Ok, ok, I know that everyone in the technorati is on Twitter. I have resisted it for a long time (kind of like I do with video games), but finally I had heard enough about it that I had to try it out.
For those of you not “in the know”, Twitter is basically a huge waste of time. You answer one simple question “What are you doing now?”. That’s it. There is no complex technical crap needed, just register and let people know what you are doing.
I know a lot of you are scratching your heads wondering “why would I ever do this?”. Well, it’s entirely liberating to let people know what you are doing. This sounds strange but it’s true. It’s like getting something off your chest by speaking about it in public. Of course you have to have people actively subscribed to you (or added as a friend or follower), but after you do, life can get really interesting.
I was listening to the “Daily Source Code” the other day and Adam Curry was saying that Twitter was not for him. He just shelved the idea of Twitter as “Americans finally learning about SMS.” Adam obviously hangs out with the wrong crowd when he is in the US. I think a large majority of kids under the age of 25 text as their primary means of communication in the US right now.
Twitter takes texting a to a social dimension. You can let your friends subscribe not only on their cell phones, but on their computers as well. Actually, that is the primary way I use Twitter, on my Mac.
I think the best thing about Twitter is the fact that you can “follow” other people. I have about five or six people I follow on Twitter like Leo Laporte and Merlin Mann. What do I get out of “following” these people? I think the answer to that the “voyeur factor”. You want to know what these people are doing. The fact that they selflessly let us peons know is even better. It’s a way to microblog without getting overly wordy.
If you are curious about Twitter, click here to find out more.
And keep looking at my Twitter badge located on Really Random Reviews and Podcast Wasteland to see what I’m up to. If you get interested in Twitter, please look me up and add me as a friend.
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5 comments:
I'd wager that the bulk of the technorati are not using Twitter. Yours is honestly the first blog that I've seen using this among a list of web-designers and programmers two pages long.
Twitter will definitely appeal to the MySpace crowd, though, the active socialites of the net.
Depends on what you mean by "technorati". This is the Web 2.0 app that is the next Facebook. I've seen at least mention of Twitter in over 100 websites and podcasts in the last two weeks alone. I first heard about it on MacBreak Weekly when everyone was using it during Jan's MacWorld.
Twitter isn't about the badge on a website..that's only a benefit, it's about the rapid messaging that you can let your friends know what's going on, primarily via text messaging.
Time to get out of the lab my friend.
Next facebook by who's definition? Just because Leo Laporte uses it and 100 websites and podcasts does not make it the future. In fact, if that's all who's using it, considering how long they've been out, then it's a pretty good indicator that its not being adopted widely.
Take heed. Your comment to "get out of the lab" is insulting and completely off base - you've very clearly got your hands into the tech blogs so deep that you don't realize what's actually in common use, Mr. Early Adopter. The majority of Web2.0 apps are used for about 2 weeks and dumped.
OK, guys, lets take a step back, take some deep breaths, and get some perspective. There is no need to fight about TWITTER!
Agree to disagree and please dispense with the digs, please? Do NOT make go medieval on your asses!
Remember, I have the POWER now!
Since this is a review blog, it would be MY definition since I wrote the article.
Dr. Sue is right...not worth the argument.
Thanks for the post.
Peace should be had throughout the land.
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