To whom it may concern

Recently, someone affiliated with Mr. Manilow posted this tweet on Twitter:

"If you block everyone who is following you who has no life....does that make them lifeless?"

I thought it might be time to explain the whole idea of Twitter. Based on this tweet, he obviously doesn't understand how to use it. (He might want to have a chat with @BrianCulbertson for some tips).

Here are 4 reasons why he hasn't got a clue:

1. The whole idea of Twitter is to gain followers, not block them. Since he's obviously a businessman, I would assume that he would want to portray a positive image and not use it for snarky remarks like this one.
2. There's no point in using Twitter if you don't post tweets. It's rare that this gentleman posts much of anything noteworthy and even rarer that his posts are either helpful, conversational, or informational.
3. Twitter is a social networking tool. But then again it's not surprising that he doesn't understand this because he has no idea how to maintain positive customer service relationships. The key word here is "social", and obviously it's not being social when you criticize your followers for following you.
4. The people that choose to follow you do so because they are hoping you have something to say worth reading. However, it might be more appropriate for his "followers" to block HIS tweets and stop following him, because he rarely has anything worthwhile to say.
5. Twitter, is a social site to be used to promote relationships. Perhaps this is where the breakdown in communication comes from. Every one of the people who follow me do so because they are trying to promote relationships (business or personal). He should take notes from @Starzbz and @Starzbz2 (these guys know how to be social and promote relationships).
   

My recommendation: shut down your account and let the rest of us who actually care about other people enjoy the Twitterverse.

And of course, as always, this is Just My Humble Opinion,
Texas Fan

Weekend Manilow Fan Frenzy

As expected, after the first "tweet" occurred on Twitter, the fans flocked to sign up. Grant you, the possibility that it might possibly be him or someone close to him prompted a mass sign up to occur. But, as I said previously, there was little chance "he" would actually utilize the account. For me, even if it was TPTB, I was happy to see them embrace the new social marketing technology.

A greater query in my mind has arisen however. Since Twitter is easily activated with little or no "verification" of personage (you don't have to prove you are who you claim to be), what if some devilish fan decided to set up the account and pretend to be "him"? It is a definite theory that needs to be evaluated and cautiously examined. As the weekend progressed, I began to wonder this myself. Why? The @ultimatemanilow account began to communicate with another account named @BarryManilow. Highly suspicious activity in my estimation.

Personally, I will cautiously OBSERVE and evaluate. Just because someone claims to be a celebrity, it doesn't mean they are. Suzanne Somers sent out a blast via her Facebook account recently warning fans that there are accounts on Twitter that do not represent her and she has chosen not to get involved herself. Yet another clue in a long list of mysterious @ultimatemanilow account activity.

What's the moral? Don't jump to conclusions. Don't believe (as some did on the network) that just because Barry's name is attached to something it doesn't mean that it's him. There are MANY imposters on Twitter. And MANY celebrities as well. The ones that are on there have taken the time to let their fans know that it's them. Let's all take a deep breath and wait and see.

Cautiously observing,
Texas Fan

Looks like Barry took the plunge on Twitter

Ok. Before everyone FLOCKS over to Twitter to see if it's really Barry...it's not. But it looks like it's an official Twitter account set up by TPTB. It's about time they took the plunge. It's a great way to keep fans informed and up to date about the latest Manilow news.

Kudos to Stiletto for jumping in the Twitter ring. How did I know? They found me! (Scary...isn't it?) Actually I'm pumped and looking forward to reading their "tweets".

Happy Tweeting,
Texas Fan

**UPDATE** @ultimatemanilow is up and "tweeting"...how exciting is that????

Barry Manilow fans vs Neil Diamond fans

Barry Manilow fans vs Neil Diamond fans. The quintessential contest. I happen to love contests. Over the last few years there have been contests online pitting Barry against Englebert, Clay Aiken, and the likes for the best love song. Barry's fans rush to vote, offering their support whenever it is needed.

This past week a contest on Twitter (a social networking website) pitted Ashton Kutcher against CNN. The challenge was given from Ashton that he could garner 1,000,000 followers before CNN. Originally it was a simple competition. But Ashton sweetened the pot by pledging to donate $10,000 to purchase malaria nets if he won. The EA (a gaming software company) threw in a prize for the 1 millionth follower to become a character in their new SIM game. Ashton won in a heated last minute surge. And the contest generated media attention for his charity.

I got to thinking what might happen if Barry or Neil challenged each other to a contest along the same vein. Imagine the media attention that would ensue for both of them and their charities. Barry could promote the Manilow Music Project and challenge celebrities to match his contribution as Ashton did. It would be a great way to dabble in social media and generate some much needed funds for the project.

Neil is already on Twitter and has a following of fans. There are numerous "Barry Manilow" Twitter accounts. None of which are official. Since Barry finally arrived on Facebook, why not Twitter? How long do you think it would take for Barry to catch up if he was so inclined?

How about it Stiletto? Will you jump on the Twitter bandwagon?
Texas Fan

Barry and Twitter

Last night during the Oscars, Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore sent Twitter messages and pictures of the event out to all of those on their network. Fans got a birds eye view of the after-party and some rare shared moments into the lives of these famous celebrities. The article in the New York Times bits blog is interesting and brings up some interesting "what ifs" in my mind.

One can only imagine what might happen if Barry picked up this little tool. Twitter membership would soar in a matter of a few seconds...much like Facebook did when TPTB finally set up a page on his behalf. How cool would it be though if he sent a Twitterpic from backstage at the Hilton one night, or updated us on his activities during the course of a normal day.

Ok..I was delusional for a moment. There's no way he could EVER do this. The disaster scenarios would be endless. Just use your imagination! What was I thinking????

Heavy sigh,
Texas Fan