I have been interviewed by a technology editor at a local newspaper – The Straits Times and I am glad to share with you guys the article which was published on the Wednesday’s edition Home B7.
Few people are likely to be too interested in the one-liners a 15-year-old Singapore schoolboy posts online about his life, his interests or his thoughts, except perhaps his parents, family and friends. But Xavier Lur, in Secondary 3 at Maris Stella High School, has corralled 54,567 netizens from the world over into following the updates he broadcastson Twitter, a free social-networking utility big in the online world since last year.
With that number of “followers” or friends, he is the Top Local Twitterer. Irish rock star Bono has only a third as many. Many politicians, or showbiz people, athletes and ordinary netizens get on Twitter to offer updates on their lives; people become followers to get these updates, to stalk celebrities or simply to make friends the world over. But why are almost 55,000 people “following” the updates or “tweets” put out by this Singapore schoolboy? Xavier’s popularity appears to stem from his knowledge about things tech and his tender years.
This self-described technology blogger puts out tweets on the latest tech trends, for example, the latest mobile phone applications. His close friend Zhou Tong, 14, noted that Xavier has also put out tweets about the social networking site Facebook – ranging from tech tips on how to make one’s profile more visually presentable to comments on Facebook’s design revamp.
One tweet Xavier sent out announced that he and Zhou Tong were developing a “social asking platform”, which whipped up a flurry of excitement, say his followers. People were just intrigued that a 15-year-old could write a computer program for this. Xavier said adults overseas are a big part of his audience, many keen on a peek into school life here.
Like any schoolboy, he has views on his teachers – some flattering, others less so, laced with some humor. He describes his life as a Singapore student, including days he stays home from school for “e-learning”, his class trips and about creating class blogs. Sometimes, his tweets are more personal, about his father’s business trips. Other days, he is plain mischievous, if also resourceful, and willing to share his ideas on how to save labor: “Too lazy to write a Chinese composition titled Health Is More Important Than Wealth, so I used Google Translate to translate it from English.”
He is helpful too, with tips like “How to insert images in a word document without embedding”, accompanied by a link to the actual method. He has, in turn, used Twitter as a 24/7 helpdesk for getting answers to his own tech questions “within a minute or so”, and stirred debate among netizens with questions like “Which programming language is the easiest to learn?” He said that vitally, using Twitter has improved his communication skills and taught him about other cultures and “the outside world”. He grew his network of Twitter friends when he had time on his hands during a school break. He now spends an hour online daily, sending out about 20 tweets, but still makes time for soccer, badminton, his friends or even helping his mother with “adult” tasks like submitting online passport applications.
Interestingly, his ambition has little to do with the tech world. He said that when he grows up, he wants to become a financial investor “just like Warren Buffett, and maybe a psychologist.” He has a younger brother who is keen on online computer games.
Fellow Twitterer Eric Chua, who follows Xavier for his tips, said the teen stands out for his useful tips, for example, on blogging and how to run online businesses. Mr Chua, 27, and the owner of a start-up involved in video production and online publishing, is himself among the top 5 Twitterers here. A distant second to Xavier, with 13,147 followers, he got on Twitter mainly to recruit suitably skilled people to join his start-up.
But Twittering is also about social networking. He has met chief executives, former politicians and authors online. “The world is now flat,” he declared. Of the other three top Twitterers, one is a social worker and two, Internet marketers. Social worker and avid blogger John Yeo, with 5,676 followers, said he joined Twitter mainly to share blogging tips.
As a testament to the power of the web and Xavier’s comment that the world is falt, I’m going to check himn out on Twitter!
-Don Power
@donpower
Hey Xavier, congratulations for hitting big time in Straits Times! At least you don’t have to pay for the advertisement
best regards,
Nelson
Currently No. 75 in S’pore
I find your posts very valuable
) Thanks for doing what you do. How cool that your local paper featured you?!! Congrats and keep up the awesome content!
Congratulations Xavier!
Congratulations, Xavier, on being featured! ^^
By the way, I found the interview with you on the site of the newspaper here – http://www.straitstimes.com/vgn-ext-templating/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=3ca0b447065a0210VgnVCM100000430a0a0aRCRD&vgnextchannel=cf70758920e39010VgnVCM1000000a35010aRCRD
Keep up the good work!
Congrats…great article.
Congratulations Xavier!
I wonder if my local newspapers will do a report on me. LOL
Good Job! You did us proud.
Xav;
you still blow me away. I bow to your Time Management skills.
Hi Xavier … you are no 1 in Singapore, why don’t you check the neighbouring country’s twitt rank (Jakarta, Indonesia)
Congrats. It is all due to your intelligent hard work and passion towards blogging.
When I was 15 I got my first PC. I started blogging around 18.
Hey! Contrats! The hard work paid off.
Wow… you are famous!
Hi Xavier, Mdm Azlin here. I joined Twitter out of curiosity and to see what you are up to. A lot of tech stuff I don’t understand but I may use it for my EL lessons:) So proud to see a Marist in the papers!
But why are almost 55,000 people “following†the updates or “tweets†put out by this Singapore schoolboy? That’s because he spam followed 55,000 people.
top twitterer in s’pore?!tats so cool!!!
Congrats!