Tw*tter-like services are hitting the mainstream, and there is no better example that what Rick Sanchez over at CNN has been doing for the past few weeks by bringing Tw*tter and Facebook into the political conversations he’s been having on his Saturday shows.

I was intrigued by his use of Tw*tter last week, and followed after his last show. With the Biden announcement today, it seemed like a good time to join the conversation, especially since his question intersected with the question we were discussing on NewsGang Live — whether or not the Great Obama Text Message Experiment was a failure or success.

I shot a message to Sanchez saying I believed that the text message announcement plan accomplished exactly what it was intended to accomplish: Buzz, and a large audience available at the send of a single text message. Since we were in the middle of a pretty interesting and intense NewsGang Live discussion, I left it at that, and went on with our show.

That would have been the end of it except that I received a direct message from a Twitter friend telling me that he saw my icon pop up on Rick’s twitter page on-air. That intrigued me for a number of reasons, not the least of which was that it meant that Rick was using Tw*tter in real time, unedited. (At least, in as real time as Tw*tter can be, given that they’ve disabled track and hobbled conversations. Hence, the use of the asterisk in their name.)

I was impressed. Impressed enough to return to his 10pm show.

My suggestions and criticisms for Rick follow:

Rick, props for understanding the value of real-time conversations with people on Tw*tter and other social media. Props for understanding the value of bringing the audience into your conversation in a real way, and props for understanding that by interacting with us, the conversation can evolve.

I believe you understand the value and power of these conversations. However, in your 10pm show, you made the mistake of harnessing the collective idiocy instead of the collective intelligence of those following you, and then turned that into some kind of “Tw*tter shaping the story” thing.

Now that tells me a couple of things. First, it says that you read my earlier tweet to you about Tw*tter breaking the Biden story ahead of you all. It also says that you understand the value of real-time conversations as they relate to news.

These are good things. However, the third factor in an effective use of Tw*tter and like services is the most important: Your own participation in the conversation.

Seriously, the only reason that 3AM lunatic comment got any traction is because you gave it traction. You skipped over really well-stated opinions in favor of the one that was utterly ridiculous.

If you’re going to have a conversation one to many, make it count.

Oh, and you could completely lose your pundit panel, too. Let the folks who really follow these issues be the center of the conversation. Kind of like Talkback Live was back in the days when I worked for CNN Interactive. Talkback Live was the prototype for what you’re doing now, use that audience power to propel you.

To the folks like Mark Mayhew who took me to task for criticizing Sanchez:

You make the point that Sanchez’ followers jumped from 500 to 950 in the span of an hour. How do you think that happened?

It happened because I, and a few others, sent Sanchez’ message out to those folks who follow us, who then sent the same message out to those who follow them, widening and overlapping the circles.

And Mark, the way I found your critical remark? I track my name. So when you sent me a message without following me, I was able to discover it and have a real-time conversation with you about the whole thing because track worked.

Not Summize. Track. via Twitterspy.

Tw*tter, as it is structured right now, precludes those real-time conversations. Important conversations. They control the flow of the conversation, preventing us from engaging with one another in a fashion that allows the conversation to shape the event. Steve Gillmor said it best:

Here is where the difference between search and track will prove pivotal. Search produces analysis after the fact, while track produces interactions that change the events themselves. As social hubs perform for the “cameras” over the next weeks, the efficiencies of those with real time synergies will likely outperform more historical views of the resulting data. Those micro-communities more adept at conversational politics will do better faster, and may in fact tip the election in much the same way Obama’s teams tipped the nomination process via the caucuses.

I call it this: The fierce urgency of NOW.

• Shotgun Freeway
  (tags: netflix movie losangeles film)

• MomLogic :: Phelps: From 'Nothing' to Hero
  As much as I enjoyed reading about Michael throughout the Olympics, I also enjoyed reading about and listening to Debbie. She was divorced and basically raised three kids on her own. Michael was bullied by his peers, diagnosed with ADD and told by many educators that he would amount to nothing. Debbie, an educator herself, knew that wasn't true. The world now knows that wasn't true … and I believe there is a message not only for the kids out there facing challenges but also for their moms.
  (tags: adhd olympics michaelphelps success)

August is not one of my favorite months. It’s hot, DG goes back to school, the realization that yet another summer has gone by without getting away from home, and this year the 50th birthday looms large despite my best efforts to deny and ignore it.

Water always soothes the heat and the doldrums for me. I’m enjoying the challenge of capturing shapes and abstract images in the patterns. This is one of my favorites.

It’s more fun large.

Or, as Rick Green said so well today, Julie Amero is held hostage for 432 days.

I’m waiting for the state to admit that this poor substitute teacher should never have been arrested, tried and convicted. I’m waiting for prosecutors in Norwich to do something: come up with some real evidence and try her — or drop the charges. Amero’s supporters, who include Internet security experts from around the country, have a petition urging Chief State’s Attorney Kevin Kane to drop all charges.

Perhaps the citizens of Norwich should tie yellow ribbons around their trees. It might even be more effective for them to ask their law enforcement officials to focus on real criminals and let the innocent be.

Please sign the petition. It’s time for Julie Amero to be freed from the chains she’s worn for 432 days.

And thank you, Rick Green, for being a responsible voice for justice.

Update: Thanks to a fellow member of The Julie Group, I’ve got a widget on my sidebar counting the number of days Julie has been held hostage. I’ll remove it when they free her.

There have been moments as Sticks’ mom where I’ve been exasperated, frustrated, gratified, concerned, proud, and amazed. But never speechless, at least, until today. Never.

I knew there was a surprise on today’s percussion ensemble program, because I’d been given a heads-up in advance that an original piece would be on the program, one that he composed. But even with that, I had no idea of what to expect.

Now I’m the mom, and I’m supposed to love everything he does (and I do). But seriously, the kid is not even 19 yet, and I was completely floored that this piece flowed out of some creative place that he’s managed to tap into already. Experienced listeners and composers may find areas to critique, but for this mom, it’s perfection.

The ensemble itself is something he’s been doing for four or five years during the summer. The director, Tina Curtis, is a classically trained percussionist. Every summer she puts together a group of young drummers and percussionists with some pretty progressive music. They’ve performed John Cage and contemporary performers as well. This piece is a complete departure from anything I’ve ever posted of his. To me, it’s incredible. I hope it is to you, too.

This is the intro he wrote for Tina to read:

Enjoy.

As I was giving my kids a hard time for being up at 1:30AM watching the Olympics, the loudest thunderclap I’ve ever heard sounded outside, setting off one of the most incredible thunderstorms I’ve ever seen, and certainly the most amazing storm I’ve ever seen in California. These are the Midwest-style storms (or maybe Florida) but out here we usually see none of this.

I grabbed the camera and gave it my best, but I confess to having zero clue about the best way to shoot lightning, so this was about the most I could hope for.

What an amazing night.