Sunday, July 31, 2011

FIVE STYLES OF TWEETING: And what we can learn from them


Twitter Fact: Twitter is addictive *only* once you master the Art of Tweeting.

twittericon

In this article, I will discuss five prominent styles of tweeting. All the handles that have been chosen have their own styles, according to their objective of being on twitter. Broadly, the five prominent styles of tweeting would be :
  1. Formal Corporate Handle
  2. Casual Corporate Handle
  3. Random Tweeter
  4. Traffic Generator
  5. Personal Handle
These style have been elaborated further:

Style 1 : Formal Corporate Handle 

Example - @htTweets

Tweets Like:
-> US Senate rejects House debt bill, seeks compromisev http://read.ht/Bm4 #USdebt #ht
-> Flash: Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa says he would resign tomorrow afternoon #ht

Characteristic Features of this Style
  1. Very formal way of tweeting
  2. Tweets in specific time slots, except in urgent situations
  3. 10 –12 tweets everytime the handle logs on
  4. Uses Hash tags, shortened links extensively
  5. Promotes personal Hash tags – #ht in all the tweets
  6. No interaction with its followers, whatsoever
Objective: The main objective of this style of tweeting is to give fast and quick information  to the followers and generate traffic for its website. This style effectively does that.

Style 2 : Informal Corporate Handle (Read - Interactive Corporate Handle)

Example - @FostersAOC

Tweets Like:
-> Here's Nikita showcase of her favorite beer! Now that's what we call a chillled out showcase. http://fb.me/vFRaHrHh
-> Well @Hansikac just shared a link from her aunt's blog with us where she reviewed #FostersPET. http://t.co/wbDBWDF Awesome Review.

Characteristic Features of this Style
  1. Extremely casual way of interacting
  2. Highly interactive with all followers
  3. Gets the followers engrossed by holding contests/ competition at regular intervals
  4. Uses a lot of hash tags and shortened links to relevant pics and pages
  5. Prominently showcases followers tweeting about them
Objective: The main objective of this kind of tweeting is to keep the followers ever engrossed in their products, Interactively and amusingly. Works well on twitter, as everyone is a bit casual here.

Style 3 : Random Tweeting 

Example – @Shakti_shetty

Tweets Like:
->  Her geometry has always been an area of concern to the perimeters of his mind.
->  I’m yet to see my foreseeable future.
-> “What’s the point in tweeting without replying?” “What’s the point in tweeting with replying?” “Nothing.” “Exactly.”

Characteristic Features of this Style
  1. Tweets about totally random things and lets you conclude what it means
  2. Effectively plays with minds, by leaving it totally random.
  3. Mainly mixes well with words, rhyme and typos.
  4. Tweets are perfectly scheduled to appear at regular intervals
  5. Never uses a hash tag or short link. Rarely tweets about trending topics.
  6. Rarely /Never replies to its followers. Thrives only on Retweets.
Objective: No specific objective, mainly for bouncing off thoughts. Differentiates the class. The reward is only Retweets.

Style 4 : Traffic Generator

Example@Jhunjhunwala (of course, the fake rakesh jhunjhunwala!)

Tweets Like:
-> BBC: 860 people injured in Cairo, CNN: 10 people killed in Egypt , NDTV : Barkha's camera broken, India TV : Shiv Ling found under Cairo
-> Arnab Goswami has never finished a sentence his whole life because every time he starts to speak he ends up interrupting himself.
-> Pakistan never knows anything be it on Osama or 26/11 or Dawood.No wonder its always an INTELLIGENCE failure.

Characteristic Features of this Style
  1. This handle tweets in its signature style. Complain about everything and make fun of everyone.
  2. This handle has a dash of humour in all his tweets. Sometimes, even in ALL CAPS.
  3. Targets specific people, events. In this handles case – like Arnab Goswami, Sonu Nigam, Munaf Patel.
  4. Corollary: it trains its followers in what to expect from its tweets.
  5. Highly interactive. Retweets all praising tweets. Like to be praised.
Objective: This handle amplifies reason behind the existence of almost everyone on twitter. “Appreciation”.This handles objective would be to make itself a brand out of its tweets. Now, the tweep also has earned a weekly column in Hindustan Times. Most Pseudo Celebrities on twitter revolve around this style, in varying levels.

Style 5 : Personal Handle 

Example –  @MadhuriBanerjee or @dkh9

Tweets Like:
-> Chai rusk aur aloo tikki. today's evening tea made specially keeping the weather in mind.
-> I might love the rains, but I need some Vitamin D now!
-> Bengali pet names are hilarious - khuku, babush, munmun. I've actually forgotten what my cousins' real names are!

Characteristic Features of this Style :
  1. This is the most prominent style of tweeting. A very normal, down to earth style.
  2. Most of them are personal tweets. Views, reviews, opinions and random.
  3. They are highly interactive with their followers. Share a special bond.
  4. This style may also be referred to as “Thinking Loud”. Highly impressive style.
Objective: To use twitter as a platform to publish your views, think loud. It is a highly personal style and can be used as a medium to rejuvenate. A good way to relax ones mind. Recommended for all personal handles.

Well, this brings us to the other prominent styles like the celebrity Handles, the ranting types, the complaining types or the bitching types.

All these styles are not worth commenting upon and are best left untouched.

Conclusion: It is highly recommended to adapt to any one style of tweeting and stick to it. of course, you should be creative inside that style. and It is also recommended to tweet on trending topics.

The only warning is: Do not cross over the line and start complaining about things here, however tempting it may be.

Did u find the article informative? leave a comment. Comments are the fuel that keeps a writer going. You can also follow me on twitter – @PureWaste

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Mastering the Art of Watching Movies!

Watching Movies is an Art

In other words, more than the overall quality of the movie, it is the experience of watching the movie which leaves an impact. Look down your memory lane and see how many movies you remember just because they left you with an experience. So, merely watching a movie is completely different from 'experiencing the movie'

So, wondering how to make, every movie you watch, a wonderful experience? Read on.

Set a context

Here I assume that you have already decided to watch a movie and have some spare time in hand. So, this is the right time to set a context for watching the movie. Some of the contexts can be:
  • You want to just rest and recuperate
  • You want to spend time with family or friends
  • You want to spend the available spare time
  • Or, you want to watch the movie for the star or the director or the plot
  • The list is endless
The purpose of setting a context of watching a movie is to decide which can be a good movie to watch, to suit the mood.

You see, the thumb rule is that “The Movie Should Suit the Mood, and not the other way round

Like for example, if I have to spend some spare time I will watch a Transformer or a Hangover. Preferably in a theater nearby, to enjoy the real effects of the movie. Or to spend the time with my family, I would watch a Baton Baton mein at home.

A direct comparison would be with eating. What would be the experience if you have Fried rice with Manchurian in breakfast or a Upma for lunch? It should Suit the mood, is the mantra.

Where to watch
 
These days, the options are numerous. However, my personal recommendation is to enjoy any movie it should be seen in a theater. However, it may happen that the movie may not be playing if it’s not a new movie. So, the options are:

Watch at home. Check out the TV listing. Maybe the movie or a similar one is playing on your favorite channel.

Buy a DVD. The quality of DVDs is generally true HD and gives you a true home theater experience.

Request for a movie. If you own a DTH you may avail to their service of requesting for a movie. That ways you don’t need to buy a DVD.

But Best option still remains the theater nearby.

The Warm Up before watching:

Before you decide a movie, follow this basic exercise, so as to not get disappointed later!

Check out the reviews. Read the reviews by some established critic. Read what the movie is about. Understand the mood of the movie. The mood of the movie should suit your mood. That is when the movie becomes memorable. You should be generally aware of the plot of the movie before watching to avoid unforeseen surprises. These days, the technology being so fast, you need only 5 mins to check the review even while on the move.

One recommended site is IMDB for unbiased reviews

But don’t go by the star ratings. The star ratings are generally given for over all movie performance. But if I am in a mood to spend time with friends, a “Hangover 2 “ or a “Transformer 3” may be a good option even though the movies weren’t overall rated well.

Talk to people. In case you know someone who has already seen the movie, talk to them for their reviews. Though their views may still be biased, but it will still give you an overall view of what to expect from the movie. This generally works for new movies.

During the movie

The movie is an experience. It has to be experienced. A few things to be noted to make the movie a memorable experience

Comfortable seating/setting. In case you are watching the movie at home, make sure you have a comfortable seating without much disturbance. Adjust the lights accordingly. If it is daytime, close the curtains to avoid direct sunlight on the TV screen. If you have a home theater, set it on for the best results. In short, be comfortable.

“Switch Off” your mobile. It is always best to “Switch OFF” the mobile while watching a mobile. Here, switching off the mobile does not mean turning it to vibrator mode. Unnecessary calls, sms, mails may still disturb you in between.

Popcorn! Arrange for your supplies. By popcorn, I mean anything that can be munched. Movies are best enjoyed with something to munch along with. Arrange for soft drinks. You will find that the thrillers and the horrors experience will be doubled with popcorns nearby

Go on, enjoy the movie!

The Follow up

Very Important. What makes the movie a complete experience is how you follow up after the movie. More or less, after the movie, you tend to discuss the movie. This gives the movie a broader perspective. Go on, be creative.

So, follow it up with a dinner. Go for a long drive. Get pizzas on the way. Cozy up in the home.

This movie will now stay long in your memory. Even if the movie was not particularly good, the experience will still stay in your memory.

Finally

Watching a movie is an art. The more creative you are, the more you will enjoy watching it. Even the moderate movies.

If you think the article is worth a comment, leave one. By the way, each of your comment is an experience for me! Cheers!