---
title: 'Portwiture: What does your Twitter stream look like?*'
date: '2009-07-14T08:10:40-07:00'
type: post
word_count: 339
char_count: 2122
tokens: 441
categories:
  - flickr
  - Mashups
  - Oregon
  - Portland
  - Portwiture
  - Twitter
  - Visualizations
tags:
  - flickr
  - Mashup
  - Portwiture
  - Twitter
  - 'tyler sticka'
  - visualization
---

# Portwiture: What does your Twitter stream look like?*

\[HTML2\]Usually when I ask “Can you see what I’m saying?” I’m just mangling the English language. But when it comes to [Portwiture](http://portwiture.com/ "Portwiture")—a random [Twitter](http://twitter.com "Twitter") and [Flickr](http://flickr.com "Flickr") mashup from Portland-based designer [Tyler Sticka](http://twitter.com/tylersticka "Tyler Sticka")—I’m being all too literal.

Why? Well, Portwiture helps you visualize your Twitter stream of pithy insights. But not in an old-boring-graph way. Instead, it does it by snagging photos from Flickr, the popular photo sharing site.

The results? A “serendipitous visual representation of your Twitter profile.” Just take a look at the [visualization of the Silicon Florist tweet stream](http://portwiture.com/siliconflorist/? "Portwiture visualization of the Silicon Florist tweet stream"). (I even got a [Meredith Farmer](http://meredithfarmer.tumblr.com/ "Portland photographer Meredith Farmer on tumblr") shot in there. w00t!)

[![Portwiture: Twitter and Flickr mashup](https://i0.wp.com/farm3.static.flickr.com/2555/3720932074_98f4d90e86.jpg?resize=500%2C393)](http://www.flickr.com/photos/turoczy/3720932074/ "Portwiture: Twitter and Flickr mashup by turoczy, on Flickr")

So what’s the point? Well, it’s interesting for one thing. Like, it got me to thinking “Why in the heck do I have stormtroopers showing up in my tweet stream?” Or, as Tyler puts it:

> It’s simply an experiment in mashing up social services. That isn’t to say there aren’t uses for it. Take inspiration from the results, and use your imagination!

And that’s not the only Twitter app Tyler has built. Interested in hearing more? Well, you can learn about it where I learned about it: by listening to the [interviews with Tyler on Strange Love Live](http://strangelovelive.com/?p=610 "Tyler Sticka on Strange Love Live"). Or to test drive it for yourself, just head on over to [Portwiture](http://portwiture.com/ "Portwiture").

*\* This headline works best if you say it in an angry Samuel L. Jackson voice. Just saying.*

\[HTML1\]