Brain Pickings. Well-readhead: How and why I use Twitter. I recently gave an address at the Media 140 Conference in Sydney about the impact of social media on journalism. I was invited to speak about the ethics and professionalism of the way I use twitter. Today’s post is adapted from my remarks. Polly want a limp bizkit? And other unbecoming tweets for a media intellectual. My guiding principle is ‘If in doubt, leave it out’. In other words, when it comes to what I put on twitter, I err on the side of caution - as I do with what I write or broadcast generally. It might be helpful to explain why I tweet: • So I’m not left out. . • To diversify my ‘brand’ . • To promote product. . • To gather information. On this final point, the twitterers I follow can largely be divided into two groups. In terms of my own twitter stream, I aim to provide a feed that is both useful AND entertaining. The trickiest aspect for me has been the desire to entertain.
But I’d like to think that in real life, I don’t take myself that seriously. That’s the why. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Brave Thinkers 2011. Altered States. Audio slideshow: Chicago's doomed spire. 25 May 2011Last updated at 00:05 The Chicago Spire was going to be one of the world's tallest buildings. But the financial downturn torpedoed its funding, and now it is all but dead. With other major projects on hold or cancelled, some critics say this is the end of North America's love affair with skyscrapers. Robert Bruegmann, of the University of Illinois, considers the fate of super-tall buildings in the US, and explains why he believes the spire may yet be built.
Continue reading the main story Photographs, interview and slideshow production by Joe Boyle. Archive images courtesy of Getty Images and Robert Bruegmann, spire drawings courtesy of Santiago Calatrava LLC. Related: Robert Bruegmann - homepage The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites. YES! Magazine — Powerful Ideas, Practical Actions — YES! Magazin.