Random follow #211 - @SnapSnapSwim

When you open up twitter for the day and the very first tweet you come across is "When I die I want my ashes scattered on Nigella Lawson. I hope she's ok with that" you pretty much know that you've hit the jackpot of social media.

@SnapSnapSwim is a bright star in a dark universe of tweeters.  Nick brings a very different approach and feel to the way twitter works.  He is not content to recycle other peoples tweets or wade in to whatever the most popular hashtag of the day is but he brings his own voice to the game.

He has a voice that brings to you the best of the culinary world -

"Crumpet or wine? Crumpet or wine? ... Crumpet AND wine!! WIN!"

He talks about one of my most favorite subjects - 

"Boobs"

And he is also embraces the spirit of the quintessential metrosexual male.  He knows what style is (and isn't)

"Seems you get what you pay for when you get a $13 mall haircut."

There are a few other things you need to know about @SnapSnapSwim too in order to understand him in the fuller context of who he is.  He is a married man with both children and cats.  Please note - they do come seperately.  He is also based out of Wellington - which should come as no surprise because there are SO MANY fantastic people in that part of the country.

Nick is a conversational type who picks which conversations of most appeal to him.  He is not a yeller or a dominator of conversation but more of a engager and facilitator amongst people.  There is hardly a tweet that reaches the 140 character limit that twitter imposes so he keeps his messages short and to the point.  Also he tweets only as he needs to so you won't be over run by volume.

@SnapSnapSwim emphasises why this project exists.  He is a fantastic tweeter whom not many know about or follow but the quality far outweighs the quantity.  It is the people like Nick who go about their business tweeting, interjecting and giving us something to laugh about in our timelines who make the world of twitter and social media truly come alive.

And then after all is said and done with his funniness, jovial tweets and raucous hilarity - he blindsides you.  With a description that leaves many quivering in fear at its intellectual magnitude - 

"The eternal silence of these infinite spaces frightens me."

Random follow #197 - @BKKJase

Sometimes you find great tweeters.  Sometimes they find you.  @BKKJase is a totally random follow who actually chose to follow me first.  And in turn I hit the follow back button.

Being an international man of mystery makes him a very appealing person to follow on twitter.  He is very much a metropolitan tweeter while also managing to not give away all his credibility.  There is a great mix of the cafeésque tweets about coffee and lunch but these are easily offset by the call to engage with beer.

He enjoys sharing his thoughts and engages in a good debate with people too.  There are lots of lots and lots of conversational tweets going which says he is very much a people person.  Topics you'll find in his timeline range from food to travel, fashion to t-shirts.  Whats even more interesting is his twitter bio which reads a little something like this -

"The Jaseverse: Where math, history, syntax, and perfectly-shaped stubble intersect. BRB.
WINNING AT LIFE."

Jase is a really nice guy who won't give up his man card (even if his dog has a sparkly pink collar) without a fight.  And whats really surprising to me is that he follows @evilkud and I DID NOT KNOW THIS!  So why follow Jase?  What follows now is a comprehensive list of really good reasons to.  From here on I am going to describe Jase in the third person.  Why?  Cos it works.

Jase is super observant. "Wow. That bathroom blowing device really dried my hands awesome - said no one. Ever."

Jase is forward thinking - "I saw this dude riding a motorised unicycle device today and I now want one."

Jase is thoughtful - "Just gave this old dude busking out Irish tunes on his guitar a dollar. He was super nice and appreciative. Love the Irish."

Jase is tall.  "Once, just ONCE I’d love to have a hotel bed where my feet are not hanging out the end."

Jase is good looking.  See here for proof - https://twitter.com/BKKJase

Jase is health conscious.  "Is beer vegan?"

Jase is a very friendly chap. "BRB. WINNING AT LIFE." 

Jase is awesome.  That is all.

Randon follow #97 - @Morgadeth

Some people have good jobs.  Fewer people have great jobs.  And fewer still have jobs that some of us just dream about and think - "I wish that was me".  Well @Morgadeth has exactly one of those jobs.  He is a game reviewer for NZGamer.com.

When boys are young they enjoy particular things.  When I was young our local Toyworld store had an archaic little video game machine that we paid 20 cents per game to play on. The times have certainly changed since then.  Gaming has gone 3D, stereo sound, extreme graphics and it is a big business.

And so many games are getting released across multiple platforms that it is hard to keep up with what is going on in the world.  And so cue the need and opportunity for clever people like @Morgadeth to come along and tell us what games are worth us investing our time and money on and which
one's aren't.  I have no idea what the pay is like but the privilege of playing the greatest games on earth before everyone else gets to would be enough for me to live on right there.

But "what does he tweet like?" I hear you say...  well lets take a look:

"Saw a trailer for Oblivion before GI Joe, it looked pretty cool."

"Hello twits, Wrestlemania was great this year"

"Played the Injustice demo using Wonder Woman, beat Doomsday easier than Lex Luthor... Also, why doesn't this game use the circle button?"

@Morgadeth is the sort if tweeter that makes my soul sing.  I am a semi-retired gamer and I still love the buzz of buying, installing or opening the wrapping of a new game and playing it for the first time.  The total thrill of a new experience can be a complete mind blowout.   How @Morgadeth manages to do his job AND still keep his feet on the ground is quite astounding.  I SALUTE YOU!

(And just to be clear what he tweets on this account is his own thoughts and opinions.  As all good twitter accounts should do.  And just for the record not all gamers are weird looking dudes who never sleep.  that is a stereotype that is false.)

Random follow #94 - @mfcuk2

Freedom of speech is the first of the amendments that belong to the Constitution of the United States of America.  What that means is that every man, woman and child has the right to share their views with the world.  Not all of those views will be agreed with and often times the views shared are controversial and the opposite of that others think.  But they are still views, nevertheless, and the law says they can be shared.

@mfcuk2 is a twitter user who makes no apologies for sharing his point of view.  Twitter as a public space and forum is the ideal platform for him to share his views as well as challenge your thinking and philosophies.
Malcolm leaves no doubt in anyone's mind that he can (and will) challenge the conventional.  Here is his twitter bio - "Opinions r my own! Offended? Get over it, as it was intentional!".

He has a fresh perspective on the world and a very healthy (and at times heavy) intellectual wit.  I really enjoy his links to news articles and stories that would not normally catch my eye or come across my desk.  Not everybody understands his approach which can lead to this -

"RT @CalvinHarris: People don't get my jokes i'm like this ¯\_(ツ)_/¯"

Couple that with a fantastic, albeit a genuine but quirky sense of humor and you get this -

"RT @MrRandomSilly: “The problem with quotes on the Internet is that you can't always be sure of their authenticity.” ~ Abraham Lincoln"

But its exactly that wit and sense of humor that makes him so endearing - "RT 3d printers don't kill people. People with 3d printed lightsabres kill people."

So he is a very funny chap.  And I say chap because from what I understand that is a term often used in the country he spent many years in.  Maybe these tweets go a little way to explaining some more about him -

"Waiting for the bus, I'm approached by someone asking for a spare $2. I politely say no. He shakes my hand and says "Welcome to NZ!"

"The urge to say "But I've lived in NZ for 4 and a half years!" was great. Assumptions are everything and nothing at the same time! #ttrttpt"

Please don't get me wrong.  @mfcuk2 is not a tweeter who intentionally practices at pissing people off.  Its just that often times people don't quite get where he is coming from.  He is also a very sensitive and kind guy who is well able to express himself in a gentle and compassionate way towards people.

In the days before the Christchurch earthquake it was commonplace for those with a message to bring either a chair or a step ladder out into Cathedral Square, find a spot where they could be well seen and easily heard and then start sharing their message.  That is how I see @mfcuk2 and social media.  You can stop and listen to him if you so choose.  If not then just keep walking.  But that isn't going to stop him from sharing his mind with the world.

It would be good though if a few more of you stopped and took notice.  You could learn a thing or two.  I know I have.

The soap box.  The classic platform for taking your message to the streets.
Has it been replaced by social media?  Food for thought.