SXSW

Well, we’re here to say: stress not. The interesting mix of designers, web geeks, marketers, and creatives will help you out. Just ask if your tubes get clogged.

To easy your worries in advance, we started a collection of helpful links.  Here they are:

• my.sxsw – the official site of SXSW helps you get set up with your badge photo, connect with other SXSWers, and set up your personal schedule of events. The new iPhone app this year enables you to access it right in that shiny bit in your hand [assuming AT&T doesn't suck this year]
• sxswbaby.com’s where to eat Google Map mash-up – Priorities folks; you gotta eat at some point.
• The unofficial events on upcoming – Who said the most important business always gets done over a beverage…or three?
• Parties on Plancast – Someone started this up to organize some socialization that involves more than staring at a computer screen displaying Facebook.
• QuickMark – We’re predicting that QR 2D barcode tech is going to take off more than ever this year at SXSW. We’ve had good luck with QuickMark and recommend you download and give it a try in preparation for Austin.

Special review’d recommended BBQ: Iron Works (southeast corner of the convention center).

We’ll be adding to this post as we think of more important info to share. When in doubt; don’t stress, just ask someone for help if you need it.

Oh, and if you’re interested in Twitter sentiment analytics, DM us @reviewd to meet up and we’ll hook you up with a free Basic account for 30 days.

Right around this time every year, a few thousand peoples’ salivatory glands uncontrollably start to get excited.  They know what’s about to happen.  It’s good old fashioned Texas BBQ time at SXSW in Austin.

We’re pleased to say that review’d co-founders John and Eric will be there in full force helping to get this awesome Twitter sentiment analytics up off the ground.  That’s right, at SXSW 2010 (the interactive part), we’ll be attending the usual conferences, strolling our share of 6th Street and handing out invites for a free Basic account for 30 days to fortunate trade show goers.

So yeah, I guess you could call that a launch.  We’re excited about it and can’t wait to share some of the latest enhancements to review’d with you.

It’s been a little while since we’ve been blogging.  So here’s a quick update to what’s been going on:

• review’d llc is official! That’s right, we’re registered up as a fancy pants limited liability corporation.
• Thank you pre-betas. A huge thanks to the handful of those who helped us out with a painful early pre-beta review of review’d – esp @benkunz and @stephfrancoeur. We have incorporated a significant amount of your feedback into the latest instance of the system.
• PayPal is on its way. We’re pretty close to PayPal integration, which will make signing up and using review’d easier than slatering BBQ sauce on your friend’s face at SXSW.

There’s a lot of other behind-the-scenes work too. Calculations, algoritms, etc.. we’ll keep it to the sexy stuff.

So with that, we hope to see you at SXSW.  DM us @reviewd or @ericfleming to meet up.  We have lots of free invites to give away!

Apple’s buzz machine has been working overtime for past few months to create awareness, intrigue, a bit of mystique, and ultimate anticipation-in-awe surrounding the inevitable announcement of its tablet computer at a Steve Job event in Silicon Valley.  If you’re just coming out from under a rock today, just type in “Apple tablet” in Google news to muse through a few thousand articles about the product that hasn’t even been confirmed yet. Sites like Mashable have gone so far as to dedicate sections to this holy day that’s now upon us.

So over at review’d we’re always interested in what people are really saying by trying to put some numbers to some of the feelings we’re sensing.  Is it good/bad, how much of it is going on, and how strongly do people feel?

Apple was one of the first companies we started to track during early development of review’d. Recognizing the potential for confusion with, say, your granny smiths or macouns, based on what we’ve observed, it’s pretty safe to assume most of tweets with “Apple” in it are related to the company in Cupertino.

So with that, here’s a sense of what people have been saying:

Twitter Sentiment analytics of Apple Computer on tablet launch day

One thing that Apple is notorious for is having a base of über enthusiasts and brand haters. The result is typically a constant stream of polarizing comments from both camps. Just think about how passionate some Windows people still are today and don’t hesitate getting into an argument with black-attire sporting creatives with funky shoes and square-framed glasses any day of the week. But we digress… A look at the above shows a significant quantity of tweets expressing opinions (remember, review’d only tracks tweets that hint at either a positive or negative opinion, not all). The swell is evident and hints at mainstream involvement are present.

Chattiness
Chattiness is a new feature we’ve added on the development site of review’d and we thought that with a rockin’ high rating of 100% today, there’d be no better time to introduce it.  Chattiness is based on the quantity of tweets being expressed in the last 24 hours versus the previous 30 day period. Anything to the right shows you things are heating up. To the left, they’re dying down.  The confirmation is here, yes, people are jazzed up (albeit in both directions) about today’s announcement.

Here are some examples of tweets tracked by review’d in the last 24 hours to give you a sense of the playing field.

Thanks to darcyhooper and i_Karu.

On the other side, DrewsDictionary and SusanVJ.

Whether you agree that this piece of hardware has the potential to save the publishing industry and will live up to its anointed ”Jesus tablet,” that’s for time to play out. For now, the buzz is there, people are talking, and there’s not much better than your brand than that. Now, to pop some popcorn and see what happens today.

We’ve been tracking all things Tiger since early in the PGA season and recently took a look at how things are fairing for the golfer given the explosion of interest by the world’s media and general public alike.

Here is probably the most compelling insight, a line graph showing the positive and negative tweets about Tiger over time.

What’s interesting about what you can see above is how closely the sentiment is tied to what has been unfolding in the news.  Right as people learned about the accident, there was a lot of positive remarks made in support of Tiger.  Fast forward a bit as more came out about his alleged infidelity and negatives spike to Alpine-like heights never before seen since we’ve been tracking.

There’s a lot of decisions that are going on behind the scenes as Tiger weighs pulling out of further competitions, shedding more light on why he got into an accident, and saying more about the accuracy of alleged affairs.  A visit over to his official site shows little-to-no response to the daily allegations or message to his fans.  The absence of such leads to assumptions of truth through rumor and assessments such as those by colleague Dr. Grohol over at PsychCentral to help us take something away from what’s swirling around us.

Think about Tiger Woods as the brand.  It’s manifested through logos on apparel, balls, bags, travel mugs, posters and video games worldwide.  What’s today’s value of that brand?  How important is it for major sponsors such as Gillette, Nike, Buick, and others to know what it’s worth?  review’d helps to do that by taking in to consideration the data behind those graphs over time to calculate a review’d score.  As of today, Tiger’s is at 39…and yes, that’s sub-par.  With that, we’ll leave you with this gem of an inevitability to enjoy the rest of your Friday.

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Evening update: Tiger to take indefinite hiatus from golf. This statement was posted to Tiger Woods’ official site:

I am deeply aware of the disappointment and hurt that my infidelity has caused to so many people, most of all my wife and children. I want to say again to everyone that I am profoundly sorry and that I ask forgiveness. It may not be possible to repair the damage I’ve done, but I want to do my best to try.

I would like to ask everyone, including my fans, the good people at my foundation, business partners, the PGA Tour, and my fellow competitors, for their understanding. What’s most important now is that my family has the time, privacy, and safe haven we will need for personal healing.

After much soul searching, I have decided to take an indefinite break from professional golf. I need to focus my attention on being a better husband, father, and person.

Again, I ask for privacy for my family and I am especially grateful for all those who have offered compassion and concern during this difficult period.

As you know, we’ve been tracking the sentiment toward Windows 7 for some time. Launched on Oct. 22 it has now had a little over a month to marinate in the marketplace. Reports abound about how well sales have been of the new Microsoft OS, but what are people really saying?

Well, the biggest takeaway is that they’re saying less. It’s the morning after as far as product launches are concerned and the conversation is dwindling. Check out this graph that shows the relationship between positive and negative tweets toward Windows 7.

30-day line graph of Windows 7 positive and negative tweets

Even while the excitement level may be dwindling, there’s some good news buried within this little graph. Overall, there’s more positive activity going on than negative.

Here’s a few more examples of the tweets that people are making:

Oh my goodness. I LOVE Windows 7!!! (So far) – by @andireid

Windows 7 is awesome. Im stoked to use it tomorrow. – by @bassplayer2008

and from the other camp:

Time to downgrade my Windows 7 from Ultimate to Professional. Fail. – by @gearvosh

Apparently to upgrade to Windows 7 from XP you first need to upgrade to Vista. Holy fail. Ridiculous. – by @samelaanderson

Warranted or not, it’s what people are saying.

Too much data can get overwhelming though, which is why a central part of review’d is the review’d score. As we mentioned briefly once before, the review’d score is our own little gauge at how well things are going over time. If people are being more positive, up it goes. More negative? Down it falls. You get the jist. So with that, we’ll let you know that the latest review’d score for past week puts Windows 7 at a 63. How does that fair? Well, to put it in perspective, Twitter darling Zappos is cruising at a 92 while State Farm is at a whopping 6.

If Windows 7 comes up over the bird this Thanksgiving, you’re now armed with a little more perspective. Does it trump all the cool offerings from Apple? That’s for you do decide.

We’re pleased to announce @weather_tweets. It’s a service from us here at review’d that allows you to get the weather forecast sent to you via direct message on Twitter up to two times daily.

To sign up, simply go to http://reviewd.com/weather and click the sign up link. From there, we’ll ask you to set up a quick profile that gives us the info we need in order to send you the weather forecast. You’ll tell us the time(s) and zip code — we’ll send you the tweets.

For many people, Twitter is used as a dashboard to get news, stay in touch with friends and colleagues, and to get useful information sent to you automatically. We recognized that there was a void in weather services on Twitter and felt like doing our bit to make a contribution to the Twitterverse. Now instead of needing to go to a dedicated weather forecast site each morning (or wait for Al Roker to tell us what’s going on in our neck of the woods), just check Twitter.

Also, since you have the ability to set notification settings for direct messages (DMs) within your Twitter profile, you can choose whether or not you want these passed along via e-mail and/or text message to your phone.

Traveling? No problem. Quickly log back in and update the zip code in your profile to the location you’ll be and @weather_tweets will take note and start giving you that venue’s weather forecast.

As of right now, we’re only able to provide you with the U.S. weather based on data from your friends at NOAA.

So what does this have to do with review’d? Nothing directly other than the fact that we love knowing what the weather’s going to be before venturing out in downtown Newburyport. But hey, you have to admit that it can get a little stormy inside Twitter now and again.

We hope you enjoy! Let us know what you think.

Oh, don’t forget to tell your followers on Twitter and Facebook about how they can get the weather too!

Recognizing that teeing-up perception of the new OS is critical to its initial success, Microsoft itself decided to stoke the fires on Twitter as a part of its marketing effort.  There was the #winwin7 campaign and other attempts by Microsoft as part of its multi-faceted campaign. @rupalparekh over at AdvertisingAge (@adage) covered the moves pretty thoroughly.  So we’ve been tracking sentiment against Windows 7 for several months now.  After all we’re interested in what people are really thinking (and saying on Twitter).

So it’s with a little surprise (and reaffirmation of the importance of what we’re doing here at review’d) to see what we Microsoft has up as its home page today for launch.  Check it out:

Microsoft's home page on Oct. 22, 2009

Cheers to Microsoft for bringing users statements to the forefront!  But are they?  A couple of searches on featured tweets yielded no results in Twitter’s own search engine.  That doesn’t mean they didn’t exist (tweets are purged out of search over time unless you indicate the specific date range).  Still, if Microsoft is featuring “real-time” reviews for marketing efforts, the tweets better be fresh.  Jury is still out on whether or not this one is a little too stale:

Windows 7 tweet citation fail

Seriously though, what are people really saying about Windows 7?  Dare we believe the editors behind this revolving feed of rainbows, unicorns and 100% positive reviews? Here’s the latest from review’d:

Oct. 21-22, 2009

The numbers on the above graph are as follows: 226 tweets total (131 positive and 95 negative for a 58% positive hurrah on launch day so far). I’d say reviews are a little more skeptical than Microsoft would lead you to believe.  Still, people can be pretty harsh out there on the interwebs, shrouded in anonymity and separated by screens and input devices.  Here are some verbatims we collected from the two camps.

First on the positive side:

Positive tweets as tracked by review'd

Thanks to @mattymax, @Ducky11, and @troymccabe for the above tweets.

And on the other side of the fence:

Negative tweets as tracked by review'd

Credit to @tweeetosaurus, @djDeficit, and @jimtac for their words of wisdom.

Fact of the matter is that an aggregate of these messages helps to create an aura about a product.  It’s intensified by the consumption quantity (followers receiving) and authority level of the originator – something that Microsoft has reduced down to “Twitter User” in its questionable citations.

In this little journey through Microsoft’s marketing today, we also found this fun little feed to help visitors understand “What people are saying about Windows 7.”  It pulls in reviews and discussions from all the fun sources such as Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, YouTube, and an RSS blog feed.  To join the conversation, you tag your message or content with #win7, #windows and the like.  So we sat and watched the stream for a good bit of time waiting for anything negative to come through…zilch.

Microsoft, if you want to play fair in social media, censoring (if that indeed is what you’re doing) is off-limits.  For the rest of us, the best piece of advice today might be to just take a peek at the same hash tags within Twitter’s search or set up a column in TweetDeck to get the unfiltered truth.

We were able to track close to 800 tweets yesterday expressing an opinion about Miley.  The verdict is in: while yes there was support for Miley, the shift was definitely in the negative direction.  In general, from those who expressed an opinion that review’d was able to track, people are not that upset to see her go.  Some even went so far to kick her on the way out…but out of respect we will save you the cross-link to examples (even though this is all based off of our activity on “a lame gossip site”).

Worry not; however.  There’s still Ashton Kutcher, Oprah, John Mayer, and Britney Spears to fill your soul with whatever it is they fill people’s souls with…in 140 characters or less.

Daily review'd score

So what’s this review’d score?  It’s one of the most important metrics that review’d makes available.  It’s consistent system-wide (in terms of how it’s calculated) and represents a sense of how opinions are faring for the entity you’re tracking.  It’s based on a 0-100 scale (0 = people are completely upset to 100 = ecstatically overjoyed).

We typically present it as two numbers on an org’s profile page.  One is your daily score, so that’s the relationship between positive and negative tweets tracked today.  The other is a reputation score, which fluctuates less and is based off of the previous seven days worth of data.  The tide can turn swiftly in Twitterverse and so we’ve chosen this period based on our experience of witnessing events unfold for orgs such as Whole Foods or people like Kanye West.

What’s interesting about the above comparison (showing just the daily score over time) is that Red Sox support actually rose as they lost.  Angels, on the other hand, declined by about 10 points.  You’ll also note that the Sox score dropped to 0 at one point.  This is because there were no positive tweets tracked that day – the day the Sox first faced-off against the Angels and lost.

You’ll be hearing us mention the review’d score often moving forward, but let us know if you have any questions.

Thanks to all of you who signed up for the Feedburner feed of this blog.  We appreciate it.  Also, welcome to all the new @reviewd followers on Twitter!

There’s no question that one of the most contested rivalries in sports worldwide is between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. So as we head in to the 2009 Major League Baseball postseason, we thought it’d be a good idea to let you preview a bit of the benefits review’d brings to the table through a real world example.

Now as you’ve probably read on the site, review’d is a Twitter sentiment analytics service. All that fancy speak basically means that we’re able to filter for and quantify when people express an opinion about something in 140 characters or less. To do so, we’ve developed a proprietary algorithm that scours Twitter and reports these data back to you in near real-time. Since we’re not “live” yet per se, I’ll give you a sense of some of the data we’ve been able to track on these two teams over the past couple of weeks.

Recognizing that the Sox and Yankees aren’t yet playing each other, it’s possible that’ll be a case soon. So why not keep an eye on how people feel about the teams over time? Chances are there are going to be plenty of die-hards..on both ends of the spectrum.

We started tracking these teams on Sept. 21, just before the season started winding down and we’ve been able to track more than 2,000 tweets that carry an opinion with them (and a keyword associated with the team). But taking a look closer is when it starts to get interesting.

For the Yankees during the period we tracked 1,086 positive tweets versus 196 negative. For the Sox, it was 710 positive versus 155 negative.

Here are a few examples of the tweets we tracked (on each side of the fence – no bias from us *wink* *cough* *#redsoxftw* *ahem*):

Red Sox (positive)

Red Sox (negative)

Yankees (positive)

Yankees (negative)

Just from that little bit a data you’re able to tell a lot already: how the teams are doing versus each other on a quantity (chattiness) and relative opinion basis. Yankees went about 85% positive and Red Sox at 82%. A tight race (no surprise given how close the games typically end). I think we have a new rivalry on our hands!

Imagine if you could analyze this after wins versus losses. Think about the value in following all the people who praise your team. What if you could trend these data over time and compare against Twitter campaign efforts? We could compare the four pairings of teams in the playoffs and see how they do as the series builds. There could be a growth (or shrinkage) of support as things progress – how so, and by whom? All of that – and more – will be possible with review’d!

Make sure you’ve signed-up for the Feedburner and are following @reviewd on Twitter to keep in touch with review’d. There’s plenty more to come…

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Image credit: team logos MLB, individual tweets copyright creators (linked to in image).