A shorty award interview

Several of my fb and twitter friends were kind enough last week to nominate me for a shorty award in the author category. Naturally, I entered into the full spirit of the thing, and filled in an interview form. It says quite a lot about me, so I thought I might as well post it here.

What’s your best tweet?

That’s an impossible question to answer. I hope it wouldn’t be something trite.

What are six things you could never do without?
Family, writing, reading, music, sex, cigarettes.

How do you use Twitter in your professional life?
I tweet about subject matter related to my soon-to-be-released book. I also tweet very occasionally about my charitable work.

What’s your favorite Twitter app?
Any one I manage to use. Showing my twitter feed on my web site and blog is the most recent one I’ve used.

Twitter or Facebook?
Twitter gives me a broader constituency than facebook and is quicker to update.

What was the funniest trend you’ve seen?
No idea. Many trends aren’t actually that memorable.

What feature should Twitter add?
Can’t think of any, because the retweet button is the same as a like button. Ah, an easier way to follow conversations between people.

Who do you wish had a Twitter feed but doesn’t?
People still living – I can’t imagine. Dead people – Audrey Hepburn and my father.

What are some words or phrases you refuse to shorten for brevity?
None. Although I do shorten words occassionally, I try to construct my tweets in such a way that I can say what I want in complete words. R

Is there someone you want to follow you who doesn’t already? If so, who?
I’m not really into celebrity or reflected glory, so not really. @johnprescott would be nice, because I admire him.

Have you ever unfollowed someone? Who and why?
I’ve unfollowed inactive accounts, the names of which I can’t remember. If some1 says something I disagree with, I won’t unfollow, but argue.

Why should we vote for you?
Because you want to, not because you think you have to. It would be nice to win an award, but it’s better to be respected.

Terms you wish would start trending on Twitter right now?
Global taxation, global currency, global peace, global respect. And, selfishly, #deadmenDW

What’s the most interesting connection you’ve made through Twitter?
They’re all interesting, because twitter is so multi-faceted. As a writer, connecting with readers is the most stimulating aspect.

Hashtag you created that you wish everyone used?
I didn’t create it, but my publisher did – #deadmenDW

How do you make your tweets unique?
I’m not sure my tweets are unique, but I never tweet anything I might regret, & I always respond to direct tweets & always will.

What inspires you to tweet?
Never the need to vent, but always the desire to share and communicate.

Ever get called out for tweeting too much?
Once on fb when doing my radio show, tweeting every track I played, which cluttered some folks’ fb feeds. Sorry, that’s the way I broadcast.

140 characters of advice for a new user?
Lurk, pick those you follow with care. Choose interesting people to follow rather than celebrities. Tweet about thoughts not bowel movements.

How long can you go without a tweet?
As long as I have to.

What question are we not asking here that we should?
I haven’t come across what’s your favourite colour or what’s your favourite music yet.

How do you imagine Twitter changing?
Greater capacity and less crashes. Connecting even more people. Becoming an everyday tool rather than a toy for geeks and youngsters.

Who do you admire most for his or her use of Twitter?
@onlygeek A local activist bringing local issues to national and international attention, a supporter of civil rights & libraries.

Who is the funniest person on Twitter that you follow?
@mock_ing_bird. She has a wicked sense of humour, and is not afraid to make fun of herself. R

What is one of the biggest misconceptions of Twitter?
That it’s a waste of time.

Why should people follow you?
Because they want to. Because I don’t tweet so much as to get irritating. Because I can occasionally produce a well-turned phrase.

Can you name some one-of-a-kind Twitter accounts that you follow?
@jensstoltenberg, Prime Minister of Norway, tweets surprisingly openly and honestly compared to other politicians & follows many ppl back.

How do you decide what to tweet?
Tempered impulse and things I think will be of interest not just to my followers but to everyone. R

Why’d you start tweeting?
I wanted to see what it was all about, and I wanted to find new ways of interacting with ppl I’d met online, & with potential readers.

Has Twitter changed your life? If yes, how?
Yes. It’s brought me closer to many people, has broadened my horizons, and made me look at myself in a different light.

What do you wish people would do more of on Twitter?
Praise each other rather than themselves.

How will the world change in the next year?
The economic climate will worsen; there will be more civil unrest; more ppl will be digitally connected, tho not sure if that’s a gd thing.

What are some big Twitter faux pas?
Being rude, being racist, being sexist, spamming, tweeting without thinking.

What will the world be like 10 years from now?
10 years older, and still a long way away from peaceful and prosperous, unfortunately, and too