TweetDeck is a desktop application that enables users to manage the information they distribute and receive through Twitter.  TweetDeck (beta) is available for Mac OS X and Windows (Vista and Windows XP).  To use TweetDeck, users must download the application to their hard drives.  Once installation is complete, users sign in to TweetDeck using their Twitter username and password, thereby connecting them to Twitter activity in real time.

 

 

Those who have used Twitter are likely aware of how difficult it can be to manage the overwhelming flow of information.  With messages posting in a single column with limited means of organization, users could easily lose track of posts from those they are following, possibly missing messages all together.  TweetDeck offers a solution to this by giving users the freedom to create columns to organize contacts and other content.  In addition to providing means of organization, TweetDeck incorporates both the user-created features of Twitter (such as re-tweeting) as well as standard features (such as replying) and structures them to enhance usability.  (Further details on such features follows.)

 

TweetDeck has a toolbar which provides users the ability to tweet and to create columns to organize tweets.  Throughout TweetDeck, users can roll-over icons to see the label of that feature, though explanations of these features are not provided.

 

 

To begin, the area for tweeting is similar to Twitter:  “What are you doing?” labels an area where users enter text, with the number “140” counting down the characters available.  TweetDeck has added some useful features here:  Similar to MS Word, TweetDeck identifies misspelled words by underlining in red.  Also, simply hitting Enter posts the tweet.  (An icon calls out this difference for users directly to the right of the text box.)  Another addition I found particularly useful is the ability to shorten a URL directly in TweetDeck.  Rather than accessing a site, such as tinyurl.com, to shorten a URL and copying that link into Twitter, TweetDeck enables users to simply enter the full text.  Based on the site selected in the dropdown, clicking Shorten allows TweetDeck to pulls from that site and deposit the shortened URL into the tweet.  Further, users can attach pictures through the TwitPik button, translate tweets into a variety of languages, and view recent hashtags.    

 

 

 

The rest of the toolbar is used to view/create columns to manage tweets.  Users will recognize some of these features from Twitter, though some are new. 

  • All Friends includes all Twitter members who users are following.  As on Twitter, this column condenses all users into one chain.
  • Users should recognize the Reply icon from Twitter—this column includes all replies both to and from the user. 
  • Similarly, Direct Messages includes all direct messages both to and from the users.  (This is a difference from Twitter, which only shows messages received in this category.) 
  • Unlike the star Twitter users to identify favorites, the heart icon (which users may better recognize from aol) identifies the column for favorite tweets. 
  • Groups enable users to create unique columns to label twitter groups.

 

  • Through Search, users can create a column that includes all users related to the search criteria entered. 

 

  • Twitscoop pulls information from Twitscoop.com, a site that crawls twitter identifies words most frequently found.  (The larger the word, the more frequently it is appearing on twitter at the moment the site was crawled.) 
  • 12seconds pulls videos from 12seconds.tv, a site where users can post 12 second videos online to twitter, facebook, and so forth.
  • StockTwits connects users to conversations on StockTwits.com, a site used for discussion of the stock market.

Note that certain columns (such as Favorites) can only be applied once.  If a column cannot be applied more than once, the system will inform the user of such when he/she clicks the icon.

 

Within each tweet, TweetDeck has made performing common Twitter actions easy.  By rolling over a user’s icon, users can reply, send a direct message, retweet in one click, or perform a variety of other actions available in dropdown (pictured below). 

 

 

Also in TweetDeck, clicking a username clearly displays the user’s profile, twitter stats, and recent tweets.  A useful feature TweetDeck has added is hyperlinking #hashtags.  Clicking a hashtag links users to the search results in twitter in real time, external to TweetDeck.  Users can also add others to groups by clicking the [+] within a tweet.

 

 

Finally, users have the ability to organize the information within and surrounding each column.  This includes filtering tweets by defined criteria, marking all tweets as seen (unread tweets have a white circle that clicking marks as seen), clearing seen tweets, clearing all tweets, and moving columns left or right.

 

 

One way TweetDeck supports the movement of information is simply by making incoming information more easily accessible.  Because users have the ability to filter information and the tweets that display, they are better able to find the topics that interest them, thereby making it easier to collect and distribute related information.  Also, TweetDeck’s connections to external sites, such as 12seconds and Stocktwits, provides users with easy access to information of which they may otherwise by unaware, providing a vehicle to share that information within one location.  Finally, shortcut features, such as the ability to shorten a URL or retweet in a click, increases the expedience of information sharing. 

 

Compared to other applications that take up only a small portion of the screen, such as Ada or Twitterlicious, TweetDeck does not provide the ability to work other items while the application is open.  While this may prevent users from seeing TweetDeck as an application they can work while continuing other items, it is important to note the additional features and connections TweetDeck offers may account for the size it takes up on screen.  In addition, the Notification feature TweetDeck applies enables users to work other issues and continue to receive updates as long as the application is running.  Also, whereas Twitterlicious marks items that have been read but continues to display the tweets, TweetDeck deletes read items for the next time users log into the application.

 

 

One of the limitations of TweetDeck is that users can only work with ten columns.  If users want to take advantage of the other features TweetDeck offers, such as connections to Twitscoop and 12seconds, they can only create a limited number of groups, which seems to contradict part of the application’s primary purpose in organizing information.

 

The search feature may cause confusion in that, although posts display in TweetDeck based on columns created for search criteria, users are not actually following these members on Twitter, though the posts continue to display in TweetDeck.  (Clicking the Other actions option w/in the user icon and selecting Follow allows users to add the member to their list.)

 

I also found the features of the toolbar confusing at first.  With the Tweet icon appearing first, I made the assumption that the icons following would execute other familiar functions.  (For example, I thought clicking the envelop would allow me to send a direct message rather than create a column for direct messages, which already displayed by default.)  Since TweetDeck has made use of a roll-over feature, it may be advantageous to add descriptions of the call-outs and restructure the toolbar based on its features.

 

Overall, I found TweetDeck highly effective due to its organizational structure and shortcuts and recommend it to anyone who twitters regularly.