Danny Brown - Latest Comments in Branded Tweetdeck – Great Idea or Waste of Time?

Re: Branded Tweetdeck – Great Idea or Waste of Time?

Mike Smith — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 23:57:03 -0000

I&#39m a tweetdeck user at heart and I would never switch to the mashable or techcrunch branded versions - ever. Not that I don&#39t like those sites (I follow mashable more than techcrunch) but I just don&#39t feel the need to have their logo and column in my tweetdeck app.

And for the "helping new twitter users" part, I have to call bullshit. I see this as a blatant advertisement for both websites and also for tweetdeck (they get the added bonus of these two gigantic websites talking about them more). I&#39ve talked to seasoned twitter users who find tweetdeck hard to understand at times and with the added stuff they&#39ve done in their new upgrade, it&#39s even worse for them.

Re: Branded Tweetdeck – Great Idea or Waste of Time?

Mike Smith — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 22:57:03 -0000

Re: Branded Tweetdeck – Great Idea or Waste of Time?

Mike Smith — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:57:03 -0000

I'm a tweetdeck user at heart and I would never switch to the mashable or techcrunch branded versions - ever. Not that I don't like those sites (I follow mashable more than techcrunch) but I just don't feel the need to have their logo and column in my tweetdeck app.

And for the "helping new twitter users" part, I have to call bullshit. I see this as a blatant advertisement for both websites and also for tweetdeck (they get the added bonus of these two gigantic websites talking about them more). I've talked to seasoned twitter users who find tweetdeck hard to understand at times and with the added stuff they've done in their new upgrade, it's even worse for them.

Re: Branded Tweetdeck – Great Idea or Waste of Time?

Danny — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 04:23:34 -0000

Thing is, though, would any brand be crazy enough to stop using the public feed for a branded one? It&#39d have to have a heck of a lot of downloads to make that worthwhile, no?

Re: Branded Tweetdeck – Great Idea or Waste of Time?

Danny — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 04:22:17 -0000

Do you think the branded Tweetdeck is led by a dollar sponsorship then, David? Obviously nothing has been said to confirm this, but do you feel it&#39s something that&#39s fairly certain to be announced down the road?

Re: Branded Tweetdeck – Great Idea or Waste of Time?

David — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:50:36 -0000

Personally, I&#39d go back to using Twitter.com before I used a branded client. Maybe it&#39s my turn to be the Luddite, but I remember when tech blogs were run by enthusiasts, not by businesses trying to screw out every last $$.

I&#39ve pretty much stopped reading both Techcrunch and Mashable because I don&#39t like all the advertising. Neither of them actually have much you can&#39t find elsewhere.

Re: Branded Tweetdeck – Great Idea or Waste of Time?

Danny Brown — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:23:34 -0000

Thing is, though, would any brand be crazy enough to stop using the public feed for a branded one? It'd have to have a heck of a lot of downloads to make that worthwhile, no?

Re: Branded Tweetdeck – Great Idea or Waste of Time?

Danny Brown — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:22:17 -0000

Do you think the branded Tweetdeck is led by a dollar sponsorship then, David? Obviously nothing has been said to confirm this, but do you feel it's something that's fairly certain to be announced down the road?

Re: Branded Tweetdeck – Great Idea or Waste of Time?

Scott Hale — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 22:35:12 -0000

I think this is a fine idea for Mashable, TechCrunch, TweetDeck and users, but will I switch to it? No. If the Twitter accts for Mashable and TechCrunch stop updating links to new stories, I think this branded version would be really intelligent. If I want those stories in my Twitter feed, I would need the branded version of TweetDeck.

For now, it is an interesting idea that I&#39m having trouble getting excited about either way.

Re: Branded Tweetdeck – Great Idea or Waste of Time?

David — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 20:50:36 -0000

Personally, I'd go back to using Twitter.com before I used a branded client. Maybe it's my turn to be the Luddite, but I remember when tech blogs were run by enthusiasts, not by businesses trying to screw out every last $$.

I've pretty much stopped reading both Techcrunch and Mashable because I don't like all the advertising. Neither of them actually have much you can't find elsewhere.

Re: Branded Tweetdeck – Great Idea or Waste of Time?

Scott Hale — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 18:35:12 -0000

For now, it is an interesting idea that I'm having trouble getting excited about either way.

Re: Branded Tweetdeck – Great Idea or Waste of Time?

Kasey Skala — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:15:23 -0000

I see this similiar to "skins" for cellphones and electronic devices. Nice brand promotion, but no real benefit for having it.

Personally, I&#39ll stick to my regular TweetDeck. I follow @mashable and I also have TechCrunk in my daily reader, so no need to get any "help" from them.

I&#39ve tried Seesmic, I don&#39t know, it&#39s a nice layout; but it&#39s taking me some time to re-establish my lists.

Re: Branded Tweetdeck – Great Idea or Waste of Time?

Danny — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:55:53 -0000

Hey there Mark,

By all accounts, the MashDeck replaces the existing one - not a good way to please existing users with current set ups.

The reason I switched to Seesmic is that I was fed up with lack of updates from Tweetdeck, poor reliability and memory hog - killing my computer and restricting program speed is not the way to win me over. ;-)

I can see that it may be beneficial for new users, but I&#39d still say it&#39s in a limited way. All that&#39s set up is one group - you still have to figure out the rest. And as you mentioned yourself, that&#39s not too easy.

Twhirl (or something similar) may be a good first third-party app for new users to try, then move on to either Seesmic, Tweetdeck or Mixero.

Cheers, fella, always a pleasure hearing your thoughts. :)

Re: Branded Tweetdeck – Great Idea or Waste of Time?

Mark Harai — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:26:04 -0000

G&#39day mate : )

Setting up a new TweetDeck and customizing it with the same environment on a computer, i.e. groups/fav/bus/ etc. is a lot of work. For this reason, I will not change. Maybe for new users, this could be a benefit. Why not. Same tools, functionality with the added benefit of having a beneficial group already built in... For most new users in general, just figuring out groups and setting them up is not easy. If I was going to - recommend a platform today to a friend, I would recommend Mashable TweetDeck... hmm – that brand is on my brain.

Having started with TweetDeck first has even deterred me from installing the Seesmic desktop. Why change? I&#39m still learning how to maximize the features of TweetDeck and TweetDeck has enhanced my Twitter experience greatly. Why learn a completely different platform? I think I represent most users in general. There are many tech saavy people playing with all the new toys that come out, but for common folks, they just want to get something done, like talk to friends, consume information, look for deals, or whatever... certainly not learning how to use every new tool that comes out. Might be a limited viewpoint, but for me, that&#39s how it is...

Re: Branded Tweetdeck – Great Idea or Waste of Time?

Kasey Skala — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:15:23 -0000

I see this similiar to "skins" for cellphones and electronic devices. Nice brand promotion, but no real benefit for having it.

Personally, I'll stick to my regular TweetDeck. I follow @mashable and I also have TechCrunk in my daily reader, so no need to get any "help" from them.

I've tried Seesmic, I don't know, it's a nice layout; but it's taking me some time to re-establish my lists.

Re: Branded Tweetdeck – Great Idea or Waste of Time?

Danny Brown — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:55:53 -0000

Hey there Mark,

By all accounts, the MashDeck replaces the existing one - not a good way to please existing users with current set ups.

The reason I switched to Seesmic is that I was fed up with lack of updates from Tweetdeck, poor reliability and memory hog - killing my computer and restricting program speed is not the way to win me over. ;-)

I can see that it may be beneficial for new users, but I'd still say it's in a limited way. All that's set up is one group - you still have to figure out the rest. And as you mentioned yourself, that's not too easy.

Twhirl (or something similar) may be a good first third-party app for new users to try, then move on to either Seesmic, Tweetdeck or Mixero.

Cheers, fella, always a pleasure hearing your thoughts. :)

Re: Branded Tweetdeck – Great Idea or Waste of Time?

Mark Harai — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:26:04 -0000

G'day mate : )

Setting up a new TweetDeck and customizing it with the same environment on a computer, i.e. groups/fav/bus/ etc. is a lot of work. For this reason, I will not change. Maybe for new users, this could be a benefit. Why not. Same tools, functionality with the added benefit of having a beneficial group already built in... For most new users in general, just figuring out groups and setting them up is not easy. If I was going to - recommend a platform today to a friend, I would recommend Mashable TweetDeck... hmm – that brand is on my brain.

Having started with TweetDeck first has even deterred me from installing the Seesmic desktop. Why change? I'm still learning how to maximize the features of TweetDeck and TweetDeck has enhanced my Twitter experience greatly. Why learn a completely different platform? I think I represent most users in general. There are many tech saavy people playing with all the new toys that come out, but for common folks, they just want to get something done, like talk to friends, consume information, look for deals, or whatever... certainly not learning how to use every new tool that comes out. Might be a limited viewpoint, but for me, that's how it is...

Re: Branded Tweetdeck – Great Idea or Waste of Time?

Danny — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 21:55:11 -0000

Ha, wasn&#39t implying you were, Jim (nice disclosure though!) :)

Your second option could be an incredibly useful add-on or plug-in (for both Forrester and brands in general). Particularly if you&#39re aiming to target these users in an upcoming PR or marcomm strategy/campaign. I can definitely see the benefit there.

With regards the search problems, I&#39d be really interested in an app that could integrate Twellow.com into the results. The results from there coupled with a dedicated info stream could be incredibly useful.

Re: Branded Tweetdeck – Great Idea or Waste of Time?

Danny — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 21:46:01 -0000

I guess it works both ways as well - does Tweetdeck now have to have a disclaimer "As sponsored by Mashable and TechCrunch"? If it&#39s sponsorship, of course...

I agree, though, I think both publications need to be upfront about how the "deal" came about - otherwise there could be a pretty nasty backlash waiting on them if it later turns out there&#39s more to it than just a "cool co-developed app".

Re: Branded Tweetdeck – Great Idea or Waste of Time?

Jim Akin — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 21:35:59 -0000

Thanks for the response, Danny.

Just to elaborate a bit:

I recognize that the Groups function, for instance, exists in the nonbranded version of TweetDeck, and that I could use it myself to compile a group of, say, all Forrester tweeters. Doing so manually would be fairly onerous, however: (Twitter search doesn&#39t extend to profile content; Forrester folks don&#39t always include "Forrester" in their tweets, and handles such as @jowyang don&#39t proclaim affiliation with the firm.) If Forrester pre-packaged such a Group for me, and updated it with each new version of its custom-branded TweetDeck, it might be worth my while to use it for the added convenience.

Of course, what I&#39d really prefer in this example would be a custom Forrester "plug-in" or script for TweetDeck, that I could use to add and receive updated Forrester-curated tweets -- without having to make it mutually exclusive with analogously curated content from TechCrunch, Mashable, Apple, or whomever...

For the record, I&#39m not a Forrester employee or client; I&#39m just using them as an example.

Cheers,

@JimAkin (http://www.twitter.com/JimAkin)

Re: Branded Tweetdeck – Great Idea or Waste of Time?

everamazed — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 21:29:01 -0000

Interesting, my first thought was - Gee, why would Mashable risk whatever journalistic credibility it&#39s writers have built by entering (albeit via a 3d party) a business area they directly review? There would need to be a real $ gain somewhere. I&#39d guess we are to find out the real reason at a future date. Love the transparency @mashable!

Re: Branded Tweetdeck – Great Idea or Waste of Time?

Danny — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 21:11:54 -0000

These are some great suggestions, Jim, and certainly more than feasible. I&#39m just curious how different it would be from a non-branded app?

Since most of Mashable and Techcrunch&#39s current Twitter feed is simply RSS feeds from their website, you&#39d pretty much already have a "Mashable" or "TechCrunch" recommends-type feed with a separate column on your existing set-up.

The group option is also currently there and works pretty well as is (and can obviously be tailored via the search option too).

The trending option could be decent if worked well enough and they came up with a way of filtering out the trend hackers.

I don&#39t know - I just feel all the features that could be promoted for a brand version are already in use, or can be put to use. I&#39m still struggling to see the benefits at this time.

Thanks for dropping by and sharing your views, appreciated.

Re: Branded Tweetdeck – Great Idea or Waste of Time?

Jim Akin — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 21:02:02 -0000

I&#39m not privy to the options/arrangements TweetDeck offers with its skinned/branded editions, but any potential for meaningful brand enhancement has to be grounded in content, not just logos. Since off-the-shelf TweetDeck can easily be configured to provide columns of tweets from either TechCrunch or Mashable, something more meaningful is necessary -- and possible, I think:

Consider creation of custom "TweetDeck Recommends"-style filtered streams, curated by the sponsor;

Preconfigured Groups (e.g. of analysts and researchers, in a Forrester-branded edition);

Tailored trend clouds culled just from users of just the specific edition of TweetDeck, etc., etc.

If the branding goes beyond cosmetics and helps foster a sense of community-within-the-larger-community of twitter (without imposing any barriers to the greater twitterverse), this kind of "custom editioning" could be useful and effective.

It may not be fully baked yet, but the potential is there, imho.

@JimAkin (http://www.twitter.com/JimAkin)

Re: Branded Tweetdeck – Great Idea or Waste of Time?

Brandon Mendelson — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 21:01:30 -0000

Whoa.

Did I read that right that Mashable is offering their branded version of Tweetdeck to new Twitter users because it would help them?

I&#39m angered and offended by that one. Not cool at all.

Re: Branded Tweetdeck – Great Idea or Waste of Time?

Danny — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:45:59 -0000

Maybe next they&#39ll offer a little downloadable logo that you can print onto a sticker and put on your monitor? ;-)