Black Twitterati

TV One's "Find Our Missing"

noreply@blogger.com (Black Twitterati) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:40:00 +0000

If you've watched the news for any period of time you already know there is a discrepancy in the way missing people are reported in the media. In fact, it's closer to the point to say that missing white women and children simply get more press. TV One is doing something about that with its new 10-part series "Find Our Missing", hosted by hosted by S. Epatha Merkerson (of Law & Order fame). It shines a light on the plight of Black people who are missing, but who didn't grab headlines in the mainstream media.
The series premieres TONIGHT at 10 p.m. on TV One. Please be sure to watch it.

Happy Holidays & Happy New Year

noreply@blogger.com (Brickhouse) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 20:01:00 +0000

Thank you all for making 2011 a wonderful year and hanging in there with us through some important changes! Enjoy the holidays and we'll see you back here in 2012.

Blogging While Brown 2010: You Going?

noreply@blogger.com (Black Twitterati) — Wed, 12 May 2010 15:55:00 +0000

-by Aminah Hanan

Where are all the Blacks in technology? This year they will be at the third annual Blogging While Brown Conference, June 18-19 in Washington DC.

At a time when many social media conferences are struggling with issues of diversity and inclusion among their speakers and attendees, the Blogging While Brown Conference continues to provide one of the largest lineups of Black social media experts and serves as one of the largest gatherings of Black bloggers each year. Since its launch in 2008 Blogging While Brown has grown to become the premier blogging conference dedicated to collaboration, education, and innovation among bloggers of color.

You may be asking: What if I’m not a blogger? What if I don’t know anything about social media or technology? Not to worry. Blogging While Brown has something for everyone.

This year’s conference is expanding to include our very first Blogging Day of Service Free Blogger Boot Camp for beginning bloggers. So if you’re a novice that knows absolutely nothing about blogging or social media this is the boot camp for you.

For the experienced techies, social media gurus, novices who see a wildly successful new digital media career in their future, or someone who simply wants to keep their finger on the pulse of technology, Blogging While Brown has an entire day full of workshops and panel discussions designed especially for you.

Saturday’s conference schedule includes the following panels

v Yoga and Stress Relief for Social Media Users

v Technology Review

v Beyond Gossip, Hip Hop, Hair, and Politics

Bloggers, Change Agents, & Educators

v The Business of Blogging: BEYOND Ad Networks

v 32 Ways to Make Your Blog Suck Less

v Why We Can't Wait: Technology and the Fierce Urgency of Now

Unique opportunities for people of color in the digital age and what might happen if fail to seize those opportunities

v Break Through Bloggers

v Town Hall Meeting

More panels and workshops will be announced soon.

Confirmed speakers for Blogging While Brown 2010 include: Lola Adesioye, Angela Benton, André Brock, Maurice Cherry, Cheryl Contee, Patrice Grell Yursik aka Afrobella, Scott Hanselman, Danielle N. Lee, PhD, Ananda Leeke, Luvvie, Gina McCauley, Latoya Peterson, Carmen Dixon Rosenzweig, Nichelle Stephens, and Baratunde Thurston. More speakers will be announced in the weeks leading up to the conference.

So if someone asks, “Where are all the Blacks in technology?” Let them know that you will all be in DC June 18-20 at Blogging While Brown 2010.

For more information and to register please visit www.bloggingwhilebrown.com. Follow us on Twitter @BWBConference for daily conference updates.

The Slow Death of Bulk Unfollow

noreply@blogger.com (Black Twitterati) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 22:25:00 +0000

It's getting more and more difficult to unfollow people on Twitter. Have you noticed that? Months ago, the site itself did away with any of the doohickeys that would have let you easily see all of the people who follow you (or don't) and how long it's been since they last tweeted. But that didn't stop social media celebs from bragging about using outside forces to unfollow thousands of Twitterers when their streams got too heavy. That was last year.
Today one of our members was in the middle of a "bulk unfollow" on Twitter Karma when a pop-up message announced that "On January 15th... " Twitter informed Twitter Karma that the bulk unfollow function violated their terms of service. Minutes later, the owners of Twitter Karma tweeted that Twitter had told them to take the button down. The guys who run TweetLater saw this coming last July.
Does anyone remember Qwitter? For a while, it was the hottest thing going for Tweeters who didn't want to follow anyone who didn't follow them back in return. Now don't be mislead- Qwitter was never stable or reliable. It was a lover who called when he wanted to. You wouldn't hear from Qwitter for weeks, and then it would dump an avalanche of "quits" in your inbox. But at least Qwitter was on the case until sometime last year when, for no reason at all, Qwitter stopped calling. The creators who live in Ireland keep the page up, but don't bother. It isn't working. Neither is Twitoria. Whether those sites got the same warning as Twitter Karma or whether staying "free" just didn't pay the bills, many Twitter users are having a harder time managing their accounts than they used to.
There are still some other bulk management tools out there. But many of them aren't able to handle the demand and have stopped accepting new sign-ups. There are options, though, for people who use various Twitter clients like Tweetdeck and the like. But today we want your opinions. Does not being able to mass prune your lists affect the way you use Twitter? What Twitter tools do you use to manage your Twitter stream?

Social Media @ Work: Crisis in Haiti

noreply@blogger.com (Black Twitterati) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 19:17:00 +0000

- Black Twitterati Staff
If you've been on any of the major social networking sites this week, it's impossible to miss: the massive and insistent calls to action in the face of human suffering.
On Tuesday evening a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti, 10 miles outside of Port-Au-Prince. The Caribbean nation was left in shambles. President Obama pledged $100 million dollars to relief efforts. But concerned people around the world have been reaching out in a way they were never able to do before and asking "What can I do?".

Almost immediately after news of the tragedy broke, celebrities on Twitter began urging their millions of followers to donate to the Red Cross, UNICEF and other relief organizations, setting off a wave of "Donating by Text". Haitian-American musician Wyclef Jean set fire to Twitter with his Yele Haiti Earthquake Fund, urging followers to text "YELE" to 501501 to make a $5 donation. By all accounts, donations triggered by social media have been pouring in. On his own site, Wyclef said "I cannot stress enough what a human disaster this is, and idle hands will only make this tragedy worse. The over 2 million people in Port-au-Prince tonight face catastrophe alone. We must act now."
As people targeted search engines for more information today, Wyclef's campaign to help Haiti made his Twitter account the 2nd highest result for the search term "TWITTER" on Google. In addition, "yele wyclef" was the #3 top search on Google and "wyclef jean haiti relief" was #4. Concerned about scams, many tweeters expressed today that the campaign backed by Wyclef is the only one they feel they can trust.

With telecommunications systems down in Haiti, to say that information coming from the island is sparce is an understatement. Millions of Haitians living outside Haiti are still unable to reach family and friends. That has led to an uptick in traffic on Youtube, where the constant uploads of grainy aftermath clips are being viewed by thousands of people by the hour. Today the first three of the "Most Viewed" videos are concerning the earthquake.

Meantime, Haitians and people with loved ones in Haiti are using Facebook to share information and organize donations. The wall of Earthquake Haiti is filled with family pictures, heartbreaking pleas for information, and prayers. The page popped up literally overnight and has nearly 125,000 members. Almost 4,000 pictures of missing loved ones have been uploaded.

We are also hearing about several charitable events being arranged to benefit relief efforts and we'll bring you up to date on those when we get more information.

Photo: Washington Post

Happy Holidays from the Black Twitterati

noreply@blogger.com (African-American Brides) — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 16:48:00 +0000

Happy Thanksgiving

noreply@blogger.com (Black Twitterati) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 14:32:00 +0000

We're grateful.... for YOU!

TheFabGiver: Passionista

noreply@blogger.com (Black Twitterati) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:41:00 +0000

"Do what you love and the money will follow." Or so the saying goes. Today's featured twitterer is drumming up lots of money for charity by getting people to put their money where their hearts are. TheFabGiver, also known as Karyn Brianne, does it by making "giving" look good and by following her passions- charity and style.
In her blog for the Examiner, she reports on all the ways ordinary people and big companies are helping out fellow citizens by giving their money, time and services. On her personal blog, she tirelessly keeps readers informed about creative ways to give back and lays out stylish products to support various causes.
Brianne also helps women and girls with HIV/AIDS as a co-founder of The Red Pump Project. Keep on keeping on, TheFabGiver. We see you, girl. Consider yourself backed by the BlackTwitterati.

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Thefabgiver
Blog: http://thefabulousgiver.com/
Examiner Blog: Examiner.com

We're Back!

noreply@blogger.com (Black Twitterati) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 18:30:00 +0000

Get ready for more power profiles and semi-discovered gems on the Twitters. After a brief tussle with the powers-that-tweet over our username, we're back in business with lots of goodies already in the can. Apparently, we nabbed the name BlackTwitterati just before Twitter disallowed usernames containing "Twitter" and recently found ourselves unable to do anything but tweet from our Twitter homepage. The longstoryshort is that we can keep BlackTwitterati on Twitter and make some of the changes we want to our profile. So, be on the lookout for new material this week. And keep those emails and tweets coming!

ChanelleCarver: Literacy 'n' Poverty

noreply@blogger.com (Black Twitterati) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:20:00 +0000

-by guest blogger Kim Spight
What happens when a seven year old ambitious goal-oriented dreamer becomes an adult and commits to changing the world? You get Chanelle Carver and her non profit organization, Literacy 'n' Poverty Project, a startup nonprofit organization that works to alleviate poverty and improve adult education worldwide.

Chanelle gained her passion for non profit work from an early age and continued this through her college career. As she began to learn more about non profit organizations and social enterprises, she realized that she was always a social entrepreneur.

Twitter gives her organization a platform to educate and build relationships with current and new supporters and has allowed the organization to receive support from volunteer bloggers and writers. Having an online presence has allowed the organization to build a blog following for the MakeSocialChangeAReality.com blog. The blog is about educating and empowering others to make social change a reality in their own unique ways by giving others the opportunity to learn about social issues and uncover the necessary resources that will allow them to create change, the kind of change they can believe in and execute.

Find Chanelle and her organization at http://twitter.com/chanellecarver and http://twitter.com/lnpproject.

About today's contributor: Kim Spight is a new writer who is working on becoming a more frequent blogger at her own blog lattethenthoughts.wordpress.com. Also find her on Twitter as @girly1121.

AbiolaTV: High Definition

noreply@blogger.com (Black Twitterati) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:41:00 +0000

AbiolaTV is the Twitter name of a true Jane-of-all-trades. As a novelist, talk show hostess, blogger, and celebrity interviewer, this New Yorker is juggling several mediums simultaneously and making it look like so much FUN.
Her background makes her uniquely qualified to report on everything from urban happenings to haute couture. Abiola Abrams grew up in what she calls a "suburban ghetto" in Queens County, but attended an all-girls prep school on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Then, she decided to make her mark on the entertainment world at the age of 15, after getting her big break from rap figure Ed Lover at a block party on the other side of town.he age of 15, . So, needless to say, she knows her way around Gotham. Today, she hosts and produces "The Planet Abiola Show" on Blackplanet.com while making appearances on BET and VH-1. She's also the author of the new novel "Dare".
Her favorite topics are dating, shopping, celebrities and nightlife. At anytime you can find her sharing the details of her hectic life - whether on TUMBLR, her official site, her blog, Twitter, Flickr, Glam Media or (see below) her Youtube channel.

Planet Abiola: http://www.blackplanet.com/planetabiola/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/AbiolaTV
Blog: http://www.abiolaabrams.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/abiolaTV
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/abiolatv

Computer Giveaway by MochaDad

noreply@blogger.com (Black Twitterati) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 19:59:00 +0000

Just in time for the back-to-school rush, MochaDad is giving away TWO Hewlett-Packard computers. The prizes are one HP dv6t laptop, an HP Mini 110 netbook, and a customized Timbuk2 bag. What do you have to do to win this nice bundle? Simply submit a comment on his new review blog describing a teacher who impacted your life. MochaDad and wifey will choose the winner. The contest ends August 30th. Find out more HERE. You will kick yourself if you miss this.

TheRootBuzz: A Busy Bee

noreply@blogger.com (Black Twitterati) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 19:00:00 +0000

If a newbie to Twitter asked you for five "follow" recommendations, who would you name? One of our must-follows would definitely be TheRootBuzz. Jonathan Pitts-Wiley is the writer behind the the Twitter account and a section of the Washington Post-run The Root.com called "Buzz". He focuses on people, cultural events and entertainment causing a buzz on the web. At TheRootBuzz, you can't ask for a better roundup of what Black folks are talking about along with snarkalicious commentary. But beyond that TheRootBuzz is witty and irreverent with jaw-dropping regularity. Makes you wonder if his bosses are paying attention. And even if they aren't, we are.

Twitter: http://twitter.com/therootbuzz

Alter ego: http://twitter.com/pittswiley

Website: http://www.theroot.com/buzz

DeBerryandGrant: Daring Duo

noreply@blogger.com (Black Twitterati) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 19:50:00 +0000

Authors around the globe are trying to harness the reader-grabbing power of Twitter. Those who are having difficulty should take some tips from DeBerryandGrant, also known as the bestselling writing duo Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant. Followers are rewarded with tweets that are funny, irreverent and delightfully off-topic. In short, they see the big picture, not just their corner of the universe.

Of course, as their longtime fans know, DeBerry and Grant are two of the most successful black writers today. They first made a literary splash with their novel Tryin' to Sleep in the Bed You Made back in 1996. Since then, they've written nearly half-a-dozen other novels about love and the pitfalls of modern living. Their most recent novel, What Doesn't Kill You, is nominated for best fiction for an African American Literary Award and at least two of their books are being turned into movies.

They're best friends who have been writing together for years while living in separate states. We think it's fair to say that their situation put them on the information super-highway earlier than many other authors. We're just happy to be able to read the little nuggets they drop on Twitter.

Website: http://deberryandgrant.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/DeBerryandGrant

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/DeBerry-Grant/36992085874

Blog: http://twomindsfull.blogspot.com/

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/twomindsfull

ElonJames: Double Duty

noreply@blogger.com (Black Twitterati) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 18:22:00 +0000

ElonJames is the founder of the comedy production group "The Brooklyn Comedy Company". But anyone who dipped a toe in his Twitter stream today also knows he can be dead serious. As we've discovered, having those two sides can be very handy.
When the political stakes are as high as they are these days, you aren't going to find many people who can tell you what's going on in the world and have a sense of humor about it at the same time. But ElonJames manages to pull it off without sticking to anyone's script, which is usually the sign of a thinking person. Afterall, what is the point of being a blogger if you can't smooth go off sometimes?
But like most performers, he does his best stuff on-screen. People are still talking about his controversial BET Doesn't Care About Black People. As one Huffington Post commenter said, "It's comedy, but it hit the nail on the head." We're sure Elon has heard that before. Just take a look at his Black vs Black vid below about the media's attempts to pit African-Americans against one another:

Need more? It isn't hard to find ElonJames. He's everywhere you want to be, so check him out.

Twitter: http://twitter.com/elonjames

Blog: http://thisweekinblackness.com/

Website: http://elonjamesisnotwhite.com/

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/bccofilms

Huffington Post page: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/elon-james-white/

Facebook: http://www.networkedblogs.com/blog/this_week_in_blackness?ahash=28c251f7be733b18a9ed9b670ae9e5f2

Black Love Lives With "Happily Ever After"

noreply@blogger.com (Black Twitterati) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:31:00 +0000

Didn't we tell you that members of the Black Twitterati were constantly doing big things? Didn't we admit breathlessly that we were hearing about new projects from our honorees almost faster than we could post them? We featured @lamartyler right here back in February. Now his latest project is ready to be released and along with his wife they are set to prove that Black love lives!

The founders of the popular site BlackandMarriedWithKids.com have created a documentary called "Happily Ever After" that goes inside real black marriages to show positive images of marriage and parenting in the black community. As Lamar told us, "We didn't like the images that portrayed us so we created our own."

Topics discussed in the film include the portrayal of marriage and parenting in the black community, the Obama effect and the importance of parenting. The documentary will be released straight to DVD on August 4th 2009 but will premiere in Washington, DC "One Night Only" on Thursday, July 30th at the historic Avalon Theatre. Find more information about the premiere HERE and check out the trailer below:

Film Site: http://www.happilyeverafterthemovie.com

FB Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/happilyeverafterthemovie

DigitalSista: Ladies First

noreply@blogger.com (Black Twitterati) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 19:10:00 +0000

DigitalSista is one fearless warrior. She works just as hard off-line as she does online. Her mission? To close the gap in the digital divide and make sure women benefit from the leaps in the latest technology. She's also the founder of Digital Sisters/Sistas, a non-profit organization that uses digital media and technology to help under-served women and children.
She has several Web properties but her Twitter stream is where she does most of her best stuff. As the ultimate micro-blogger, she focuses on technology, social media, gadgets and politics. Earlier this year she was
nominated for a Shorty Award, honoring the best content producers on Twitter.

We're told DigitalSista also rocked BlogPotomac last month when she spoke about social media and blog politics alongside some real heavy-hitters. Definitely add her to your must-read list!

Twitter: http://twitter.com/digitalsista

YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/digitalsista
Blogs: http://www.womenwiredin.com/
http://socialmediawoc.com/
Website:
http://www.digital-sistas.org/home.shtml
LinkedIn Group: WomenSuite

Inside Full-Figure Fashion Week

noreply@blogger.com (Black Twitterati) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:56:00 +0000

With the Essence Music Festival, the Fourth of July celebrations and all of the other happenings over the last weekend, we want to make sure the Black Twitterati gets the details on one other event. On Twitter this morning, we heard from a lot of blogging fashionistas about Full Figure Fashion Week which climbed to a grand finale over the weekend. We invited the Curvy Fashionista a/k/a MarieDenee to tell our tweeps all about it. (More dazzling profiles from the BlackTwitterati.com staff coming later this week!)

Take it away, Marie!
-------------------------------
- by MarieDenee

Full Figured Fashion Week ended on an amazing high note. The energy that flowed throughout was contagious as people stepped onto the red carpet, to those who sashayed in their fabulous frocks to attend!

As the biggest self proclaimed fabric and fashion snob- a girl loves her Chloe, Dior, and Marc Jacobs, Full Figured Fashion Week’s finale brought something different to the scene… You see, all of those designers who I mentioned above, do not cater to my curves, although they fashionably accessorize them, from my jewelry, shoes, and handbags!

What the finale brought was different interpretations of Spring's casual, evening, party, daytime chic, and artistic to the forefront for the Curvy.Confident.Chic. Fashionista- or those who aspire to be. Now not every piece would I fashion, but I did have some favorites!

Jewel Shannon

Robert E. Knight

Qristyl Frazier Designs

Big Girls United (B.G.U.)

Monif C.

All photos Courtesy of Richard Lew Photography

What is going to be even more exciting, as this is the first for the Full Figured, this fashion week only tipped the iceberg of innovative, edgy, contemporary plus size designers out there! Those in attendance brought it- and brought it to some who did not even know they existed. What the finale show and the Fashion Week did was make many aware of the fashions that are available and bring attention to those designers out there, a platform to display to the world what they can do for our curves!

Keep it Curvy.Confident.Chic.

More Plus-Size Fashion Links:
Brickhouse
LuvinMyCurves
BelleNoirMag
KittyBradshaw

Vibe Magazine: It's a Wrap

noreply@blogger.com (Black Twitterati) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:22:00 +0000

As former media people, it's tough to watch the newspaper and magazine industries go up in flames. Today Vibe, one of the country's last urban music and entertainment publications, became more kindling on the fire. The magazine announced it is closing its doors, a move which we're told was a surprise to some Vibe staffers. More information here.

Vibe was started in 1992 by Quincy Jones, who later sold the magazine. Since then, many talented writers and editors have passed through its doors. We wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see several of the latest staff members doing big things in the near future.

The photo in the top left corner shows Vibe's premier issue, featuring Treach of Naughty by Nature.

Michael Jackson Tributes Via the Web

noreply@blogger.com (Black Twitterati) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:10:00 +0000

Stars have been paying homage to music icon Michael Jackson since his sudden death last week. Thanks to the internet, people around the world are seeing those tributes are turning them viral. And some of them are really very heartwarming. We thought we'd forgo our usual weekly activities to show you just a sampling of the most popular ones.

Stevie Wonder remembered Michael Jackson with two touching tributes over the weekend. The second one included singer John Legend.

The BET Awards show on Sunday night is receiving mixed reviews. (Be sure to read PittsIndeed's Dear BET: What the F^@k Was That? ) But it also gave us a very classy tribute from Maxwell and personal stories from the O'Jays.

JNez: Father's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Black Twitterati) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 18:03:00 +0000

What took us so long to get to JNez?
He had already caught us checking him out. So, why no JNez piece on Black Twitterati until now? Our answer: It wasn't Father's Day weekend until now.

JNez does warn you right off the bat that his tweets may not be everyone's cup of tea. But, of course, his uniqueness turns out to be his greatest strength. Daily he struggles with depression, HIV/AIDS, relationships, and accepting his sexuality. But the most important part of his life is unmistakable: Fatherhood.

As many of us have discovered, being a parent shows you what you're really made of. So, while we may marvel that JNez regularly cares for his two daughters (and is currently taking care of a 3 month old nephew) in the midst of personal struggles, it's clear that children are the light of his life. He puts it best himself when he says, "You all know that despite my issues, fatherhood is very, very good for me."

JNez is the kind of blogger we all want to be when we grown up and are no longer afraid what people think. His ability to express inner turmoil and put himself "out there" is completely unmatched and last year it won him the 2008 Black Weblog Award for Best Personal Blog. His online journal makes you question yourself about how much of your iceberg is above the water. Some posts are pure poetry. No, really- in the form of a poem, and always with a twist at the end.

Through it all, though, this is a witty guy! We've watched him whip his rhyming skills and sense of humor into a handful of funny lines (like one "biting" verse called "Greedy" ). He excels at tossing out shiny coins that keep us coming back, because everyone knows Dad's pockets are always full of goodies. Happy Father's Day, JNez!

Twitter: http://twitter.com/jnez

Blog: http://thirtydaes.com/nisbett/

ClumpsOfMascara: True Colors

noreply@blogger.com (Black Twitterati) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 16:22:00 +0000

Both men and women complain about the time it takes them to groom themselves and get out of the door in the morning. But for two years now ClumpsOfMascara has been making beauty and style fun for her readers. As we've said before, you have to hand it to the real beauty bloggers who are trying out dozens of products at a time so the rest of us don't have to. ClumpsofMascara is one of the most exciting to read because she has maintained her enthusiasm. From lipgloss to nail polish, she has truly done it all. Her blog is a bright, friendly place we hope to visit for many more years to come. Happy Anniversary to Brittany and the crew!!!!

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ClumpsOfMascara

Blog: http://www.clumpsofmascara.com/

BlackCanseco: Knocks It Out of the Park

noreply@blogger.com (Black Twitterati) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 19:03:00 +0000

"Inflation no chance
To increase finance
Bills pile up sky high
Send that boy off to die

Oh, make me wanna holler
The way they do my life
Make me wanna holler
The way they do my life
This ain't livin', This ain't livin'"

BlackCanseco is one of those Twitterers you really have to try to get to know in order to see his big picture. At first glance he's a blogger of culture, music and politics. But dig a little deeper and you'll find he has a definite angle: It's time to "get out from under".

If you think BlackCanseco hasn't been where you are - maybe working in corporate America, maybe being underpaid or overworked, maybe finding out that you aren't running a race but spinning in a hamster wheel, maybe learning that the good fight is sometimes just a myth - think again. He's the author of Knock the Hustle: How to Save Your Life and Your Job From Corporate America, which talks about his former life as a writer for Chicago ad agencies. The life experiences that gave birth to the book also spawned the material BlackCanseco's followers have access to everyday. You have our permission to join the crowd. You just might learn something.

Twitter: http://twitter.com/BlackCanseco
Blog: http://www.hustleknockin.com/
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/hadjihustler

ReneeJRoss, also contributed to this piece.

CandiceNicolePR: Serious Business

noreply@blogger.com (Black Twitterati) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 19:21:00 +0000

Who says you can't use Twitter to conduct business? For months now, we've been watching people like CandiceNicolePR wheel-and-deal through social media.
Working at Black Entertainment Television might be enough of a challenge for most 20-somethings. But CandiceNicolePR is simultaneously branching out by running her own public relations outfit and blog. She's also a contributor and consultant to online magazines. On any given day, you can find her networking with publicists and designers or giving the lowdown on up-and-coming music artists. But she does it all with no hard sell and no demands. She's one more person who is keeping the "social" in social media. Keep your eye on her!

Twitter: http://twitter.com/CandiceNicolePR

Blog: http://candicenicoleinthecity.com/

Our Top 10 Twitter Tools

noreply@blogger.com (Black Twitterati) — Wed, 27 May 2009 15:40:00 +0000

Unfollowing: It's what's for dinner.
Well, not really. But getting a more targeted Twitter following is all the rage right now as social media enthusiasts become less enthused about having thousands of un-engaged followers. There are literally hundreds of tools designed to help you navigate Twitter and measure your success at getting in touch with the right people. But let’s take a look at just 10 free Twitter tools that could streamline your Twitter stream and keep you from swimming against the current.

1) If you don’t mind having your Twitter habits analyzed, MrTweet could help you build a valuable following rather quickly. It recommends people for you to follow based on your network and recommends you to other people. In addition, it collects statistics about the frequency and popularity of your “tweets.”

2) Do you want to find out what other Twitterers in your network are doing or talking about in real time? Sure, you could scroll through various user accounts or do a search by topic LIKE... A... NOOB. But, the more efficient way is to use a Twitter client that keeps track of search terms and functions as a dashboard. TweetDeck presents your Twitter account as a personal browser. It shows all of the people in your network, conversations going on between them, and replies to your messages. You can even respond to tweets right from TweetDeck, without opening another window for Twitter.

3) Twhirl also tracks Twitter conversations about you or any topic you’re interested in, but it doesn’t take over your entire computer screen. While TweetDeck helps you to listen to what’s being said, Twhirl makes it even easier to get in on the conversation. For example, it sends your tweets to ping.fm which redistributes those messages to other social networking services like Facebook, Friendfeed, and Seesmic.

4) Everyone wants to create posts that “go viral”. That’s one reason why tracking URLs is a huge part of social media networking, particularly when you have a message to promote. Twitt(URL)y not only tracks the Web addresses people are tweeting in real time, but ranks them according to popularity. You can even create a Twitt(URL)y profile that will allow the service to track the URLs in their tweets and measure the popularity of each one.

5) If you don’t necessarily need your URL-tracking in real time, Tweetmeme can provide much of the functionality of Twitt(URL)y in a bright, more user-friendly format. It tracks the most popular URLs on Twitter in five-minute intervals, and lays them out as stories.

6) Want to manage your reputation online? Tweetbeep is one reliable way to track any mention of your name, your competitor’s name or the name of a product. It’s like Google alerts for Twitter, in that it gives hourly updates through e-mail alerts. It also goes a step further in allowing you to expand your brand by putting out feelers for projects and networking opportunities.

7) Eventually, you’ll need to find out if you’re doing enough to engage your followers on Twitter. This will require some metrics, but many of the best tools are free and readily available. Twitterless, for example, will notify you when someone stops following you. In addition, it will graph out your follower history on Twitter to help you find out why you’re gaining or losing followers.

8) By now, social media enthusiasts realize that quality trumps quantity when it comes to followers. A good following is made up of people who communicate frequently and remain engaged. If you need a little more information about the people who are responding to you and your message, you might want to consider the statistics tool TwitterFriends. It shows you how many people you interact with and identifies the valuable people with whom you have the most conversations.

9) A location-based Twitter service like NearbyTweets is a must for anyone interested in planning offline events or targeting users by geography. It can group followers by location, help to initiate relevant group discussions, and monitor local buzz about a company or product.

10) Finally, now that your Twitter account is clicking along, let's take this show on the road with Twitter mobile tools. Depending on your device, Twitterific, Twitterberry, Twitterfon, Tweetie, and UberTwitter will allow you to keep up with what’s happening on Twitter through your cell phone or Blackberry even when you’re not in front of a computer.

Here's the most important part of this post: What Twitter tools are you using right now? Do you like the way they work or do you wish there was something better? Which ones have you been thinking about trying?