Why is everyone on the right side of the blogosphere suddenly all a-Twitter?

Well my short answer to this question is that I don’t know. I don’t really think anyone can explain “why Twitter, why now?” But I do know we, as political conservatives and as the minority online, have desperately needed a place to find each other and network, and that Twitter seems to have filled that need, for now. It’s simple to learn and use, relatively safe, and very flexible in what you can do with it.

But I just don’t get it, you might be thinking. I know - You don’t have time for it. You don’t need any more friends, and you don’t want to know what people doing every minute of the day…yada yada…. Well, my friend, all of that doesn’t matter. Sometimes you just need to be where the action is, so you don’t miss out.

Yes, as with all things technology-related this, too, will pass, and we’ll all move on to something else down the road. But right now, there are around 1,000 Tweeters who have proudly identified themselves as politically-conservative. Why don’t you just go down there and see what all the fuss is about? Who knows, you might just have some fun while you’re there.

For those who are already on Twitter, and are ready to take it to the next level, here are some more great resources:

Customize your Twitter Background
 
Check out Twitbacks.com.  This is a free service with several different templates you can use to customize your Twitter background, and display more info about what you’re doing in the sidebar of you Twitter Profile. It’s simple and easy to use.  And, don’t forget, you can do a lot to your Twitter profile under the “settings” tab on Twitter - then go to “design.”
 
Find other Conservatives on Twitter
 
Here are three great places to locate conservatives on Twitter.
 
TCON - This group, started by @velvethammer, is a list of political conservatives on twitter, ranked in the order they joined the group.
Conservative GOP - Started by @SheridanFolger, is a list of Republicans on Twitter, ranked in the order they joined the group.
#TCOT - Top Conservatives On Twitter:  This group, started by @michaelpleahy, is a list of conservatives on Twitter, ranked by the number of followers each member has.  Note that this group is VERY competetive*.

Want to find Tweeters interested in other topics besides conservative politics?  Check out Twitter Groups.

Bonus:  See @GovTwit for a Directory of Govt. & Govt. Industry Twitter ID’s and other social media (or click here).
 
Cull your Twitter List
 
*Twitter can be used for a number of things.  If you’re on Twitter simply for the sake of exchanging information with like-minded individuals, you might want to stop reading right here.  This next section is for those interested in building a network.
 
On Twitter, you follow some people, and some people follow you.  To build a network, you must watch the ratio between these two groups closely.  If you’re following a lot more people than you have followers, you’ll be viewed as a “spammer.”  If you’re not following many of your followers, they may eventually drop you to get their own ratio of followers to followees in line.
 
A quick way to find out who you’re following that is not following you back is to go to Dossy, and use the “whack” feature.  This site will allow you to bulk-follow or bulk-unfollow unfollow anyone who is not really helping your Twitter “Karma.” As with most open-source software associated with Twitter, it is always a good idea to change the password on your Twitter after using any site that has required you to give your Twitter password for a temporary function. I have used this site, extensively, however, with no problems at all, and have been quite pleased with the results.

Also see: Cool Tools to Save Time in Social Networking

A young second-generation Egyptian-American recently demanded that a blogger-friend of mine apologize to him, and to his father, because of something she’d written on her blog. She had re-published (from public records) a partial list of just the “Letter A” section of the donors to the Obama campaign with Muslim names and his father was on the list, along with a very large number of others disproportional to the Muslim-American demographics. He said he and his father were proud Obama supporters, so he was proud to be included on the list, but went on to explain that he was outraged and offended by what he assumed were her reasons for publishing such a list.

During the course of my online conversation with him as he simultaneously espoused the virtues and superiority of the religion of peace and demanded apologies from my friend and me for our apparent lack of sensitivity, I realized something. On one hand, this young Egyptian-American enjoyed the clout that being indirectly associated with such a powerful group as Islamic jihad gave him, but on the other hand, he wore that clout like a chip on his shoulder, daring anyone to knock it off. I also realized I’d seen this type of doublespeak before.

Many years ago, I had an Italian sister-in-law. She was one of my favorite in-laws, actually, as we had a lot in common, and normally got along very well, but I recalled a very strange and awkward conversation we’d had in the beginning of our relationship, in which this woman had misinterpreted something I’d said (I never did quite figure out what it was I’d said), but she apparently thought I had insinuated that she was “connected” to the Italian mafia, and had become very offended.

Well, at the time, we were living in upstate New York, no where near any large cities. I had lived in Las Vegas during the 1970’s, when the Italian mafia was very active there, so I was familiar with who they were, but this was the late ‘90’s, and I hadn’t really thought about them in years. I discretely inquired of my other in-laws as to why my sister-in-law was so sensitive about this…Was the mob active in our area? Did she have relatives that were active in the mafia? They just rolled their eyes, and explained no, they didn’t think so, and that they didn’t know why she acted like that from time to time. After I’d met more of her family and friends, I began to realize that a few of them, like the Egyptian-American I met recently, liked the social “power” that it gave them to make people think that they just might be “connected,” yet it gave them a different kind of social power to, at the same time, feign offense, and effectively play the “race card,” when anyone brought the subject up (even by accident).

We are seeing this same doublespeak phenomenon, right now, in the political arena, as the Obama-Biden campaign is enjoying the benefits of touting the socialist ideals of social justice and wealth redistribution to garner votes from the poorer members of our society, and financial support from international leftists. Yet, they are also enjoying the social power that being able to call anyone a “racist,” who dares to use the “S” word gives them in the media.

Regardless of who wins this election, and becomes our President in January (or whenever they get through with all the re-counts), we are going to be fighting a war of words. To win this war, we are going to need to be able to accurately identify and describe the various “ministries of truth” that have made great advancements online, in our government, in international government, and in commerce.

Corporate employees have been fighting this war of words for a long time in the United States. The word “diversity,” used to pertain to financial assets and to agriculture, but now it’s applied to human beings, and has come to mean giving preferential treatment to designated minority groups. Our Founding Fathers struggled with the idea of “religious tolerance,” but generally applied it when refraining from killing someone regardless of how warped you thought his ideas were. Now, religious tolerance has come to mean that you will “embrace” the diversity doctrine and the values of every minority group, or you will be unemployed and ostracized.

Christians have also been fighting this war of words for a long time. Our adversaries have tried to use misinterpretations of our scriptures to try to control us. For example, they’ll mockingly ask “Isn’t it a sin to ‘judge’ people?” as they try to play on our fear of hell – and of disappointing our Creator – for the advancement of their own Marxist, political-correctness agendas.

In this war of words, and in this world of doublespeak, those of us who love individual freedom are going to have to summon the courage to resist. We have reached the time that the apostle Paul talked about when he wrote to the Church at Ephesus, “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” It won’t be easy, and there is no doubt that some of us will face persecution.

At times, it will seem like it would be easier to just give in, and go with the flow. But folks, I’ve taken a look at what the enemies of liberty have to offer. The so-called “heaven” promised to the jihadis does not entice me. The soulless, lifeless void of communism has nothing to offer me. I have news for them. Yes, I’m a Christian, and yes, I love God, and I’m planning to spend eternity with Him, but frankly I’d be better off in my hell than in the so-called “heaven” that any of them are offering.

Those of us who have known and loved freedom know what we’re fighting for, and we know it’s worth it. Freedom is worth it. America is worth it. And we can win – Together, and with God on our side, we can win.

I believe, as King David said in the Psalms, that God will confound and put to shame those that seek to kill the soul of America, and He will cause them to be tangled in the very traps that they laid for the destruction of our nation. Our Founders, who were preparing for a battle that was different in nature, but just as serious wrote, “…With a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.”

So, as Todd Beamer, before he sacrificed his life in helping stop terrorists from most likely destroying our nation’s capitol, said, “Are you guys ready? Let’s roll!”

(The above speech was given during the first 20 minutes of the second half of the Rally for the Conservative Cause on Blog Talk Radio - The link is below). For the first half of the Rally, click here.

From Blog Talk Radio’s Socially Speaking:

Laura (“Pistachio” on Twitter) Fitton is one of the first prominent microbloggers,” with roughly 6,500 readers on Twitter. An early beta tester of Seesmic and Qik, she connects people to new ideas and innovations using all the tools of microsharing. Her innovative use of social media has also gotten the attention of the top minds in technology, as profiled by Naked Conversations author Shel Israel for his Global Survey.

Laura has also been quoted in The New York Times Magazine, BusinessWeek, The New York Times, The LA Times, Newsweek.com, Inc.com, CIO Magazine, CNET, ZDNet and many other magazines, publications, web shows and blogs. She speaks at technology conferences, private industry and guest lectures at Bentley College. On this week’s segment of BlogTalkRadio, Laura Fitton will discuss best practices for microblogging and why companies should begin, if they haven’t already, to engage with this online platform.

Click here or on the podcast link below to listen to Sumaya Kazi (“Sumaya” on Twitter) interview Laura.