Wynn Netherland presents ten things learned while building TweetCongress.org, the 2009 SXSW award-winning site for activism.

1. Ten things we learned building TweetCongress.org
AMERICA, YOUR CONGRESS IS MASHED UP!
OpenBeta4 March 24, 2010
WYNNNETHERLAND
Thursday, March 25, 2010

2. My rep @michaelcburgess
is on Twitter. Is yours?
Thursday, March 25, 2010

3. Thursday, March 25, 2010

4. and aggregator
^
The idea: A Twitter directory for the US Congress
Thursday, March 25, 2010

5. Tales from
the pitch
the reaction:
silence
[ ]
Thursday, March 25, 2010

6. “... OK so no one else thinks this is a good idea”
Thursday, March 25, 2010

7. Lesson #1
Stick with a good idea
Thursday, March 25, 2010

8. myreptweets.com
doesyourreptweet.com
tweetcongress.com .org
Thursday, March 25, 2010

9. Thursday, March 25, 2010

10. Lesson #2
A good name makes a difference
Thursday, March 25, 2010

11. Lesson #3
Have a why
Thursday, March 25, 2010

12. “We the Tweeple of the United States,
in order to form a more perfect
government, establish communication,
and promote transparency do hereby
tweet the Congress of the United States
of America.”
Thursday, March 25, 2010

13. Thursday, March 25, 2010

14. “Burn!”
-- Michael Kelso
Thursday, March 25, 2010

15. Thursday, March 25, 2010

16. Lesson #4
Small ideas can have a big impact
Thursday, March 25, 2010

17. Thursday, March 25, 2010

18. Thursday, March 25, 2010

19. Thursday, March 25, 2010

20. Lesson #5
Mash up your passions, have fun
Thursday, March 25, 2010

21. Thursday, March 25, 2010

22. Lesson #6
Don't start from scratch - use APIs
Thursday, March 25, 2010

23. Are my congress folk on Twitter?
Thursday, March 25, 2010

24. Wait. Who the heck are my congress folk again?
Thursday, March 25, 2010

25. # GET
/legislators.allForZip.json?zip=76227
Thursday, March 25, 2010

26. What are my congress tweeps tweeting?
Thursday, March 25, 2010

27. That's so a whole other talk.
Hit me with your questions in the Q&A...
Thursday, March 25, 2010

28. Lesson #7
Get whitelisted
20,000 is really a small number in the grand scheme of things.
Thursday, March 25, 2010

29. Lesson #8
Enthusiasm is contagious
Thursday, March 25, 2010

30. akfast w it h
B re
Nune maker
John
Thursday, March 25, 2010

31. Lesson #9
Twitterland is a Red State ...for now
Thursday, March 25, 2010

32. Independent
2 Democrat
62
Democrat
Republican
Republican
123
Independent
Thursday, March 25, 2010

33. Lesson #10
Congress evokes strong feelings
Thursday, March 25, 2010

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36. Thursday, March 25, 2010

37. So much fun at @openbeta4
in OKC tonight. Thanks for
having me!
Thursday, March 25, 2010