Sessions at SXSW Interactive 2012 about Twitter on Sunday 11th March

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• 140 Characters vs. 14000 Words: The New Long Form

  by David Plotz and Evan Ratliff

  In the age of shortened attention spans and journalism that exists in 140 characters or less, how does long-form journalism not only compete but prevail in the digital space? Slate editor David Plotz, creator of Slate’s noted fresca program, will showcase some of the latest and most engaging interactive features that are redefining long-form journalism on the web. Evan Ratliff, contributing editor at Wired and founder and editor of The Atavist, will present the newest opportunities for interactivity within long-form in-app. This isn’t your grandmother’s long-form -- the innovations showcased in this presentation move us to the next phase of the medium, helping to transform long-form journalism pieces into traffic success stories, and a boon for advertisers.

  • Twitter
  • Writing

  At 11:00am to 12:00pm, Sunday 11th March

  In Capitol A-D, Sheraton Austin Hotel at the Capitol

  Coverage audio clip

• Celebs & Causes: A Thin Line btwn #winning & #fail

  by Aria Finger, Noopur Agarwal, Diana Walker and Kenna Zemedkun

  Social media gives celebrities powerful new ways to mobilize millions to get involved in social causes – but it’s easy to get it wrong. On World AIDS Day 2010, Alicia Keys and a number of A-listers “digitally died,” calling on the public to resurrect them by donating $1M for HIV/AIDS initiatives. Was asking celebs to stop tweeting the best way to fight AIDS? Or was Dan Savage’s It Gets Better campaign a better approach, asking celebs and everyday people to use their social graph to address LGBT intolerance and bullying?

  Experts from media, non-profits and an actual celebrity will explore these and other cases that illuminate the power and pitfalls of using celebs for social good. Through the session, you will hear their insights on when, why and how to effectively engage talent to advance social causes -- as well as rookie mistakes to avoid. Join us for a discussion that will help you effectively harness the power of celebrity in your next digital pro-social campaign.

  • Campaigning
  • Celebrity
  • Charity
  • Social Media
  • Twitter

  At 12:30pm to 1:30pm, Sunday 11th March

  In Room 9ABC, Austin Convention Center

• How to Win Friends and Influence Space Exploration

  by Chris Radcliff, Dennis Bonilla, Michael Doornbos, Ron Garan and Holly Griffith

  Not unlike a zombie horde ready to devour red tape and uninspired project managers, this enthusiastic movement sees brains as valuable assets to take over the world. Learn why these people got so passionately involved in space, how they became good friends over the Internet, and what they’ve created to make measurable change toward a more awesome tomorrow. While established membership organizations struggle to survive, these Internet-enabled groups are flourishing with new members from far outside traditional demographic lines that are creating large-scale activities. If you don’t already know a space tweep, learn why you will.

  • Kickstarter
  • NASA
  • Space
  • Twitter

  At 12:30pm to 1:30pm, Sunday 11th March

  In Capital Ballroom, Omni Downtown

  Coverage audio clip

• Mark Schaefer Book Signing

  by Mark Schaefer

  Mark Schaefer signs his books ‘Return On The Influence’ and ‘The Tao of Twitter’.

  • Book Signing
  • Influence
  • Twitter

  At 3:30pm to 3:45pm, Sunday 11th March

  In Ballroom G Foyer, Austin Convention Center

• #NoFailWhale: Tweet More, Drop Out Less

  by Rey Junco

  Join Rey for an engaging, lively, beat-box-a-licious discussion about how the college classroom can be transformed into an engaging, collaborative learning community with the help of Twitter. Last year at SxSWi, Rey presented research to show that using Twitter can help increase student engagement and improve grades. This year, he’s back with fresh and compelling data to show that Twitter can not only be used to engage students, but improve understanding of course content and reduce the college dropout rate after the first year. Rey will summarize analyses of qualitative data describing how students interact on Twitter and what this means for the learning process; he’ll also provide quantitative data to explain how Twitter use affects acquisition of course content, engagement and persistence. In addition to presenting these results, Rey will discuss specific applications of Twitter technology higher education professionals can utilize to maximize educational good.

  • Educational Technology
  • Twitter

  At 5:00pm to 6:00pm, Sunday 11th March

  In Classroom 203, AT&T Conference Center

  Coverage audio clip

• NASA’s Mission Possible: Tweeting thru Space

  by Erik Sowa and Stephanie Schierholz

  With 110 twitter accounts, 20 tweeting astronauts, an Image of the day posted to Facebook and more, NASA's social media strategy is all about extending the space "experience". For the last shuttle launch of Atlantis, 150 lucky individuals were invited to attend the official NASA Tweetup to experience the lift-off first-hand, with exclusive behind the scenes access to astronauts, facilities, lectures and more. Hear from Erik Sowa, NASA Tweetup attendee and director of engineering at ExactTarget's Social Media Lab, and Stephanie Schierholz, NASA's head of social media, as they discuss the process behind this groundbreaking event.

  • NASA
  • Social Media
  • Space
  • Twitter

  At 5:00pm to 6:00pm, Sunday 11th March

  In Capital Ballroom, Omni Downtown