ComicTwit

It’s a big day today here at ComicTwit central…we more than doubled the amount of followers. Very Cool! Welcome and thanks to those that have joined in.

Now, ComicTwit is still a very small presence in the Twitterverse. Our bluebird of comedy is but a gnat at the Twitter picnic. (Note to self: we need to come up with a name for that bird.) But with growth comes more contributions of humor, much of it great! Some of it…well…not so much. That begs the question, since ComicTwit is currently being moderated, how far should the moderator’s power extend?

If you take a look at the About section of the ComicTwit you’ll see I started with some basic ground rules. They’re in place to guard against two things. One, to keep the really rude stuff out of the stream (for now) and two, to remain true to condensing the humor into 140 characters (No multiple posts for one joke.) As ComicTwit grows (kind of like a fungus) that moderation will also have to include eliminating spam. Some of which I have already had to zip. Ah, the web.

Anyway, the intent of ComicTwit is twofold. First, it’s to make followers laugh. The second it to generate those laughs with material you create. I want to encourage you to create and submit comedy and if I put too many limitations on what you write, I’m guessing you just won’t write. That’s a bad thing. So, should the moderator deny a Twit from being posted because they don’t find it funny? Yikes! That slope is more slippery than snot on a doorknob and I’d rather not go there. As a friend said to me, “What are you the joke nazi?” I’d rather not be saying, “NO JOKE FOR YOU!”

So here’s the deal: First, unless it’s over the top rude, doesn’t meet the 140 character rule, is spam, or is obviously not humor like “Hi, ComicTwit”, “HaHa”, etc. or an editorial comment you’ll see it posted to Twitter. Second, I’ll work on a system for you to judge Twits. I’ll give the power to you to judge what is funny and what is not. That way I’ll be able to offer you some choices of what comedy you prefer to receive. Of course, if you want to post something we’ll count on you to make us laugh, not look at your Twit like a dog looking at a ceiling fan. Hey, I have faith in you!

Look, if we all have our way, ComicTwit will be so massive that no one person, especially me, could possibly weed through all the comedy and it will be up to everyone who is a part of it to keep the level of humor high…or low, depending on how you want to look at it. Until then, thanks for being understanding as I deal with ‘scale’ and meeting not only your expectations, but the whole audience’s as well.

Feel free to give me your input and help me wrestle this moderation beast to the ground. Thanks for your help!

No Comments »

Thanks to everyone at Social Media Breakfast in Minneapolis for your warm reception of comicTwit. It happened Friday morning at the headquarters of Best Buy. After finally wrestling the screen into submission I shared the circumstances that inspired comicTwit. “Two months ago the war in Iraq was raging, two candidates were locked in a fierce battle for the Democratic nomination, the dollar was continuing to weaken…what Twitter needed was a good d*%k joke!” Hence the beginnings of comicTwit.

During the course of the presentation the group offered some great ideas…many of which will soon find their way onto the comicTwit site. Some, on the other hand, would just make it too uncomfortable for me to sit down.

In all seriousness, thanks to Rick Mahn, sponsors Best Buy and Marketwise, and everyone at SMBMSP for laughing along and following along. As always, get in there and share your wit…you’re funnier than you think!

By the way, since comicTwit went live, the dollar is strengthening and the Dems have made their choice. Coincidence…you be the judge.

1 Comment »

A few basic tweaks to the archive page should make finding your favorite tWits. We’ve corrected the order that they are displayed. So now, look for the newest tWits at the top, not the bottom. I know…Duh!

We’ve also removed the lines. You shouldn’t have to stare at a spreadsheet when you’re getting your grins. We’ll leave that for staring at your bank statement of annual budget. Ick.

We’ve got some more things planned in the very near future so stay tuned. In the meantime…how about you share a joke with us.

No Comments »

Thanks to Rick Mahn ComicTwit will be getting a little demo time at the next Social Media Breakfast gathering here in the Twin Cities on August 22nd.

I’ve always believed the best way to introduce anything, especially in “new media”, is in-person. No matter how simple it may appear to me or you, there are people just not comfortable learning from an email, a document or even a video tutorial. I’m excited that I can personally present ComicTwit to the social media folks that gather for these monthly breakfasts. If you’re in the area, feel free to check it out. ComicTwit also does weddings, Bar Mitzvahs, family reunions…naaaaahhh!

No Comments »

So far, as I cruise through day number three of ComicTwit, the site hasn’t crashed. Always a good sign. Thanks for the input from you “early adopters”…I’m sorry…Thanks to you clever early adopters. Don’t be a stranger keep the tWITS comin’.

Since I haven’t screwed anything up too bad and the site hasn’t imploded, I think I can safely say thanks to those who made ComicTwit a reality by name without them being embarrassed. Here are some credits…

Thanks to Steve Borsch for the guidance, your “futzing”, and your input. To Johnee Bee for the great artwork. You always amaze me and our meetings are never dull. Hey, get in there and give us some tWITS! Thanks also to Brian Hanson for coding ComicTwit to meet the vision. You ain’t done yet! Also, props to Graeme Thickins, Justin Grammens, and Mykl Roventine.

Some tweeks…Though my e-mail contact is part of this blog and you can always provide feedback in the comment section, @chrisnalty noted there was no easy way to find contact info. Behold, the “Contact” page! Thanks Chris and look for your other suggestion to be addressed soon.

I’ve done some seeding of the site with humor…sorry not all original. It’s all in the name of content to feed the stream. I want to encourage you to join in. The great thing about ComicTwit is you get to be part of the comedy. This isn’t like a trip to the local comedy club with a two drink minimum where you sit, watch, and maybe get shelled by the comic because you’re at the front table. You can actually take the stage and tell your jokes…without the brick wall behind you. In short, get in there and show us your stuff. Thanks in advance!

Remember, keep ‘em short and funny. In fact, ComicTwit is giving new meaning to the phrase ‘short jokes’.

1 Comment »

Welcome to ComicTwit, I’m Phil Wilson. I guess I’m the head Twit here…okay…the only Twit here. I’m a blogger, music loving radio fan, social media fiend, and entrepreneur. Most of all I love a good laugh.

I’m a user of Twitter and I dig connecting with so many people and seeing what they have to say. As I was tweeting away, it occured to me that, “This is all well and good, but where’s the funny stuff?” That’s when ComicTwit was born. Imagine, no beer was involved. ComicTwit is a way to create jokes, share quotes, and spread comedy 140 characters at a time. Of course the naming of this service was quite easy to stumble on. Created with Twitter in mind the concept of associating it with your “comic wit” was a natural. Also, being a Python fan, I do love to use the word twit whenever I can.

But anyway…Other than limiting your humor output to bursts of 140 characters (no multiple posts or tiny urls just to tell a really long joke.) there are not many rules. Ideally, creating original content is the goal, but you can also pass along the great lines you’ve heard.The idea is to give anyone following ComicTwit the opportunity to laugh during their day. If you’re wanting to contribute something that will stop global warming, save the whales, feed the hungry or just change the world in general, move along. There’s nothing to see here. If you want to share some s*@%s and giggles then have at it! You just have to accomplish it in 140 characters.

Clearly, ComicTwit is all about the “beta”. A great word for to indicate “This ain’t perfect yet.” Yeah, there will be lots of things to add as it grows. For now, it’s just for fun. I’d love your feedback, so feel free to contact me at phil@comictwit.com.

So, challenge yourself, be creative, but above all have fun. What are you waitng for? Get to being funny…

No Comments »