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The Purpose of Twines [MUST READ FOR BETA USERS]

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A recent discussion thread prompted me to emphasize a personal viewpoint of mine regarding the purpose and use of twines.

Many of new Twine users consider twines the only way to find information, and that twines are essentially bricked and barbwired fortresses from which no items will ever escape.

This is wrong.

In theory, we could remove twines from Twine and still be able to form groups by keeping track of which individuals comment on the items we've added or interested us. In the current implementation the search results allow you to access all twines at the same time, participate in discussion from twine X and twine Z. [Read this thread for a more thorough discussion]


Twines are virtual placeholders created to harbor collaboration of content mining. The features of twines are:

  1. To allow allow people with similar interests to interact and get to know each other via discussion boards.
  2. To allow you to monitor what's new and hot on Twine in a specific user group.
  3. Maintain access permissions to items, moderate content.

It may seem unintuitive because we're used to organizing files via physical spaces/directories; but that's the best to do things in the past. We're slowly migrating to a new level. 

Consider it this way: Adding metadata & semantics promises to improve search & finding data. Because we're moving into AI automatic data analysis and metadata generation, the focus is on using search as our powertool instead of categorization. Thus, the importance of the 'directory' concept diminishes. We won't have to remember that our tax reports are stored in User/Username/Documents/Business/[twelve more directories]/taxreports -- we can instead look up 'tax' and browse by type.

Building on this, the items in your interest feed are contemporary but they do not fade away into a bottomless, dark abyss when as they move down your Interest Feed or favorite twines. What Twine offers, and what's a strength above previous organizing systems, is searching.

If you actually want to find something old that you added, or something new that's specifically relevant to YOU -- you use Search. Searching in Twine is different -- Search is our powertool. It is our personal preference customizer, the essential tool that understands what items are and knows who added it. The tool that can serve us our items of interest on a silver platter so shiny you can use it to set ants on fire.

Your can also subscribe to any customized search you want via RSS. Just click the the icon/Get Feed link on the bottom of the page [what is RSS?].

Relevant tutorials referenced: Search is Your Power Tool.

Finding Twines

If you're worrying about the ever growing, flat list of twines (currently at 90 pages) — you don't have to find twines by browsing through the Twine list. Or, at this point that would be very inefficient given Twine's other features. Twines specifically relevant to your interests can be found by searching for items that interest you. Each of those items you find have associated twines — voila — you just found a group of people that are mining data in your interest field.

Merging Twines, Tailoring Twines

As I demonstrated in a recent Twine Tutorial — there's also a way to merge Twines with minimal effort. Twine is a personal organizer. Again we turn to the very overlooked feature I mentioned above: Twine's Search — you can custom tailor your own twines in a matter of seconds if you want to. Merge identical twines, merge many twines under a general "Design" category. Collect items from a select group of contacts --- you are in charge! :)

But most importantly: items to do not have a limited lifespan, if you need to find something; you do not need to browse items of particular twines. An item only has an "expiration date" if you look at nothing but the Interest Feed and Recent Items in twines.

There are a lot of things that need- and will be improved -- and some of my tips above are basically hacks. But until they get fixed, I really hope this improves everyone's Twine experience :)

Relevant tutorials referenced: Custom Tailoring & Merging Twines


And if this does help, please leave a comment in
Raven's Twine Tutorials and:
 
 Please help spread these tips to new users!

Comments

  • Public Comments

    • Nova Spivack Nova Spivack
      20 months ago


      This is great. Can you link to your tutorials inline please to make it easier to get to them?
      Raven's Twine Tutorials

      • Hrafn Thorri Thorisson
        20 months ago


        Thanks Nova! Not sure what you mean by "inline" in this context - but I'm adding links at the bottom to my other tutorials and have shared it with several other relevant twines.
        Raven's Twine Tutorials

    • James Choate James Choate
      19 months ago


      I've only been on Twine a couple of days and had twigged to twines as a category label more than a folder or directory. It's a conceptual organization tool and not a storage bin.

      I think :)
      Web 3.0 - Semantic Web

    • Nova Spivack Nova Spivack
      19 months ago


      I like how Hrafn explained this above. In a way he is saying that a twine is a new way to navigate, share and keep track of an interest. An interest may be comprised of information AND people, with some kind of boundary or set of permissions that defines what is included or excluded, and what activities are allowed.

      In the old days we had folders and directories. But these were just for organizing information.

      Then we invented social networks. But these were just for connecting people.

      Then we invented Twine. The first interest network. Interest networks organize and connect people and information.
      Web 3.0 - Semantic Web

      • Risto Päärni Risto Päärni
        19 months ago


        Hello,

        I like the brain metaphors used for some scientists(add links to this if you have them) to understand Twine's importance and usefulness for me.

        There is Episodes and there is Semantic Data.

        The Episodes include story with beginning some story and a end.

        Episode's story include links and connected people, data in all forms. For my Beta, Twine has been at its best with Semantic Data follow-up. I have not yet learned to use Twine for creating Episode Stories as well. Nor it is necessary at the moment.

        I created a Ruby on Rails Twine which has been great assistance for learning Programming. This Twine I prefer to keep private (as is the learning experience). The Episode of Learning Ruby is then explained in Flow is the Pay (FP) Blog in my site www.lifetime.fi.

        Unfortunately I cannot use Twine beta version to publish Twine for Blog readers yet. If demand raises it could be subscription based , even with a small pay?


        The results of learning Ruby on Rails 'project' result to a application that will be hosted and open to public later on(The next Digg f.e.).

        From Learning Assistant Ruby Twine and Flow is the Pay Blog I move on to The next Episode of creating web 3.0 success story (application or site). Again the Story of this episode sits best to a new blog.

        I think I need all the cool Web 2.0 resources to make things happen. Twine is among the best following and creating my Lifetime Episodes, next web 3.0 applications, and most importantly communicating with you!

        Your feedback is appreciated,

        Have a nice day,
        Risto
        Web 3.0 - Semantic Web

    • Nova Spivack Nova Spivack
      19 months ago


      Here is my best definition:

      Twine is a Web 3.0 online service where people and groups can leverage collective intelligence to publish, share, and keep track of information around their interests, powered by the Semantic Web.
      Web 3.0 - Semantic Web

      • David Scott "Lightman" Lewis
        19 months ago


        Honestly, I'd work on this. In fact, there may not be a best definition, but various definitions appropriate to various segments.

        A couple of months ago, this definition would have been meaningless to Murray ... maybe even to Dan. If I was Murray and a guy gave me this definition two months ago, I'd count my fingers after I shook his hand. ;-)

        I want to vomit when I hear "Web 3.0" ... even though I, too, sometimes get sucked into using this incredibly ridiculous phrase. A signal for a new toy, not a serious application. "Semantic Web" doesn't mean anything to most people, either; hence, it has utility in limited circles.

        So work on various definitions; don't think there is a singular definition ... because there isn't.

        Also, the core tech is semweb, but it isn't your only tech. If it is, you're doomed; it isn't, so you're not. But if you claim it is, you're setting yourself up for a fall. There are plenty of semweb naysayers who can point to semweb's shortcomings, so don't get stuck in a 100% semweb box.
        Web 3.0 - Semantic Web

    • Bent Rasmussen Bent Rasmussen
      19 months ago


      I took a stab at it

      http://xosfaere.wordpress.com/2008/04/20/define-twine/
      Web 3.0 - Semantic Web

    • 19 months ago


      This was a really big help in understanding Twine. Thanks!
      Raven's Twine Tutorials

    • Ricardo Cabral Ricardo Cabral
      19 months ago


      A help item somewhere titled "Getting the most out of twine" should come handy.
      Raven's Twine Tutorials

    • Florian Konnertz Florian Konnertz
      18 months ago


      excellent article, thx for that.
      Raven's Twine Tutorials

    • lmc lmc
      18 months ago


      thank you for this, very helpful.
      Raven's Twine Tutorials

    • frank smith frank smith
      17 months ago


      ok....now my eyes are open...now what do i do?!?!?!


      Thanks Hrafn!!! now I may be able to do some of the things i want, without bugging design team for the feature that will be made apparent later!!
      Raven's Twine Tutorials

    • Jack D. Logan Jack D. Logan
      17 months ago


      Great addition to our CI! Thanks, Hrafn!
      Raven's Twine Tutorials

    • Hrafn Thorri Thorisson
      17 months ago


      You're welcome everybody. Help spread the word :)
      Raven's Twine Tutorials

    • Mayer Spivack Mayer Spivack
      15 months ago


      I am one of the bricked-in culprits and here is why. I work on many ideas at a time. Twine is so rich in connectivity that it brings to my eyes more than my brain can engage at a sitting. Often I see an item that I unconsciously know (?) that I will need sometime later (but do not yet know why). I need to save this stuff for later when I can review it and decide where to put it and how it affects my thinking. I keep one twine of these agglomerated dissimilar items private. No one else but myself could ever find any reason why they were together. I go through these about once per week, use them as reference materials, and assign them to other twines that I maintain.
      Raven's Twine Tutorials

      • Hrafn Thorri Thorisson
        15 months ago


        I actually do that too. I think there's a good reason to bring the best of both worlds together. Even though we have a powerful new tool that introduces new means of organization, there are definitely still merits in the old system. And if we look close enough, twines bring together content that is somehow related. If you see reason for bringing dissimilar items into one twine, then there's something that makes them related, that you see :)
        Raven's Twine Tutorials
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