For everyone who complains that Twitter is a waste of time, here’s a video of Justin Wickett who uses it to control his house lights, saving on his electric bill and potentially scaring off would-be robbers.

Control Lights with Twitter from Justin Wickett on Vimeo.

Sure, you don’t need Twitter to do this … there are plenty of existing non-Twitter options, like Indigo, xPL Monkey, Smarthome, or Automated Home.

Of course, why stop at automating your lights?

(Hat tip to Engadget commenters for suggesting the automation options.)

Chris Brogan shares a humorous Twitter discovery.

Chris Hudson considers some revenue-generating models for Twitter.

My response:

I think there’s a lot of potential for a freemium model, actually. For one, a paid account could have access to keyword tracking, while free accounts would not. (Or maybe would be limited to tracking just a couple terms.) Tracking is a huge bonus for me, as it’s great for everything from finding neighbors to clients to blog readers to people with common interests.

I would happily pay a monthly fee to use Twitter, and many other people have expressed a similar willingness. Overall adoption would decrease, of course, but on the flipside, they’d actually be generating revenue sans advertising.

Speaking of advertising, there’s always the good ol’ “ad-free paid version.”

If Twitter was your company, how would you turn a profit? Share in the comments!

@Phil801 learned yesterday that his baby daughter Serenity has leukemia. He has been live-blogging and Twittering the experience as it unfolds.

This kind of leukemia can be successfully treated 80% of the time, but Serenity is in for a 2.5 year battle. We know she’ll make it through with flying colors, and here’s how you can help:

• Follow @Phil801 on Twitter and send a supportive note. (You can also subscribe to Phil’s blog and Serenity’s FriendFeed room.)
• Make a donation. Serenity is one of eight kids, and “leukemia” wasn’t exactly a line item in their monthly budget. Even $5 can go a long way towards helping Serenity and her family. (Jesse Stay is organizing a more formal donation plan when banks open on Tuesday.)
• If you own a digital video camera, I may have a creative way for you to make a donation. Email me [marina (at) marinamartin (dot) com] or direct message me on Twitter.
• Spread the word on Twitter, your own blog, etc. If you can’t donate, don’t underestimate the impact of a kind thought and supportive word.

Thanks to Jesse Stay for creating the widget

Twitter’s been having some growing pains this week, as I’m sure we’ve all noticed.

Yes, it’s frustrating.

But let’s have a little perspective: we pay nothing for Twitter. Speaking for myself, I’ve gotten a lot out of that $0 investment, including an amazing boyfriend, a new home, a wonderful tech community in Seattle, and a wealth of fabulous people that I genuinely consider to be my friends.

Twitter’s run by a few human beings, without whom we would have no Twitter at all. I’m sure you’ve had your own bad week, yes?

Let’s be good sports and cut out the endless “Death of Twitter” blog posts. Complaining isn’t going to do anything to change the situation.

Here are some things you can do to help Twitter:

• Send a supportive tweet to @jack, @biz, or @ev.
• Leave a positive comment on the Twitter blog or the Twitter Get Satisfaction page.
• Leave a positive comment on the next negative Twitter post you see.
• Use Summize search to find any replies to you while the Replies tab is down. Take a moment and find a non-Twitter way to reach out to those people.
• Call, Skype, SMS, or email a Twitter friend that you’ve only Twittered with previously. Use this downtime to connect in a new way!
• Go out and talk to a complete stranger - at the grocery store, the coffee shop, the bar, wherever. It’s like Twitter in real life!
• Host a Tweetup and meet your Twitter friends in person. Find a Tweetspot and invite your local Twitterpack.
• Convert that tweet that you can’t send to a blog post, and share the URL in the comments here.
• Refresh When Twitter Is Down. A lot.
• Get some perspective. @Phil801 found out today that his infant daughter has leukemia. Head to Phil’s blog and leave a supportive comment.

Think you have the best explanation for what Twitter is? Prove it — submit a video clip of 140 seconds or less to the What Is Twitter video contest.

Prizes include an 8GB iPhone, 1GB Shuffle, and t-shirts from StartupWear.com, with more to be announced soon.

For contest rules and deadlines, head to What Is Twitter.

As best friends in elementary school, Andy Rice and Avi Solomon dreamed of one day chasing tornadoes. Fast forward to today, and they’re living that dream — and taking the Twitterverse along for the ride.

Follow @stormchase to get live updates as the duo chases storms around the country. Also be sure to check out the live webcam on their website.

Heard about a great new place in town to hang out with friends? Did the latest Yelp newsletter make you want to head out the door?

Add your local hotspots to the Tweetspots wiki. (Wiki password is twitter.)

Don’t wait for someone else to organize the next local Twitter event — organize it yourself! You just may be surprised by how many new friends show up.

Looking for an effective way to field questions from the public about a recent business decision? Why not use Twitter!

Colin Browning and Aaron Strout recently used Twitter as a virtual press conference after the announcement that Mzinga and Prospero Technologies had joined forces.

For more details, you can listen to the podcast about the merger and the use of Twitter.

Source: The Bryper Blog by Bryan Person

ReadWriteWeb is hosting an informal poll asking us how far our Twitter following reaches beyond the geek community (if at all).

Hop on over and vote in the poll.

The comments are a treasure trove of experiences, ranging from PyramidView:

Twitter?!? I can’t even get my father to use email.

to Curt:

Well, my parents, as of a couple days now, ARE Twittering. They’re on a 3 month trip across the US and I helped them set up an account at @regularnavy to update us on their progress.

to Nick Nichols:

My Mom is 83. (I’m 56) She uses the computer a lot - email, Google, and keeping up with my Twitter. She lives in Dallas, TX. I live in the Philippines. She keeps telling me over and over how much she appreciates being able to keep up with me through my Twitters.

Are your parents on Twitter?