Twitter tips: What to tweet?

You have an account on Twitter and use it to read stuff that people have to say. You look at their tweets and wonder how they can think of something clever and deep to say every day. Then you sigh and log off because you have never figured out what to say on Twitter. Then this article is for you.

Useful or Interesting?

There are two kinds of people on twitter who get noticed – the ones who say something useful or the people who say something interesting. The stars are of course the ones who say something which is both useful and they say it in a manner that is interesting. They turn out to be the influencers. Of course, if you are a star like Lady Gaga (@LadyGaga) it is not surprising that she has 45.8 million followers. Or like Barack Obama (@BarackObama) who has 58.2 million followers.

Think of yourself like a roadside magician in a large plaza where lots of performers are showing off their skills. You first have to get a few people to pause and listen to what you have to say before you can show them what you have. These are people with short attention spans. The ones who are interesting or entertaining start to get more people to watch them perform. A large crowd will automatically attract more people. Twitter is no different.

Being Useful

I tweet about topics that I care about – technology, design, films, books etc. You can join me at @AbhijitBhaduri and get useful links on these topics. Between being interesting and being useful, it is much easier to be useful. Ideas and suggestions that will teach people how to solve a problem fall in this category. Follow curators and experts who share their own writings and videos.  Leverage your expertise and experience to tell people things that they will benefit from and that does not mean surreptitiously plugging your product.

• Tips, how-to advice, life hacks etc.
• Sharing statistics that people can use in their work
• Add a comment to the video or article link that tells people why it will be useful
• Share your own experience about your hobby or passion
• Retweet what the expert or curators have shared that you have used.
• Live tweet the interesting ideas from a conference.
• Ask a question to seek a perspective or gather new ideas

Being Interesting

Tell people what you think people will care about. So stuff that is mundane and that includes sharing what you are wearing today, or that you are stuck in traffic do not instantly become top of the mind items that your followers are dying to hear – unless you are a celeb. It is OK for Katy Perry to say, “All packed and ready for ASIA” and leaves her fans gasping in anticipation. Such a statement from most others will not make others stop in their tracks. Anything that evokes an emotion falls into this category.

• Share an inspiring quote
• Share something funny (this one is hard)
• Applaud someone who is brave or fighting against odds
• Share a photo from an event others would have wanted to go to, but can’t.
• Thank someone. On a Friday, tweet the Twitter id of someone you wish to endorse and add #FF to the tweet
• Share your dreams
• Share a song that resonates with your philosophy or describes your life perfectly.

Finally, how often should you tweet? For a start, tweet as often as you eat.

What else could you add to the list of useful or interesting things that you tweet about? Don’t forget to add your Twitter handle in the comments below.

What Happens to Your Online Accounts When You Die?

What Happens to Your Online Accounts When You Die?

As more people continue to jump on the latest social networking site or app to share their lives and interests with friends, dealing with the grim task of figuring out what to do with all the online accounts and social profiles of a deceased loved one is becoming more of a common situation that families are needing to face these days.

If a deceased user kept their login and password credentials completely private, then getting into any of their online accounts to obtain information or delete the account can be a tricky process for family members.

When ignored, these online accounts -- particularly the user's social media profiles -- tend to remain active online well after the user's death.

To tackle this growing trend, a lot of major websites and social networks that collect user information have implemented policies for those that need to take care of a deceased user's account.

Here's a brief look at how a few of the web's biggest user-driven platforms suggest getting in contact with them so you can gain control of a deceased loved one's account or have shut it down completely.

Reporting a Deceased Person on Facebook

On Facebook, you have two standard options when dealing with a deceased user's account, plus a new legacy contact option that was recently introduced.

First, you can choose to turn the user's account into a memorial page. Facebook basically leaves the user profile as it is, but prevents the memorialized page from being referenced on Facebook as an active user. Facebook will also take extra measures to secure the account in order to protect the privacy of the deceased user.

To have a user's account memorialized, a friend or family member must fill out and submit a Memorialization Request. You must provide proof of the user's death, such as a link to an obituary or news article, so that Facebook can investigate and then approve the request.

The other option you have is to ask Facebook to close the account of the deceased user. Facebook will only accept this request from immediate family members, asking them to fill out a Special Request for Deceased Person's Account.

Facebook's New Legacy Contact Feature

Facebook recently introduced another feature to help manage memorialized profiles,called legacy contacts. Users can select a family member or friend on Facebook as their legacy contact, which gives them access to their profile when they die.

After a Memorialization Request has been made, Facebook will then allow the legacy contact to help manage the profile after the user has passed, giving them the ability to make a memorial post at the top of the deceased user's profile, update photos, respond to friend requests and even download an archive of their information. The legacy contact will be able to manage all of these options from their own account, and will not be required to sign in to the deceased user's account.

To choose a legacy contact, you must access your settings and under the Security tab, click or tap the "Legacy Contact" option that appears at the bottom. If you don't want to have a legacy contact at all, you can alternatively let Facebook know that you want your profile to be permanently deleted after you've passed away.

Accessing a Deceased Person's Google or Gmail Account

Google says that in rare cases, it may be able to provide to the contents of a Google account or Gmail account to an "authorized representative" of the deceased user. While there's no guarantee that you may gain access to the account, Google ensures that it will carefully review all applications for this type of request.

You need to fax or mail a list of required documentation to Google, including a copy of the death certificate of the deceased user for valid proof. Upon review, Google will then get in touch with you by email to let you know if the decision has been made in order to move on to the next step in the process.

In April of 2013, Google introduced Inactive Account Manager to help users plan their "digital afterlives," which anyone can use to tell Google what they want done with all their digital assets after they've been inactive for a specific period of time. You can find out more about Google's Inactive Account Manager here.

Contacting Twitter About a Deceased User

Twitter clearly states that it will not give you access to a deceased user's account regardless of your relationship to the user, but it will accept requests to deactivate the user's account from either an immediate family member or a person authorized to act on the behalf of the estate.

To do this, Twitter needs you to provide the deceased person's username, a copy of their death certificate, a copy of your government-issued ID and a signed statement with a list of additionally required information, which you can find at this Twitter support link.

To complete the request, you must send the documentation either by fax or mail so that Twitter can verify it and deactivate the account.

Deactivating a Deceased User's Pinterest Account

Pinterest will not hand over login information of deceased user, but it will deactivate the user's account if you send over an email with a list of required information, including proof of the user's death.

You must provide a copy of the user's death certificate, an obituary or a link to a new article as valid proof for Pinterest to deactivate the deceased user's account.

Contacting Instagram About a Deceased User

In its privacy statement, Instagram asks you to get in contact with the company about a deceased user. Communication will take place via email while working to remove the account.

Similar to Facebook, you must fill out a form request to report a deceased person's account on Instagram, and provide proof of death, such as a death certificate or obituary. 

Options Available When a Yahoo Account Owner Passes Away

Although Google may grant access to the contents of a deceased user's account in some instances, Yahoo, on the other hand, will not.

If you need to contact Yahoo about a deceased user's account, you can do so by mail, fax or email including a request letter, the Yahoo ID of the deceased user, proof that you have been authorized to act as the personal representative of the deceased and a copy of the death certificate.

Closing the PayPal Account of a Relative

To close the PayPal account of a relative, PayPal asks the estate executor to send a list of required information over by fax, including a cover letter for the request, a copy of the death certificate, a copy of the deceased user's legal documentation proving that the person making the request is authorized to act on behalf of them and a copy of photo identification of the estate executor.

If approved, PayPal will close the account and issue a check in the account holder's name if any funds have been left in the account.

Taking Care of Your Digital Legacy

Planning ahead for how your digital assets are handled after you're gone has become just as important as all your other assets.

10 Best Apple Watch Apps

After much anticipation, the Apple Watch is finally available to the public. Now you too can talk to your wrist like James Bond. It wouldn’t be an Apple product without the ability to download apps. A smartwatch would seem silly if you couldn’t check your Facebook or find cool restaurant nearby. There aren’t a ton of apps out yet for the device but these are the ten that look promising. After you’ve stood in line for eight hours at the Apple store, head home and download some of these new and exciting apps.

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1. Adobe Creative Canvas

Often creative ideas come when you’re on the go, not sitting in an office. Adobe formatted three of its apps to work with the Apple Watch so you can make your ideas come to life while you’re on the bus or eating lunch. Behance allows you to look through people’s portfolios on the go. Now get daily notifications, stats and control a presentation via Apple Play all from your wrist. For those looking for color, use Color CC. Walk down the street and the app will display color profiles around you. Add these to your library so you can access them and use them later. The last one is Creative Cloud. Monitor activity in the commons, talk to clients and respond to comments on the go.

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2. Nike+ Running

The biggest problem with the Nike+ Running app on the iPhone is that you still need a sensor to pick up on your movements. Pair it with your watch and get distance, pace and duration information as you’re running. Holding a phone can hinder your movements, but now you can keep it in your pocket and glance down at your wrist. You can even connect with Bluetooth and listen to music wirelessly, freeing you up completely to run your best.

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3. ESPN 

Never miss a score or big play with the ESPN app. Select your favorite teams and get real-time updates on who is up to bat or who made that last three-pointer. Taking your phone our of your pocket to look at updates can be frustrating, but glancing down at your wrist makes for an efficient and easy way to stay in the know.

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4. Expedia

Traveling is stressful but being able to access your itinerary directly from your watch will make it easier. Expedia will show you terminals, gate numbers and if your flight is on time. You’re also covered when you land at your location. The app will give you hotel ratings, locations, phone numbers and check-in and out times. You’ll always be prepared if you have your watch on hand, no pun intended.

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5. Citymapper

Expedia gives you information about airports, but Citymapper will help you get around on the ground. The app uses your location to figure out where you are and what public transportation is around you. Receive step-by-step instructions on how to get to the nearest bus stop, as well as the next three arrival times. It doesn’t just let you get on the bus and fend for yourself, it will send you a reminder when you are approaching your stop.

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6. Twitter

Twitter is meant to be used on the go, and nothing makes it as easy as the Apple Watch. Check what’s trending, look at notifications and even write tweets using dictation. You won’t have to take your phone out to stay on top of what’s trending in the world.

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7. Sky Guide

If you are interested in the cosmos and space, download Sky Guide. Look at a calendar at upcoming astrological events so you never miss an eclipse or meteor shower. You can set up notifications about when the International Space Station is flying over your area and even get the chance to tweet an astronaut.

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8. PayByPhone

Running to plug your meter from a restaurant or shop is extremely stressful. Download PayByPhone and get notifications ten minutes before you’re meter is about to run out and pay directly on your watch. You’ll never risk getting a parking ticket again.

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9. BoxPop

GPS apps are great and very helpful, but you have to have some fun in your life. Download this easy but addicting game and never worry about sitting in a waiting room with nothing to do. Pop boxes in L-shaped configurations and go through up to 40 different levels.

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10. Fandango

Though you can’t buy your ticket from the watch app, it will help you get to your movie on time. After you’ve purchased it, the app notifies you when you’re movie is starting as well as the theater’s address and phone number. Never miss a movie again.