I just had a great chat with Derby based tweeter @RichardMackney about mapping our twitter network.
View My Social Network in a larger map
Richard pointed me to a few services including one called Foller.me It looks like this particular service only reads the data from a limited number of twitter followers and then it’s accuracy all depends on whether they have filled in there true location in the Biog.
Now please bare with me while I air a pet hate..
There are more and more location mash-ups and services based on the twitter api and biography location data and it has become a real bugbear of mine when checking out where someone is based only to find they have listed.. “Everywhere” or “With the fluffy bunnies and the unicorns” or worst still.. “UK“. Adding a real location will assist you to network with people local to you. I often dish out work I can’t fit in to people I know are local to the assignment.
I have actually stopped following back people who don’t have a real location. I would like to think that I may be connecting with someone with whom I will get to meet offline. The virtual world is great and all that but I do actually spend quite a lot of my time in the physical world. This is still where my most amazing friendships are made and fortified. Mainly with those i have met online.
If you are suffering delusions of grandeur and think that as soon as you insert your location you are likely to get robed/attacked/arrested/stalked then why not just insert the nearest town. I really think this extra little bit of information will do you well in the long run. At the very least people will be able to find you in twitter location based searches.
If you don’t want to be found, that also is understandable and I guess putting “The Moon” may raise a smile to someone in your network. It was all the rage in 2006 😉 And don’t start me off on those who are still listed as being in “Tehran“.. Forgivable if of course you are actually in Tehran and not in Chisick.
Anyway.. Until a better system arrives I am starting a google map of people in my network and would really appreciate it if you took the time to log yourself and your twitter name. I have a feeling this may come in handy for future projects.. 😉 Thanks again for taking part.
Please click on this link to my google map and add yourself.
I welcome map entries from my network all over the world. Please don’t be put off that the embed points only to the Great Britain.
The map is also linked here.. http://bit.ly/twitternetwork
Nice 🙂 Added.
Someone wasn’t playing nice so i had to lock the map down. Should you want to be included on the map, either drop a comment below with your location (aprox or accurate) and i will add by hand. Failing that you can email me, tweet me @Documentally, or ask me to unlock the map in any of the above ways and I will let you place your marker yourself.Cheers for those that played nicely. Sorry I have had to lock the map down. There is always one *insert insult here* who has to spoil it for everyone.
Cool! – You can add me – Portsmouth, UK
Add me pls. @Rachael in Beverly Hills, CA
I’m on there as @R_Arblaster, but I couldn’t figure out where to put my location because of all of the other avatars, could you move me to Stafford, Staffordshire please.
Add me, too, pls… @LEMills in Havertown, PA USA 🙂
Add me pls @michaeljameson
You can add me at Stanford Medical School, Stanford, CA 94305
@zedstarr Southport, Merseyside.
Now that I know how to see who has messed with the map I have unlocked it again. It’s too much work for me to update everyones locations. Please help yourself but be careful not to tamper with anyone else on the map.
Hmm, I seem to have moved, so moved myself back @tontowilliams (Fareham, UK), hope that's OK? You planning a world tour to visit us all at some point – you're always welcome at Chez tonto 🙂