here’s just a few reasons why twitter is so awesome.
:
1. meet new people
totally obvious, but that is so often overlooked. The open ‘follow’ feature is twitter’s greatest strength. Unlike other social networks like Facebook, you don’t have to be friends to establish a channel of communications. A ‘follow’ is enough. One gets plugged into the other person’s updates, and the conversation can start from there. Great way to get a ‘taste’ of what someone has say.
:
2. chatting
twitter was originally touted as a microblogging service, and indeed, some people use it this way to purely broadcast ‘outwards’, But if two people overlap their online time, a real chat can take place. Firing off question and answer at each other, smiley faces and omg’s included, this is just like the instant messaging you know and love.
:
3. pimp your links
everyone has something they want to share. Whether its photos, or funny videos, or your own blog, you can share the web easily and quickly. Link compression services like tinyurl or is.gd make link sharing fast and reliable. Basically link sharing provides a way ‘back-out’ into the web, so the twitter ecosystem is fully plugged into the wider web. Essential.
:
4. instant feedback
nothing is faster than typing in a twitter update, hitting enter, then waiting for a reply. First responses might roll in after 20 seconds! This is such a kick. Compared to email, twitter runs at light speed. Instant feedback has its downside too: one gets hooked on it pretty quick! returning to the real world after a quick burst of twitter can feel like brain torture at times.
:
5. brain storming
while I’m pretty interactive most of time, there are times when I just monitor my twitter stream as it flashes past. Just to gauge the current atmosphere, see what’s trending, catch the stray thought here and there. Look for inspiration basically. Some quote, some funny remark, some unrelated observation; any of these can be sudden springboards for your own creative thought. When you’re stuck; turn to your twitter buddies, and see what’s on their minds!
:
6. breaking news and events
this used to be the main reason why twitter got big media coverage – the olympics, the hudson river crash, the hostage situation in india, earthquakes – all this breaks on twitter, because that’s where the people are. There’s always a time gap between the Event and when Big Media can mobilise to get on the scene; the eyewitnesses are already there, with twitter at hand. Reportage from the very source. Nothing quite like it!
:
7. master your haiku
one hundred and forty characters ain’t much, especially if you have a Profound Thought to convey to the world. Learning to compress without cheating (using excess abbreviations, dropping vowels) is an art form. One best learnt in the twitter-verse. One soon learns to be concise, sharp, witty, and to the point. Very good haiku skills, and one that occasionally leads to poetical, almost lyrical tweets. A well crafted tweet is gold; and worthy of inclusion in any book of quotations worth its salt.
:
8. expose the real
what is often laughed at by those who don’t GET twitter, is the trivial nature of it. Hey, who cares what you ate for breakfast, or that you’ll late driving to work? That’s just so BORING. These are their stupid criticisms. But what they miss, is that in the mundane and ordinary, you find REAL LIFE. This is existence, at the coal face. This is what we have to deal with, what our minds process. This is ‘edgy’ because its what we _really_ experience. This is NOT what we get in movies, novels, or the news. But it is what HAPPENS to us, and for that reason, it’s bloody well important and meaningful! it’s authentic.
:
9. contacts, opportunities
don’t come into twitter with this mindset, because people will run away from you (if that’s possible in cyberspace). Don’t be hawking your wares, or touting your ‘jedi’ skills. Be authentic, show a true side of yourself, and you’ll be surprised at some of the opportunities that come your way. Oh, I was just looking for someone with your kind of skills, would you mind taking on this work? — or I like your style, do you want to do some guest blogging at my big-ass website? you know, that kind of shit. Everyone has their own story to tell. Freelancing, etsy, ebay, outsourcing, interviews, blog redesign, whatever. I see it Every Day.
:
10. FUN
pure and simple, twitter is fun. Like sex, people tweet because its INHERENTLY ENJOYABLE. No other reason. Releases endorphins, makes you sweat and grunt (okay, maybe the analogy is getting strained here) but you get the point. Twitter pulls people back day after day, hour after hour, because its just plain FUN. If there was just One Reason to love Twitter this would be it. Twitter is fun. On tap, 24 hours a day, from your computer, from your mobile, where-ever you are in the world, twitter is there. And for that I say:
< >
THANK YOU TWITTER
couldn’t live without you!!
blessings, and peace
ggw
:
… read more articles
< >
100 Musical Footsteps 