Seasons Greetings - and thoughts on twitter, Glastonbury, music and all that

Earlier this year, a group of people whose common interest was the Glastonbury Festival decided to meet the day the Festival started, last June. I don't think anyone had actually met before. It all started with casual chat on twitter about who had tickets, and what people wanted to see. In any event, thanks to @glastowatch, and a website called #twitterbury, about 75 people met at Brother's Bar, Jazz World. The event was hash tagged #twisto.

People from all walks of life (and ages) met. Cider was consumed, pictures were taken, and a good time was had by all. So much so that a small movement started - #twisto in London a couple of times, and then #twistosw (which revolved around a gig by The Bluetones in Taunton on December 10th). Oh, I should also add that the the Chicken Lady came with a mascot - a plastic chicken from China now called gregorypeck - who has featured on the web, twitter and even on t-shirts. He clearly has a great career ahead of him ...

And now, as 2010 approaches, other #twistos are being planned ... with the big event of course being at Glastonbury again.

I did blog about twitter earlier in the year - how people use it, why the idea will stick around. But why blog again? There are a few points that the #twisto experience underlines:

• First, the power of self-organization. An idea was born, people gravitated towards it, various folks stepped in to do things - and it just happened. It would not have happened without @glastowatch and a few others, but everyone got involved. No one made money, but all had fun. The rules were very simple, and evolved through discussion - even the hash tags were "voted on".
• Second, the power of music. That is what broke through all of the barriers - interests, ages, work etc etc. Not everyone likes the same music (just witness the good humoured debate raging as to whether to watch U2 on the Pyramid Stage in 2010 at Glastonbury - as many are for as are against;-). But everyone likes some kind of music. And, importantly, Glastonbury is one of the more eclectic Festivals, so it was a fertile base-camp for the whole adventure.
• Third, new technology. Would any of this been possible without social networks? I doubt it. I've been online for longer than I care to remember, from the good old days before bulletin boards - and certainly before mobile phones. But now we are all connected all of the time. I've been glancing through the ways people connect - via the web, iPhone, Blackberry, Tweetdeck, Mac, PC, Linux etc - at any time, from anywhere. And we get to choose - no-one tells anyone when or how to connect. And you can ignore what you like.
• Fourth, old-fashioned respect. On twitter, almost everyone is respectful of others. Some people are quite serious, some like to have a collective laugh. Questions are asked, help given, links suggested. Friendships form, debates are had. Just witness the impact of twitter lists, and directories such as Tweetdeck's, where common interests abound. The group is self policing - and no-one wants to get ejected (remember the old "kick" command in IRC?). But I think it is more than the fear of rejection - it is the desire to belong.

You've probably read these thoughts before, but as a pre-Christmas reflection I think that #twisto is a brilliant example which illustrates these ideas in action.

Anyway, to continue to carry the #twisto banner, let me just wish everyone Seasons' Greetings, and the very best for 2010.

Posted via web from mick's posterous