Wednesday, August 19, 2009

U R Invited to the Writers Festival in Melbourne #209MWF

I’ll try to brief... Here’s the go... I have to come up with a unique angle for the paper I will give at the Writer’s Festival TOMORROW and I will tell you what I have in mind... in a minute...

I will give u some background information first...

OK – here goes... in March – there was a conference on Education Reform in the USA – it was held in New York – there were 40 people who attended. At the beginning of this conference – they were asked to TWEET on Twitter as to what they were doing. Within minutes there were hundreds of people who were following this through the HASHFEED or ‘#’ feed on Twitter – AND – also providing comments, suggestions, humour and their thoughts on Education Reform in the USA...

To quote... ‘Injecting Twitter into that conversation fundamentally changed the rules of engagement. It added a second layer of discussion and brought a wider audience into what would have been a private exchange. And it gave the event an afterlife on the Web.’ (Time Magazine June 15 2009 p26)

Here’s the angle I want for my Paper...

We plan to have a large Television screen on display and the computer linked up to it with TWITTER...

I am going to ask those who are in the crowd with Twitter to post using the hash line feed - #209MWF – (standing for 209 Melbourne Writers Festival) –

All I would like you to do is to follow the feed and add a tweet. I have asked a number of my friends around the world to Tweet at the event – to get it started and that is where you come in – so you will be able to log on to Twitter and follow me – http://www.twitter.com/StevenRafter

The only problem that is envisaged is the time difference – My allocation of time is at 4pm EST Australia on Friday, 21st August – which could mean that it will be fairly early in the morning/late at night for you...

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/

We'll post a video of it on youtube so you can see your tweet at the festival...

I really would appreciate your support on this – because your TWEET will become part of history of the Writers Festival. My paper will be setting precedence and it will be a great help for me in demonstrating where literature is going in the new millennium –

It’s just important to me that’s all.. steve x

So - HERE ARE THE STEEPS

1. Go to www.twittter.com
2. Join TWITTER (IT'S FREE & u DON'T HAVE TO GIVE OUT PERSONAL DETAILS)
3. On YOUR PAGE - there will be a long white blank space at the top - this is where u can ask a question or simply say HELLO! THIS IS THE IMPORTANT THING.... ready? Anywhere in the message (or TWEET as it is called) you MUST INCLUDE the follow ... #209MWF
4. Once you have 'TWEETED' the #209MWF will turn purple - click on it and u can follow the feed from around the world and be part of my paper of the Writers Festival in Melbourne...
5. Finally, if you want to follow me - u can do so by simply going into 'FIND PEOPLE' (top right hand side... in the tool bar) - click on it and then enter Steven Rafter... you're done...