Does anyone use Twitter? (Yes, I know LOTS of people use Twitter, I meant any of you lot). It's been around for a while and as I recently took a break from the web for three months I missed it.
Anyway, I signed up for it but as I don't know anyone else who uses it I haven't actually experienced it properly. I haven't rushed to tell friends and acquaintances to use it because, well, I am doubting the usefulness of it.
If you haven't seen it, the premise of Twitter is to answer the question "What are you doing?" You tell it and it tells all your friends. It does this by posting your answer to your profile and if they have it set up, sending your answers to your friend's IM accounts and/or phones. It's more immediate and micro than a blog post and not quite an IM conversation.
At first I got all hot and bothered over the fact that I had found a new application that did something so immediate and allowed me to communicate so easily and then I went to answer the question and thought, hang on, I don't know if I want people to know what I am doing. And on top of that, what makes me think people would be interested in what I am doing?
As Kathy Sierra pointed out in December last year, Twitter is a sign that we are approaching a point of brain overload. We are already in a state of constant partial attention, our ability to focus is diminishing by the second. Having to think about what you are doing every hour or so and report it is not exactly conducive to focus. And to be honest, I can't think of many people who would like to know what I am doing all the time. And (whisper it) I can't think of anyone who I would like to tell me what they are doing constantly. Sometimes a little mystery is good thing.
Comments
Gosh, Twitter is sooo five seconds ago. I know this, because I read it this morning.
Can't remember where though. What did you say about ability to fo- god, I'm already bored with this conversation.
Posted by: BK | March 16, 2007 03:51 PM
Yeah, well, I've been a bit slow on the uptake lately haven't I?
In some ways I hope it doesn't catch on, it's just getting too much. Then again, maybe I'm just showing my age...
Posted by: Georg | March 16, 2007 05:03 PM
It was very popular at SXSW interactive. Most people seemed to have it enabled, with many having it on their phones. A lot of the time people would twitter about where they were going for dinner, or which bar they were headed to next. It was quite useful and fun.
It think you'll find me on twitter as dreadfuldan.
Posted by: Dan | March 17, 2007 10:23 PM
I thought it might have been popular in that environment. It makes sense, as Dan at Adaptive Path points out in this post.
Other stuff about Twitter that has cropped up: Liz Lawley on why it matters and Kathy Sierra again.
Posted by: Georg | March 20, 2007 11:34 AM
Hi!
Would like to start my first post to templatedata by saying thanks for the good read. :]
As for this twitters – I think I’d really hate the constant interruptions. Imagine how crazy it would be for all the people who try and collect as many mates as possible. Yes an overload… makes me think that twitters would make me twitch… so its also poorly named.
Posted by: melissa | March 22, 2007 11:31 AM
http://blogcritics.org/archives/2007/03/22/124049.php makes a good argument against using it.
I kept thinking 'waste of time'.
Posted by: BK | March 23, 2007 11:20 AM
Melissa, thanks for your comment! I agree with you but...
I have a confession to make: I've started using Twitter. Twit.
Posted by: Georg | April 5, 2007 05:13 PM