather steam: Twitter, a new messaging service. Stone gave Twitter its name, comparing the short spurts of information exchange to the chirping of birds and pointing out that many ring tones sound like bird calls .

As the service became a more important part of Odeo, Stone and Williams decided to form a new company with Twitter as the flagship product. Williams bought out Odeo and Twitter from investors, then combined the existing company and service into a new venture called Obvious Corporation. Jack Dorsey joined the team and began to develop new ways for users to interface with Twitter, including through computer applications like instant messaging and e-mail. In March 2006, Twitter split off from Obvious to become its own company, Twitter Incorporated.
ref: -http://computer.howstuffworks.com/twitter.htm

For 2 Free Twitter hints and guidebooks – click here

Susan Boyle Syndrome

Susan Boyle - the contestant on Britain has Talent – sings a song and within three days her video is everywhere – and her performance is on every newscast in every paper and on every blog – within three days – why?

Who knows?

But its has something to do with the fact that we believe that somewhere, even in a calculated and  carefully edited program of sneers and snide looks  that we will all leap to our feet and cheer – what?

Well.

Someone who allows to connect, to believe, to shout with joy – at…

Achievement, at connection. And the fact that a human being with perhaps a great voice (who knows we are so manipulated by the edits) – but with some wonderful moment that allows us to connect, with each other, in some mysterious fashion, that we only have so far dreamed about.

The human spirit is somehow touched, yes perhaps manipulated , perhaps its a fake – (not her- but the way she is presented) but nevertheless what shines through?

Well we do.

We do- at our best – our desire for achievement and glory and respect and and belief that truly somewhere we are wonderful.

Somewhere we are wonderful.

So for whatever reason

Thank you Susan Boyle

YouTube link

No problems – no life

Sometimes the biggest mistake we make is in thinking that we should have no problems.

We think problems are a curse, instead of knowing that our problems are a gift.

The only way we usually grow is if we get a good enough problem to stimulate us to use our resourcefulness to find a part of our

self that is not being used.

video here

c/o Tony Robbins blog

Compassion and the world

Individual happiness can contribute in a profound and effective way to the overall improvement of our entire human community.

Because we all share an identical need for love, it is possible to feel that anybody we meet, in whatever circumstances, is a brother or sister. No matter how new the face or how different the dress and behavior, there is no significant division between us and other people. It is foolish to dwell on external differences, because our basic natures are the same.

Ultimately, humanity is one and this small planet is our only home, If we are to protect this home of ours, each of us needs to experience a vivid sense of universal altruism. It is only this feeling that can remove the self-centered motives that cause people to deceive and misuse one another.

If you have a sincere and open heart, you naturally feel self- worth and confidence, and there is no need to be fearful of others.

I believe that at every level of society – familial, tribal, national and international – the key to a happier and more successful world is the growth of compassion. We do not need to become religious, nor do we need to believe in an ideology. All that is necessary is for each of us to develop our good human qualities.

I try to treat whoever I meet as an old friend. This gives me a genuine feeling of happiness.  It is the practice of compassion.

Quoted – Dalai Lama

As the Worm Turns

2009 – Obama – yeah! Who knows what’ll happen. But there is hope.

The economy – suspect capitalism sucks again. Capitalism at its best is greed controlled. Capitalism as capitalists would like to practice it – is greed uncontrolled – their greed that is – boo

Again what is Canada doing in Afghanistan? They went there because politicians were too feeble to resist mistaken rumors of US concerns. And now as a soldier dies every day – its ok by the politician as long as its not them.

And the rest of the world – well another year another mess.

Except for the tiny flicker that perhaps the US can turn itself into a beacon of hope – however misguided and that flicker of a beacon can find other beacons

Happy New Year

Progress and other Myths

Progress is one of those words that we believe in for no good reason. Its one of those words we use to define our structure and society and scientific and artistic endeavors – we , we now this generation are in the midst of progress. A couple of generations ago – it was THE word – Progress =- Starships, Spacemen – now its a given, we are in the midst of progress.

So stop and think – what has progressed, if we use the term, as most of us use it – i.e.

Progress indicates generally forward moving (L. Progressus, a going forward, advance¹) and may refer to:

In science: Progress (philosophy)

• Evolutionary progress, the idea that there is a largest-scale trend in evolution of organisms and that the trend is toward improvement.
• Scientific progress, the idea that science increases its problem solving ability through the application of some scientific method
• Social progress, process in which societies or individuals become better

“improvement”, “better” etc. Really?  – side note

Progress trap, process in which science and technology, in pursuing innovation, create more problems than they can solve

But lets think of progress as moving forward in a positive direction

So how far have we”moved forward” in terms of living with each other?

or, Helping each other, or understanding each other, or understanding ourselves or any form of living with each other.

Do we fight less? Are we less jealous? Are we less angry? Are we…better, in any way?

Well we have DVD’s and Blu Ray – that’s progress right? Thats new stuff

Ok – do we know what we are made of or what anything is made of – do we know the fundamental “stuff” that makes up everything else? – No

Do we know how the fundamental building blocks of our bodies work? – No (the word gene is made-up and no DNA does not exclusively carry inheritance etc characteristics

Do we know…ooh lets see something simple, everyday – what gravity is? No

So wheres the progress.Not that we should expect it – its hard to examine and know a thing, when you are the thing. But our hubris is almost infinite – isnt it?

They say. “they” say – that there is more “awareness” these days – more “aware” individuals than ever historically? And sson we will reach the tipping point (dont you love a hackneyed phrase?) and we will all evole

Right on.

In the West we have progressed from survival to greed – is that progress? I guess. Greed for things, greed for power, greed to be “right”.The greed to control the planets climate. Greed.

And now the rest of the world follows – The greed for power in the Independent African Nations – the greed for recognition in China.

So I am wrong there is progress after all – from bad to worse.

Once we have just enough, we want more