Anyone using Twitter?

quote:

What is it?
Twitter is a community of friends and strangers from around the world sending updates about moments in their lives. Friends near or far can use Twitter to remain somewhat close while far away. Curious people can make friends. Bloggers can use it as a mini-blogging tool. Developers can use the API to make Twitter tools of their own. Possibilities are endless!

At first I thought it was rather silly and sat with a high I-don't-care-what-you-had-for-dinner factor, but I'm actually beginning to see it as a moderately useful communication tool. Updates can be sent via the website, text messages, or various 3rd party applications and are limited to 140 characters.

I'm basically filtering my twitter updates to my personal website as a form of micro blogging. I haven't been away much since using it and am mostly just exploring the possibilities but I can see this as an interesting way to post updates while abroad. What does it take to send a single text message every day while away and keep friends/family/readers up to date of interesting observations or experiences?

The real trick is not posting mundane crap and keeping it interesting. Like I said, still playing around with it myself, just wondering if anyone else was using it.

People here at work LOVE twitter. I am on it, but have no network right now so haven't really used it.

i have just discovered the evil that is twitter. alas, none of my friends are as narcissistic as me and i can only twitter to myself.

I can imagine employers banning this in the workplace in the near future, just as some employers have already banned facebook and myspace.

Bloop... it's two years in the future, and I'm starting to use twitter more regularly, and for the sake of using twitter.

Anyone else?

Two years on, I still don't understand what the deal with twitter is. I can't stand the lack of complete sentences, or the mundane factor of almost every update I've ever seen. But I guess many people appreciate it, so I'll just be the grumpy old codger in the corner who isn't up with the latest and greatest.

On a side note, I also get really annoyed at people who twitter/facebook on their blackberries while other people are speaking. Strikes me as somewhere close to the epitome of rude.

I follow a few agents and publishing houses, and find their updates fairly informative for keeping up with industry chatter. Some of my friends will post useless and annoying updates, but it seems that people are so busy these days that it's the only way to keep up on what they're doing.

There are also a few people out there using twitter for humour:

http://twitter.com/matthewbaldwin is a master of the 140 char joke:

There are two types of people: those who plan the text of their tweets out ahead of time, and those who uhhhhhmmmmmmmmmm

Man, for $1,075 an ounce you'd think gold bullion would make better tasting soup.

In retrospect, I probably shouldn't have bet my sweet ass. Now my jeans won't stay up.

Been caving caribou and field mice all day. Being hungry like the wolf is significantly less sexy than advertised.

http://twitter.com/hellobigfoot is posting as Bigfoot:

Constant threat of forest fire is what stopping me from do acid lately.

Spit in my face - OK. Insult my friends - OK. Lay in my sunbeam - I stab hole through your face with my fist.

Shave forearms because it tshirt weather. Would go topless if not for embarrassing Matrix tattoo on back.

cayce wrote:i have just discovered the evil that is twitter. alas, none of my friends are as narcissistic as me and i can only twitter to myself.

Do you go blind if you twitter to yourself?

KathrynD wrote:

cayce wrote:i have just discovered the evil that is twitter. alas, none of my friends are as narcissistic as me and i can only twitter to myself.

Do you go blind if you twitter to yourself?

LOL. It has been a YEAR imagine that since this post started and twitter has just exploded. Everybody's doing it, c'mon..

I actually prefer it to Facebook (deleted my own account in Jan 2009) and there's no pressure to add acquaintances, colleagues/staff (no way!), etc.. You don't have to twitter every single thing that you're doing - I use twitter to pass on information on conservation, indigenous peoples issues, climate change, to a discerning audience (you are who you add on twitter.....).

Twitter good.