The Avs Hockey Podcast

Two Fan's Perspectives on Colorado Avalanche Hockey...and jerseys too.

Your Official #AvsChat Guide

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It’s official Avs fans, the inaugural #AVsChat is scheduled for Tuesday, September 23.  We will start the chat at around 8:30-8:45 p.m. US mountain time.  I would love to be more specific with the time, but with two girls (ages five and three) at home, we never know what bed time is going to bring.  Make sure you’re on Twitter at about 8:30 and you should be fine.

I wanted to reach out to those of you that have never participated in a live Twitter chat and provide some details that will support you with becoming a Twitter chat pro in virtually no time.

The key to Twitter chats is the use of the hashtag.  In our case it will be #AvsChat.  The hashtag is what will connect us all during the chat time, whether we follow each other or not so please be sure to use the #AvsChat hashtag with every tweet you post during the chat.

I have linked videos below which will help to get you familiar with two tools that will allow you to follow the chat more effectively (while on a computer.)  The first tool is TweetDeck (made and supported by Twitter):

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZJYVqxVz6c[/youtube]

…and the second tool is TweetChat.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeMDqKl3tGc[/youtube]

You can always simply use the Twitter site or app on your mobile device to search for the hashtag as well.  On your phone, simply click on the hashtag and you’ll be able to see everyone that has used that hashtag in recent tweets.  If you’re going to be using the Twitter site on your computer go to https://twitter.com/search-home, type in #AvsChat, and then read/interact with/whatever you’d like to do with the tweets you see.

Even with using what TweetChat and TweetDeck have to offer you still may feel overwhelmed by the amount of tweets you’ll see during the chat.  That’s definitely okay and the sign of an active and effective chat.  In the end, you will see the tweets you’re meant to see.  Feel free, during that chat, to sit back, relax read what people are thinking.  You can obviously choose to have a conversation with people as well.  Each question will last for about five minutes each and then we’ll move on.  I will ask the question using the Q1, Q2, Q3, etc. format.  Participants then answer with A1, A2, A3, etc. format.  That way it will be easier to keep track of where we are in the chat.

I will be the moderator for this chat so you can either follow me (@AvsPodcast) to make sure you don’t miss any of the questions, or keep an eye on my tweets as you use any of the methods/tools suggested above.  And just so you can mentally prepare, the link to the questions I’ll ask is right here: http://goo.gl/MpTNmw.  That is the actual document that I will copy and paste the questions from.  The questions may change just a bit before our chat so be sure (if you prefer) to check them out again closer to next Tuesday night.

I think that’s about it.  I am always happy to help in any way that I can with questions about logistics or anything else.  Just be in touch on Twitter (@AvsPodcast) or you can send me an email at AvsHockeyPodcast@gmail.com.  I’m happy to do whatever I can to help make it successful for all of us.

Thanks for much for your passion and being connected to what James and I do with the show.  Without these connections I never would have thought to make #AHPChat a thing.  I’m really looking forward to seeing how this goes.

Talk to everyone again soon and Let’s Go Avs.

#AvsChat, Join us!

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Hey there Avs fans!  I was looking for a way for Avs fans to get even more interaction and connections on Twitter and based on my past experiences with Twitter chats I thought I would give it a go.  Twitter chats are a great way for people with similar interests and passions (Colorado Avalanche hockey for example) to have a live conversation as well as have the chance to connect with other fans you otherwise may not have met.  I will be more than happy to moderate this chat.  I have already created a handful of questions which will be used to guide the first conversation/chat we have.

If you have never participated in a chat on Twitter they go a little something like this.  The hashtag is the key to the whole thing.  A moderator posts questions while participants chime in.  All tweets during this chat should include the hashtag (#AvsChat) so people who aren’t following each other can see each other’s tweets.  Participants can follow the hashtag by clicking on the hashtag on their mobile device, but it’s way simpler to use a tool like TweetDeck or TweetChat  on an actual computer to follow along.  As the moderator, I will post questions with a Q1, Q2,  Q3, etc. format.  Chatters then reply using the A1, A2, A3, etc. format so it’s simple to see which question participants are referring to.  Twitter chats, overall, are pretty simple and very powerful!

I am looking to get this going soon and am hoping to have a couple of #AvsChats before the regular season begins.  The only thing I need from those of you that this sounds interesting to is what day/time of day that would generally work best for you to participate.  I’m thinking the chat will take about an hour total.  If you would please take literally 15 seconds and fill out the form below I will get the very first #AvsChat scheduled here in the near future.

Thanks again for your interest and stay connected to The AHP’s Twitter and Facebook feeds for when the first of hopefully many #AvsChats will happen!