THE BALLOON BOY INCIDENT

On October 15, 2009, news broke that six-year-old Falcon Heene had floated away in a balloon made by his father in Fort Collins, Colorado. The media and public were stirred into a panicked frenzy only to discover, when the balloon landed near Denver International Airport hours later, that there was no one aboard. A search for the body of the child found nothing. Heene was eventually reported to have been found hiding in a cardboard box over the garage of his family’s home. There is a criminal investigation of the Heenes underway and now many believe that the entire thing was staged to draw attention to the family’s aspirations for fame.

I don’t know what really happened in the Heene household, nor do I have any clever quips about what it all means about the state of modern society. What I do know is that the Heenes asked for our attention and support and broke our trust in them. We will never believe them again. It’s the 21st century boy who cried wolf.

THE EFFECTIVE CALL-TO-ACTION

In early January of 2009, David Armano asked the readers of his popular blog Logic+Emotion to help his family help a friend of theirs whose life had put her in a difficult position. He knew it’s not easy to ask people for donations and that that the crumbling economy made it less likely that people would contribute. His post was short and got right to the point:

I’ve been at this blog for nearly 3 years now and have never asked for something like this—I hope I’ve earned enough trust to be able to ask something back from you. Above is a picture of Daniela and her family. Brandon, age 6, Daniela, age 9 and little Evelyn age 4. Daniela is divorcing her spouse after years of abuse. In recent years her mortgage went unpaid and she’s lost her house.

As of this moment, Daniela’s family is staying at our house and we are trying to help her find a one bedroom apartment for her family to live in. With Evelyn, her youngest having Down’s Syndrome and Daniela herself being a Romanian immigrant with very little family support she literally has no one to turn to. Except us (all of us).

Daniela cleans houses when she can leave her family. I’m not even going to tell you what she gets paid—it’s obscene. Right now her options are pretty limited, aside from an apartment, there is only a group shelter. Not very pretty.

Here’s what we are asking. Right now, Belinda and I are opening our home, but it’s tight as we have no basement. We’ve committed to giving as much as we can spare, diverting funds from other places. I’m asking if you could think about doing the same. Or at the very least, helping get the word out about this. We are looking to raise 5k for Daniela and her family. Enough so that she doesn’t have to worry about a deposit or rent for a while.

I know this is the worst possible time to ask for anything…. I don’t have anything to offer back. Not an ego list or top donators directory. I can only hope that this thing we call “community” puts its money or heart where its mouth is. Please do whatever you can.

Respectfully, David and family

What happened? Donations poured in to a startling total of $16,880. David Griner summarized the forces that seemed to be at work in this unprecedented show of support. The first one is the most important, and the backbone of this post: rarity.

Armano has built himself a reputation as a brilliant commentator on business and the social web. His content is valuable to us–we tune in because we trust his judgment and insight. Secondly, he provides this information (quite often in beautifully minimalistic infographics) at no cost to us and gives us feedback on our own ideas, whether in his blog, comments section, Twitter, or Facebook. So when he asked his Twitter followers and readers to do something for him, we did it. At the time my now ex-husband was in a panic, we were liquidating all of our assets, and awaiting a financial Apocalypse that was hurtling toward us at light speed. I knew he’d have more than a word with me about throwing money at people I didn’t even know. But I didn’t hesitate.

And neither did 544 other people.

THE TRUST FUND

Every once in a while, we do need the support of our network. Maybe we need a ride to a conference in a nearby town. Maybe we’re launching a new product and we want to get buzz going. Maybe we want to see if anyone wants to buy a laptop bag we impulse bought that turned out to be too small or too big for our needs. It’s not as urgent, but the same rules apply–if your network feels your content has value, if they feel you have given them something, they’re going to do what they can to help.

My friend Damien Basile calls it The Trust Fund: “When you invest time and energy into someone you form a relationship. When this happens you create a ‘Trust Fund’ where both you and the other person either add or subtract trust from this mutual fund you have set up.” Asking for help requires trust. Do you have enough in your trust fund to make that request?

Not a single one of us is faultless, but how many of us know one person who just, oh, takes the cake Heene-style? How likely are you to stretch a helping hand the next time you see one of their tweets asking for support? Exactly.

VOTE FOR ME!

So there I was, standing in front of the school, about to give a speech about why they should vote for me. A closet introvert (surprised? Good, that means I’m doing something right), I didn’t want to address them myself, so I’d made a horse paperbag puppet. My promises were simple–we’d be able to order lunch from more franchises, I’d address the ridiculous little song we were made to sing at assembly about having a positive attitude with the principal, and so on. I’m convinced they voted for me because I was the girl who invited her whole class to her birthday parties and because I’d never asked for anything from anyone until that moment.

I won by a landslide.

So here is my point: before you consider what you’re asking, think about what you’re giving. Your space online is yours to do what you will, but be consistent in your offerings. People who read what you put out there come back time and time again because they know what they can expect from you. Yes, even if 50 percent of your tweets are conversation tidbits without much context. Be gentle in your metamorphosis–remember it’s not just you in that bus.

Engage. David Armano didn’t just put out content for three years before he asked us to help him out. He put out content and he interacted with his readers across multiple platforms. He, like most power-users of social media, know that the blog post or tweet is not a closing argument but a springboard for discussion. This is a big part of the Trust Fund. Your readers take you seriously–do you show them that you take their feed back seriously?

If you say you’re going to do something, follow through. I know this is hard, God knows I’ve dropped the ball with as much aplomb as I’ve followed through. Learn to avoid failing to follow through (or worse, having a nervous breakdown because you’re so much of everything to everyone that you’re nothing to yourself) by being selective in your commitments. Saying no is not rude, just be transparent about your limitations. And at the very least, be fast to notify people when things aren’t going to turn out as you’d promised. Time is scarce, but consideration doesn’t cost a whole lot. Take those two minutes, even if it means shooting a short text in the middle of a stressful call with a client.

EPILOGUE

Having said all this, thank you all for voting for me for the 140 Conference NOW Awards and Mashable Open Web Awards. Your submitting a vote says to me that you value my content and I am both humbled and honored by your gesture of appreciation. But you will not see me ask you to vote for me so lightly anymore.

One day, I may call upon you, my dear friends. And that day, without a doubt, you will know that what I’m asking means a lot to me. But just to make sure that you know, I promise to take the time to explain to you exactly why I need your support.

Now I ask all of you to think of your trust funds the next time you’re about to pelt your friends and readers with “vote for me” DMs. And if you absolutely must call upon me, avoid the form-letter feel of such a message and opt for e-mail. You don’t need a horse puppet and definitely not a UFO-shaped balloon, just a simple message that lets me know why this means so much.

“The content that drives Twitter is a relentless stream of real-time personal status postings called tweets,” writes Scott Spanbauer in IT Business Canada. “‘Going out for more batteries,’ or ‘Feeling snacky, I think I’ll have a salad’ are the stuff of Twitter greatness–as long as tracking your friends’ ephemeral actions and mutterings is your cup of tea.”

With Twitter, you can post and receive items via the Twitter page, an application, IM, and text messages. Your tweets are archived on a personal page, they automatically show up on the pages of your friends and they can be routed to other sites like MySpace, Facebook and your blog, thereby allowing you, not only to chronicle what you’re doing, but to show the whole world what you’re up to.

Twitter’s like the midget lovechild of a blog and a chat room. It’s simple enough that any non-techie can use it (including your mom!), it’s versatile, it’s mobile, it’s free and, apparently, in the irrational exuberance surrounding this far faster form of exhibitionism, it is also an ideal location to score n00dz from people you hardly know.*

Twitter has a page devoted to why you should care. It’s modest: “Why? Because even basic updates are meaningful to family members, friends, or colleagues—especially when they’re timely. Eating soup? Research shows that moms want to know. Running late to a meeting? Your co–workers might find that useful. Partying? Your friends may want to join you.”

But I think it’s more than that. When a storm was tearing through the Midwest and my friends lost internet, they were able to let everyone know, with a single text, that they were doing OK. Likewise, updates from organizations like Los Angeles Fire Department, the Red Cross Safe and Well, BreakingNewsOn and What’s Shaking? can be extremely useful in case of an emergency. For those on the go, Commuter Feed uses its Twitter account to collect reports about traffic and then arranges them according to area for easy perusal.

It can be incredibly fun, too. The level of entertainment you achieve on Twitter is in your hands. Some have suggested it’s only fun if all your friends are on there, like Facebook, but I don’t agree. Twitter is that missing link between friend-whoring that goes on at MySpace and the inherent elitism of Facebook. You can follow only people you know, yes, but why not reach out to people who can make you ROTFL with their daily adventures or the innovators in your industry?

There are plenty of sites to amuse you and help you find interesting people: Twittervision, Twitterverse, Twittearth, Twittertale, Twitterbuzz, Tweetmeme, Twittertroll, Twitterholic, Tweeterboard, Hoosgot, Twitstat, Tweetscan, Twitterlinkr, TweetStats, TwitDir, TwitterSearch and Terraminds.

Our species is, more and more, a nomadic, workaholic bunch, prone to moving around too much and working long hours. Twitter is redefining what it means to be “connected.” Its simplicity is what makes it so much more effective than its wordier, bulkier older siblings (MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn).

There’s no better way to cut the fat than with a 140 character limit. In fact, I think any journalism student should be forced to spend his or her first year communicating entirely on Twitter.

According to Business Week’s Stephen Baker:

Do I Twitter because I’m lazy? A few times this weekend, I’ve sat down with a laptop and thought ever so briefly about blogging. But then I wonder if the blog post is relevant, interesting enough, perhaps a tad too self-focused…. Twitter, on the other hand, is a breeze. It can be irrelevant, nakedly self-promotional…. Long story short: Blogging feels more like writing a story, and Twittering feels as free as blogging used to.

Whether you’re getting fired or watching your wife give birth, Twitter can bring hundreds of people to the center of the action, often leaving conventional online news media in the dust, as it did when YouTube went down and London was shaken up by a quake. Even NASA missions may be tweeting soon!

In an article for The Guardian, political blogger Patrick Ruffini remarked on the instantaneous nature of Twitter, “Traditional news operated on a 24-hour cycle. Blogs shortened this to minutes and hours. Twitter shortens it further to seconds.” Its immediacy makes it worth its weight in gold. So much so that traditional news organizations have come onboard: NYT, Reuters, CNN Breaking News, BBC News and USA Today all have Twitter accounts.

Twitter can also be used to keep track of your iPhone’s location–or that of an iPhone’s owner, to improve communication and foster relationships in academia, confess your sins, and even to help you remember when to water your plants. Of course, for those of us who’re not that tech-inclined, there’s always Sandy, the electronic personal assistant, who just so happens to have a Twitter account herself where you can easily reach her.

“Some folks use Twitter like a bullhorn, and others use it like a walkie-talkie.” writes Chris Brogran, and it’s true. You can broadcast what you’re having for lunch to the world or, if you use an @ before another user’s name in a tweet, you can direct the message to them.

Of course, everything has its critics. As Andrew Lavallee wrote in the Wall Street Journal last year, “some users are starting to feel ‘too’ connected, as they grapple with check-in messages at odd hours, higher cellphone bills and the need to tell acquaintances to stop announcing what they’re having for dinner.”

The same article quotes Microsoft blogger and hypertweeter Robert Scroble: “Twitter hate is the new black. Some haters have already come around, but to tell the truth, they do have a good point. Do you really need to know that I’m eating a tuna sandwich for lunch? Probably not, although I’ve had more than one person come over and join me for lunch because I told where I was hanging out.”

Jack Dorsey, Twitter’s co-founder brushes off the critics: “Everyone says Twitter’s completely useless, I don’t want all this information. We check in later, and they’re complete addicts.”

Despite the optimism, some will never get it. Twitter’s not for everyone. When I enthusiastically told my husband I was following this really neat guy named Ryan Kuder as he was laid off from Yahoo in real time through his tweets, hubby gave an appropriately Corporate American response: 0h n0ez, more ways for employees to waste time and ZOMG, can you SAY serious information weakness?!?1!

To me, a certifiable twit in dire need of a Twittervention (is Twitter down? IS TWITTER DOWN?!), the worst part of Twitter is trying to explain its awesomeness to unimpressed non-users. Like Michelle Slatalla, who wrote a piece in the New York Times about trying to convert her three daughters and husband to Twitter, the resounding answer seems to be that I seriously need to get out more and actually, you know, talk to people.

DO NOT WANT!

I don’t care what they say, Twitter is not the social networking equivalent of crocs!

Want more info? Check out Jennifer Laycock’s step by step metamorphosis from skeptic to avid user (note that the article appears in five parts, all linked at the bottom of piece). You can play catch up with Warren Whitlock and Deborah Micek’s The Twitter Handbook or check out Sue Waters’ useful rush guide to setting up your Twitter account.

If you’re already on Twitter, check out the Twitter Fan Wiki as well as Mashable’s awesome toolbox with over 60 Twitter tools. More resources at Pink is Punk.

Oh, and PS, you’re more than welcome to add me, snooze me, or check my stats at Twitterholic, TweetStats, TwitterCounter, and Twitter.Grader!

Don’t wanna join but wanna know what’s going on? Keep an eye on what I’m talking about and what people are responding via Quotably, what people are liking on Favrd or Favotter, or scope out my tweet cloud! Already addicted? See who just unfollowed you and what the offending tweet was with Qwitter or compare trends on Twist!

* The Breasts of Twitter blog has been removed from Blogger, September 2008.