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Tower Bridge bot killed by Twitter, replaced with marketing

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Re: Tower Bridge bot killed by Twitter, replaced with marketing

#12
post #10

Given how often this happens with Twitter, Facebook and ever other Corp-owned namespace the more I appreciate the clear ownership status afforded by DNS, despite it's many flaws. It's also why I put my domain on my business card but not my Twitter, all it'd take is an account hack and some spam or a backhander from some firm and it would't be mind anymore with no recourse whatsoever.

It's a great point you bring up. When using a static business card, you can always put a link to a dynamic site that updates your presences online, like you do with something like flavors.me and all the similar services.

I wonder if my very general Twitter handle is a boon or a risk.

Re: Tower Bridge bot killed by Twitter, replaced with marketing

#13
post #12
post #10

Given how often this happens with Twitter, Facebook and ever other Corp-owned namespace the more I appreciate the clear ownership status afforded by DNS, despite it's many flaws. It's also why I put my domain on my business card but not my Twitter, all it'd take is an account hack and some spam or a backhander from some firm and it would't be mind anymore with no recourse whatsoever.

It's a great point you bring up. When using a static business card, you can always put a link to a dynamic site that updates your presences online, like you do with something like flavors.me and all the similar services. I wonder if my very general Twitter handle is a boon or a risk.

Wouldn't using an external service also put you in the same risk? Or was that what you said too, but just mentioned the service as an example?

Isn't the best option to have the domain you control list all the details you want, including the social stuff?

Would you react better if a business or an individual has a specific owned domain as a handle?

As a software oriented business and/or person, isn't using anything but a unique domain considered less professional?

Re: Tower Bridge bot killed by Twitter, replaced with marketing

#14
post #10

Given how often this happens with Twitter, Facebook and ever other Corp-owned namespace the more I appreciate the clear ownership status afforded by DNS, despite it's many flaws. It's also why I put my domain on my business card but not my Twitter, all it'd take is an account hack and some spam or a backhander from some firm and it would't be mind anymore with no recourse whatsoever.

Linking to your twitter profile as a "url" is something I've never understood. I'll see really awesome web sites, want to see what else the person has done and I have to go through the extra clicks of first going to a twitter profile, then to the site.

Granted, it's one extra click, but I'm not particularly interested in your timeline of tweets. I want to see your work.

Re: Tower Bridge bot killed by Twitter, replaced with marketing

#15
Sadly this is common for twitter to do without contracting the party.

For over a year I ran a bot called @amazon which when messaged would look up the price of a book using the amazon api and respond to the user.

When amazon decided to join twitter, they contacted twitter who simply deleted my account and gave it to them without contacting me. After contacting amazon as I would have gladly given them the bot, they informed me they didn't ask for it to be deleted but to contact me.

At the time twitter made some excuse about how it is against their TOS to give my email to another party (yet acceptable to delete with even contacting me)...

Seems like things haven't changed at le twit

Re: Tower Bridge bot killed by Twitter, replaced with marketing

#16
post #6
post #2

I commented on the post but will post it here as well; I had a similar thing with @apress a few years ago, I set up an automated twitter feed to post the daily book deal to a twitter account, a couple of months afterwards I checked and realized @apress was just given to Apress without any email or notice (everything I posted too was lost) Fair play to apress I contacted them and they got back to me within half an hou…

Just as an addition to this, a friend just pointed out this tweet https://twitter.com/#!/brandcarrie/status/20333195936 About to set up a Tower Bridge Twitter with the IT boys... Any advice?

I don't think we should start blaming the marketing agency for what has happened (even if they did start the process). It is Twitter who should take responsibility for silently transferring ownership of the @towerbridge account and then effectively deleting it.

Re: Tower Bridge bot killed by Twitter, replaced with marketing

#17
post #6
post #2

I commented on the post but will post it here as well; I had a similar thing with @apress a few years ago, I set up an automated twitter feed to post the daily book deal to a twitter account, a couple of months afterwards I checked and realized @apress was just given to Apress without any email or notice (everything I posted too was lost) Fair play to apress I contacted them and they got back to me within half an hou…

Just as an addition to this, a friend just pointed out this tweet https://twitter.com/#!/brandcarrie/status/20333195936 About to set up a Tower Bridge Twitter with the IT boys... Any advice?

Careful with that, I can already see that person getting abuse whether they are involved or not :/

Re: Tower Bridge bot killed by Twitter, replaced with marketing

#19
post #6
post #2

I commented on the post but will post it here as well; I had a similar thing with @apress a few years ago, I set up an automated twitter feed to post the daily book deal to a twitter account, a couple of months afterwards I checked and realized @apress was just given to Apress without any email or notice (everything I posted too was lost) Fair play to apress I contacted them and they got back to me within half an hou…

Just as an addition to this, a friend just pointed out this tweet https://twitter.com/#!/brandcarrie/status/20333195936 About to set up a Tower Bridge Twitter with the IT boys... Any advice?

Why would a nearly 1-year-old tweet be relevant?

Re: Tower Bridge bot killed by Twitter, replaced with marketing

#20

Sadly this is common for twitter to do without contracting the party. For over a year I ran a bot called @amazon which when messaged would look up the price of a book using the amazon api and respond to the user. When amazon decided to join twitter, they contacted twitter who simply deleted my account and gave it to them without contacting me. After contacting amazon as I would have gladly given them the bot, they in…

Twitter... in it for the dollarz.

This is pretty brazen. They can be bullies if they want with their own space, but the lack of communication is amazingly rude. However, I remember experiencing exactly the same thing when my undergrad email was changed, without any notification whatsoever, because some TA had joined who had the same last name. The admin was completely unapologetic when I shared my irritation. So maybe it's to be expected in the culture.

Twitter... just like a lame undergrad sysadmin.

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