twitter

Since the beginning of this website, we've had a Twitter page that shows all tweets from Open Source Catholic members who choose to allow OSC to show their tweets.

In the past, we used a simple authentication system that worked great before Twitter switched to using OAuth only... after dragging our feet for a while, we finally took the time to get OAuth and Twitter working correctly on this site again.

This means that you can add your twitter account to your OSC account, by simply visiting your 'My account' page, clicking 'Edit,' then clicking on 'Twitter accounts.' Click the 'Add account' button to add your Twitter account, and voila! Your tweets will start showing up in the global Twitter page.

Also, you can choose to post any blog entry on this site to the @oscatholic Twitter account if you so choose—use this feature with discretion, though, as it's liable to be taken away if it's abused!

You can also authenticate to this site using Twitter, although that feature is in beta for now.

The USCCB recently released a working draft of their social media guidelines, after receiving input from a variety of diocesan personnel. The draft includes general principles for social media use, a call to the development of diocesan-level policies, and quoted exhortations for proclaiming the Word online from Pope Benedict.

Here are some excerpts (my notes/highlights in bold):

Social media are the fastest growing form of communication in the United States, especially among youth and young adults. Our Church cannot ignore it, but at the same time we must engage social media in a manner that is safe, responsible, and civil.

To keep members, a social networking site, such as a blog, needs to have new content on a regular basis. In the case of social media, the axiom “build it and they will come” is not applicable. It is important to set internal expectations regarding how often posts will be made [very good advice!], so that your followers can become accustomed to your schedule.

Guidelines:

• Define appropriate boundaries for communications.
• Include examples of Codes of Conduct.
• Provide recommendations on how to deal with difficult “fans.” [This is a biggie].

They also include instructions for networking with minors, personal websites, and how to report and monitor social networks. Read the whole document on the USCCB website »

A very good first stab at this ever-changing field of policy/law!
 

If your website has an audience comprised of many Facebook and/or Twitter users, you might be thinking of ways you can get them to share your postings on Facebook and Twitter.

Currently, most blogs, sites, etc. either do this one of two ways: They require the user to copy out the URL from the address bar, then paste it into a Facebook status update or a Twitter posting (sometimes also having to go through the TinyURL service as well!), or they have a 'share this' or 'add this' button hosted by a third party site.

But what if you want to keep things simple, and stick to a plain old, no-frills text link, or keep your focus mainly on one of the two giants: Facebook or Twitter? Well, turns out, the process is pretty simple: just take one of the two URLs below, and after the end, add in the link and/or text you'd like people to share via a status update.

• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u= <add your link here>
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/home?status= <add your link and/or text here>

The Archdiocese of Saint Louis started its Twitter account in December 2008, in preparation for the news of a new Archbishop. In tandem with an SMS message signup, a timely update on the website, a press release, and a few other methods of generating buzz, the Archdiocese was able to reach thousands of Catholics in Saint Louis and around the world with news about its new Archbishop within a matter of minutes.

Why did the Archdiocese choose Twitter, and what are some good uses for Twitter? Well, Twitter is by far the most popular 'micro-blogging' service, but that's one of many reasons why we chose to use Twitter for more timely news. We found Twitter to be helpful because:

1. It is an immediate 'push' notification service; all of your updates are pushed out to each follower.
2. It is unobtrusive; people can easily opt-in and opt-out—much more so than with email.
3. It is ubiquitous; generally, those who use Twitter are connected on the web, on their mobile phones, and in other ways—your message can go everywhere.
4. It is social; people can generate buzz for you—all you need to do is give the first effort, and if it is newsworthy, it will be re-tweeted and spread across many parts of the web.

Twitter is also extremely useful for live events, such as the Installation Mass of Archbishop Robert J. Carlson (on June 10, 2009). At this event, we had our Communications staff take pictures in a few different areas—our timeline was updated with pictures of bishops before Mass, a few pictures during Mass, and other tidbits that people may have found interesting. Continue Reading »

We all know the story about @CurtJester's famous tweet (read more on LOLSaints' About page). But how was the website set up? What kind of work went into it's creation, and how can you do the same if you need a similar kind of community-oriented blog?

After seeing the Curt Jester's tweet, I immediately began thinking about what I wanted to have happen on LOLSaints; I had to decide what specific kind of content to use, how often the site would be updated, and how much involvement registered users could have. Continue Reading »