Update on my personal Twitter system

August 21, 2008 / Filed under: Twitter, Development

Since I developed my own micro-update system to avoid Twitter's API limitations, I've reaped a lot of benefits that most Twitter users probably don't have:

  • Unlimited accessible archives. (no API limitations)
  • Still able to tweet when Twitter is down.
  • Ability to scatter my updates.

I have so much more control over my updates.

To recap: I no longer update Twitter through traditional tools (Twitter web site, Twitter SMS number, or third-party Twitter apps). Rather, I created my own private app that sends my updates to a personal database first, then to Twitter if I so choose. It simply mirrors my updates. My followers don't notice any difference. To them, it appears as if I'm updating from Twitter's web interface.

Unlimited accessible archives

It's obvious, then, that I have unlimited access to my own personal database, meaning I'm no longer choked by Twitter's API limits. If I want to view my last 500 tweets, that's no problem. If I want to view a tweet from last year, no problem also. (Of course, I just started doing this, so I haven't accrued that many tweets yet in my own database.)

Still able to tweet when Twitter is down

Since Twitter is down quite a bit, being able to still update something during those times is nice. Sure, those updates won't be posted to Twitter right away, but I can easily send the update once Twitter is working again. The idea is to get the thought out of your head as it happens, rather than waiting for Twitter to be up, which in most cases you'll forget what you wanted to say.

Ability to scatter my updates

This is important for those who like to bombard their followers with constant updates. Perhaps you don't need to say it right this second. So, what I'll do is update my personal DB, and not share it on Twitter just yet. Then, during a down-time, when my updates have been slower, I can send the update to Twitter. This spaces out my updates and lets my followers breathe a bit, without being slammed by my incessant posts.

Just the surface

That's just scratching the surface of what can be done. Just about anything that helps me use Twitter or perform micro-updates better can be added to my application.

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