Who's Twittering these days?

[skategoat]

I'm a bit addicted to it. It's the best way to get breaking news. I follow the CBC, New York Times and CNN. I'm not a real celebrity follower but Chad Ochocinco is quite entertaining. He's very open and has done a great job of showing that he's just a regular guy.

Twitter: http://twitter.com/henryinTO

[pebu]

I'm not gonna lie. I think twittering is one of the most retarded things ever. Just the opinion of a lone skeptic here. I know people obviously love it, it's the hottest thing since furbys, but I don't see the point.

I also don't text message unless I'm in a place where I couldn't possibly make audible conversation (ie, a real loud bar or the like).

[skategoat]

Depends on your viewpoint. If you're curious about people and the world around you, it's another channel. There are two things I like about Twitter. 1) It's near real time and 2) the elimination of intermediaries. I get a direct channel instead of getting my news filtered by the media. See the Iran Election Protests to see the power of both: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1905125,00.html

[Aisling]

oh heeeeeelll no.

it's actually become amusing/annoying that people don't use their phones for, ya know... calling each other. we get updates through websites(ohhaiBOL) and texts, etc. remember how ya used to talk to your friends? LOL

as far as updates on world news there is nothing i need to know immediatelyrightnowinstanttwitter unless its imminent danger which i'm sure i'd get through other means

[Dave ESPI]

RE: annoying attention whores.

* and a rare few interesting tweets (such as news, or weather warnings)

not me for damn sure. I vote : Most irritating creation of 2009

[skategoat]

That's exactly what I used to hear in 1994 when I was out there pitching websites. "Fad", "For Kids", "Nothing but porn". Twitter is a game changer. It makes blogging easy and accessible. In the old days, like 2006, you had to be literate and somewhat tech-savvy to own a blog. Now, all it takes is an SMS phone. And with only 140 characters to work with, it doesn't even matter if you can spell.

[MUD]

As far as the "blogging" goes. Why? What purpose does it truly serve?

I am actually curious. All the ones I have seen have been pure dribble.

[bobble]

i crack up when i read sh!tmydadsays. defintely not safe for work.

purpose? i sometimes sign in... nothing practical but...

i made a professional network contact via twitter just by searching for topics.

been thinking of doing some project and tweets from an arduino.

[skategoat]

As far as the "blogging" goes. Why? What purpose does it truly serve?

I am actually curious. All the ones I have seen have been pure dribble.

It's really no different than any other information medium. Do you watch TV? 90% of that is dribble.

What I like about Twitter is that it's much like a newspaper. The Tweets are 140 characters and a lot like headlines. If the Tweet is interesting, I click on the link and dive into the article. The misconception that non-Twitter users hold is that the 140 character Tweet is all there is. That's not the case - the Tweets lead to more detailed web pages, photos, etc.

If there's news or info that I'm interested in, it comes to me. I don't have to go chasing it. A lot like RSS feeds but a hell of lot easier to find the stuff that's relevant.

Let's say you're in the technology business. It's your job to stay current. So I follow nyt_tech, silicon valley insider and various Mac and Apple tweeters. For entertainment, I follow a few comedians. For sports, I follow ESPN, TSN, Chad Ochocinco, Will Carling (rugby). I follow guys who's opinions I respect (industry and otherwise).

MUD, if you're truly interested and not just a naysayer, try it for a month. Download a client like TweetDeck, follow people from your industry, your hobbies, etc.

Honestly, everyone I know who thumbs their noses at Twitter has never really tried it.

[skategoat]

i crack up when i read sh!tmydadsays. defintely not safe for work.

purpose? i sometimes sign in... nothing practical but...

i made a professional network contact via twitter just by searching for topics.

been thinking of doing some project and tweets from an arduino.

You know he's got a book deal now? Funny stuff.

[Speedzilla]

Twitter has been a great tool for me. Most of my twitter network is related to my career and I find valuable info via twitter on a daily basis.

[MUD]

It's really no different than any other information medium. Do you watch TV? 90% of that is dribble.

What I like about Twitter is that it's much like a newspaper. The Tweets are 140 characters and a lot like headlines. If the Tweet is interesting, I click on the link and dive into the article. The misconception that non-Twitter users hold is that the 140 character Tweet is all there is. That's not the case - the Tweets lead to more detailed web pages, photos, etc.

If there's news or info that I'm interested in, it comes to me. I don't have to go chasing it. A lot like RSS feeds but a hell of lot easier to find the stuff that's relevant.

Let's say you're in the technology business. It's your job to stay current. So I follow nyt_tech, silicon valley insider and various Mac and Apple tweeters. For entertainment, I follow a few comedians. For sports, I follow ESPN, TSN, Chad Ochocinco, Will Carling (rugby). I follow guys who's opinions I respect (industry and otherwise).

MUD, if you're truly interested and not just a naysayer, try it for a month. Download a client like TweetDeck, follow people from your industry, your hobbies, etc.

Honestly, everyone I know who thumbs their noses at Twitter has never really tried it.

Interesting.

Thanks for the good reply. I'm gonna have to check it out.

And no. I don't watch TV.;)

[Speedzilla]

Yay, I'm Doug's 1st follower.

[live_love_ride]

Twitter - innate and annoying at best.

The whole "follower" thing has gotten ridiculous. People have become so busy "following" that they have no clue who they are as individuals.

As for blogging I have found several to be invaluable resources. Suppose its what you are looking for that matters.

[skategoat]

Twitter - innate and annoying at best.

The whole "follower" thing has gotten ridiculous. People have become so busy "following" that they have no clue who they are as individuals.

As for blogging I have found several to be invaluable resources. Suppose its what you are looking for that matters.

Is it the fact that they're called "followers" that bothers you? Try as I might, I don't see how Twitter threatens someone's identity. What if Twitter called them "subscribers"? I suspect that would be more palatable. If you follow blogs, following a Twitter feed is no different. It's actually better. Think of Twitter as 140 character RSS feeds.

Years ago, I used to pay for news feeds. Remember those push news clients? Twitter is the same thing except now I can get news from friends, colleagues and media sources.

I train businesses on how to use social media as an information and marketing channel. I find if someone already has their mind made up that Twitter is drivel, then it's no use trying to convince them otherwise. But, if they're on the fence and open minded, they often are amazed by the usefulness of Twitter.

[Loc]

I love Twitter. I'm able to follow a lot of professionals in my field and learn something everyday. I also follow Jeremy Jones and see what big mountain he's riding down http://twitter.com/jeremyjones

Social networking is one of those things where you get it or you don't.

[MUD]

Pretty neat...... I have been playing around a bit.

I have noticed something though. My people don't tweet.......:(

I'll keep playing though.

[skategoat]

I suggest you try out TweetDeck:

http://tweetdeck.com/download/

Set up columns with Boolean search entries for all the topics you are interested in. The search will feed you with hits. If you find a Twitter account of interest, you then follow them.

[MUD]

I suggest you try out TweetDeck:

http://tweetdeck.com/download/

Set up columns with Boolean search entries for all the topics you are interested in. The search will feed you with hits. If you find a Twitter account of interest, you then follow them.

That's what I am doing.

I think I am officially hooked.:o

[DiveBomber]

why??? its just really sad IMHO. I really dont care what someone is doing, NOW.... or NOW....or NOW.......or 15 min from now!. and how many people do most followers "Follow"?? I mean really??? seriously??? I dont have the time OR energy to follow blogs or tweets or what ever else they are going to come out with.

Really??? Seriously???

What makes some shmuck I dont know's opinion, or actions at any particular moment worth "following"???

Hey the next new thing.... Voice texting!!!

[MUD]

I dont have the time OR energy to follow blogs or tweets or what ever else they are going to come out with.

Says he with 1300 posts.;)

[skategoat]

why??? its just really sad IMHO. I really dont care what someone is doing, NOW.... or NOW....or NOW.......or 15 min from now!. and how many people do most followers "Follow"?? I mean really??? seriously??? I dont have the time OR energy to follow blogs or tweets or what ever else they are going to come out with.

Really??? Seriously???

What makes some shmuck I dont know's opinion, or actions at any particular moment worth "following"???

Hey the next new thing.... Voice texting!!!

DiveBomber, Twitter is kind of like tripe stew. Don't form your opinion on it unless you've tried it. It might look distasteful but it's really delicious.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm guessing you are negative towards it because it's trendy and "all the kids are doing it". You see Conan O'Brien make fun of Lorenzo Lamas's Twitter posts and you think that's all there is.

The way I work with it, it saves me time. It has nothing to do with following. It has to do with interesting news and entertainment being delivered to my desktop.

I follow Tweets from people as diverse as the Dalai Lama and Chad Ochocinco.

"The more we think of others, the happier we are. The more we think of ourselves, the more suffering we feel."~HH, the Dalai Lama

in case you want to play Call of Duty against Ochocinco:

What a life I have-getting on Call of Duty right now-anybody want a taste of my TAR 21 with the red beam come get it- ESTABAN 85

and my new favourite, sh!tmydadsays:

"Everybody's broke, so here's the rule for Christmas this year; if you still **** your pants, you get a present. Otherwise tough ****."

I'm trying to convince some pro snowboard racers to Tweet so we can get inside scoops on World Cup events.

[skategoat]

Says he with 1300 posts.;)

Touche'

[DiveBomber]

says a person with over 2k posts!

this is the only forum I frequent

though, Skate, those examples you posted are perfect arguments(IMHO) against it.

[Neil Gendzwill]

Found it useful this summer when I was on the golf course and getting live updates via my cellphone from the world kendo championships happening in Brazil.