I Wonder If...

Agchat is a pretty lively discussion group on Twitter made up of ag groups, ag supporters, Extension folks, producers, ag journalists, cattlemen (and women), and a host of others who meet each Tuesday evening to discuss the ag topic of the week.  I have joined in a few times, and while the conversation is lively, I have always felt that the Twittersphere made this task more difficult than it needed to be.  First of all, Twitter doesn't always cooperate and from time to time actually crashes.  Secondly, the comments made are short, 134 character blitzes taken in the order they arrive - sometimes addressing a tweet made by someone else back in the stream about 15 or 20 tweets ago.  Finally, the archive of the session is only available a day or so later after someone puts it together.

I wonder if the organizers of Agchat have considered Google Wave as a venue to conduct the same sessions?  The longer blips allowed in Wave would provide a better way to express most of the ideas offered.  Also, the ability to respond directly to a specific comment, at any time in the discussion (or even a day later) keeps a better discussion going.  Finally, the Wave stands alone as its own archive without any extra organization or management.  Each Tuesday's discussion can be its own Wave session, and related waves can be easily linked.

Anyway, while Wave has a steeper learning curve, it is far more functional than Twitter for the Agchat venue. I just wonder if they are aware of it.

#Agchat

I participated in twitter's #Agchat last night since the discussion topic was water.  What an experience!  Probably 100 or so avid #Agchat folks offering insights into water and ag issues - many times simultaneously.

If you've never stopped in, maybe you should give it a try.  The person moderating posts a question that either they pose or has been submitted by one of the participants via twitter - pertaining to the stated topic. Then the comment and discussion begins and you'd better be a fast reader and an even faster texter. The positive aspects of the process are:

1)  Some of the folks have some really useful information they provide;
2)  The entire discussion is normally captured and made available for reflection;
3)  The participants are available for further discussion if necessary;
4)  The participants usually span the entire country; and
4)  The ability to follow any of them via twitter broadens your info-net greatly.

The negative aspects are:

1)  The conversation can be difficult to follow in real time;
2)  The technology doesn't always cooperate; and
3)  With only 134 spaces many ideas are hard to articulate effectively.

All-in-all I enjoy the sessions I have attended.  You don't always have to participate although the moderator usually wants you to introduce yourself upon arrival - and they strive for professional comment and conduct.

If interested, #Agchat (strongly focuses on advocating for all things ag) happens each Tuesday evening from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM Eastern time and you'll want to use a twitter application like twubs or tweetchat to join so that you can see all the comments.