My First (and the BBC’s first) Live Twitter session

I’ve just finished talking to users of BBC Mobile live on Twitter (http://twitter.com/bbccouk)- what a neat experience – really great to have the direct conversation with them, even if some are alot more technically minded than I am.  Thank goodness for my colleagues helping me with the tough tech questions!

It’s DEFINITELY the first time I’ve done something like this and my colleaugues think it’s a first for the BBC so, to presever this momentous occasion, here’s the transcript.  It was all part of Mobile Day on the BBC Internet Blog  I guess you could call it ‘One small Tweet, for Auntie…’

(Read from bottom up.)

Twittering Live

It’s been really good talking to all of you. Must sign off now. Thanks for participating – I think this has been a first! Jason less than 20 seconds ago from web

Hi @thephazer You’re right it’s not all on the mobile site but we’re working on increasing the amount available and making it work1 minute ago from web

    

Hi @rafeblandford Thanks for the feedback. Hard to know what’s going on without looking at your mobile.2 minutes ago from web

    

Hi @fafeblandford Thanks for the feedback. Hard to know what’s going on without looking at your mobile.3 minutes ago from web

    

To @nathanmassey We’re investigating… no firm plan yet.4 minutes ago from web

    

Hi @catherinelucy Visual radio is a trial right now (a cool one, I think!) – so no firm decisions on where it will be available after trial10 minutes ago from web

    

To @catherinelucy Best to check with TV Licencing on that…14 minutes ago from web

    

Hi @codingmonkey Re HSDPA – It works on Vodafone or 3 if you’re on their networks.15 minutes ago from web

    

Hi @codingmonkey Catchup radio coming to N95 http://bit.ly/17Q2fO15 minutes ago from web

    

To @alaninbelfast It’s a rights issue. But you might try podcasts for time shifted radio on the go.17 minutes ago from web

    

Hi @thephazer Give our mobile site a try – its got mobile optimised video on it 🙂 http://www.bbc.co.uk/mobile18 minutes ago from web

    

Hi @catherinelucy Check out: http://bit.ly/NbUaC about TV licencing20 minutes ago from web

    

Hi @arepeejee We don’t run the networks so best to talk to your network operator directly26 minutes ago from web

    

Hi @johnsto We’re looking at what social features will give you best experience in conjunction with PC BBC iPlayer. It’s exciting!29 minutes ago from web

    

Hi @thefalken Wifi gives a better experience and a free experience – that’s important to us so we optimise for that31 minutes ago from web

    

Hi @thephazer Are you looking at the mobile specific site? Or the PC site on a mobile. News clips should work for you.32 minutes ago from web

    

Hi @allaboutiphone – See David Madden’s post: http://bit.ly/17Q2fO34 minutes ago from web

    

To @markbridge Live radio is on iPlayer on devices that support it and podcasts and are looking at other ways to make live audio available37 minutes ago from web

    

to @stevelitchfield Best to get tech support for your router – we can’t offer tech support on routers because they’re in your home38 minutes ago from web

    

Hi @liveJ We have basic minimum requirements for the devices we can put iPlayer on – if they meet those specs, then we’re considering them.40 minutes ago from web

    

to @stevelitchfield We started w/ N95 because it has large reach. We’re always looking at many other devices-but they need to have wifi too43 minutes ago from web

    

Talked to David Madden and OMA 2.0 is the most suitable right now and don’t forget we’re on iPhone and other platforms tooabout 1 hour ago from web

    

We use standard web technologies for our streaming. We’re looking at whether we can make that work with the 3.0 iPhone softwareabout 1 hour ago from web

    

Re iPlayer on other networks – its not currently supported on all networks but we’re working with all of them to get it there.about 1 hour ago from web

    

Re mobile BBC iPlayer on Android, we see smartphones as key and want to be on as many as possible but I can’t comment on specific datesabout 1 hour ago from web

    

Sorry for the delay. We had some technical gremlins.about 1 hour ago from web

    

Hi everone. This is Jason DaPonte, Managing Editor of BBC Mobile here to answer your questions. #bbcmobiledayabout 1 hour ago from web

    

BBC Internet Blog: BBC iPlayer application on Nokia N95, N85 8GB and E71: I can hardly believe.. http://bit.ly/NPnFXabout 2 hours ago from twitterfeed

    

BBC Internet Blog: Getting mobile in the Blue Room: Up on the fourth floor of Broadcast Centre.. http://bit.ly/SgWKKabout 3 hours ago from twitterfeed

    

This is a fun clip. Here’s Roland Allen in the BBC’s ‘Blue Room’: http://is.gd/YOHe (Gadgets ahoy!)about 3 hours ago from web

    

BBC Internet Blog: Jason DaPonte answering your questions live at 4pm: We hope you’re enjoying.. http://bit.ly/fyCmeabout 4 hours ago from twitterfeed

All The News That’s Fit to Print (in a Tweet)

Here’s a great little (no pun intended) experiment that I think is really cool. All the day’s news – in one Tweet.

http://twitter.com/tinynews

The tweet takes you from “tinynews” to a site with (only slightly longer) “fullernews” and makes for interesting, if brief, reading. Check it.

Proper Messy and Steven Fry: Cool stuff the BBC is doing with mobile messaging

Happy New Year, gentle readers.

I wanted to write a quick post to flag up something very cool that another part of the BBC has just launched using mobile messaging (SMS).  Right up front, I should say I had nothing to do with this so can’t take credit for it.

Mobile Phone Drama

Proper Messy is a mobile-phone based drama for teenagers, proudced by BBC Switch.  Along with video content, the service lets users get messages from the character of their choice and lets them interact with the plot.  I won’t say too much more since the story is live right now but look out for some cool stuff here. 

With SMS being such a pervasive and natural medium for teenagers, it seems like this could be a big hit.   The messages I’ve seen thus far have me hooked – I’m dying to know who was involved with the fire…

 

In more news of things I can’t take credit for, Stephen Fry (a famous BBC presenter) has been Twittering away on his journey leading up to his next series, Last Chance to See.  Which is about his quest to see endangered sepcies for, perhaps, the last time before they become extinct (or not).  Last week he  linked one of his Tweets to the official BBC Mobile site for Last Chance to See and sent a load of traffic our way (thanks, Stephen!).  Here, he talks about why he enjoys Twittering so much.  He’s got 50,000 followers already – Lily Allen, eat your heart out (she’s only got 648 followers).

And speaking of BBC talent on Twitter, here’s links to Steven’s page as well as the one from BBC bad-boy, Jonathan Ross.

That said, Twitter isn’t all fun and games – the BBC used it for its news coverage on US Election night by having members of the BBC bureau in Washington, DC using it.  We also used it during the Mumbai attacks – here’s two links to posts about it from editors here, including one about where it might not have gone so well.

Twitter and a classic picture by Rory Cellan-Jones

Mumbai, Twitter and Live Updates by Steve Herrmann