Who uses Twitter?

[Jason Christenson]

I was just wondering if anyone here uses Twitter. I just started myself, my Twitter ID is MoverJason.

Jason

[Mike Henderson]

I have a hard time understanding the appeal of Twitter. Unless the person sending the tweet is living a very unusual, interesting life, why would I want to hear about it?

For those of you who subscribe to tweets, why? What do you get out of it?

Seems like just a time waster to me.

Mike

[Jason Christenson]

Myself I find it much easier to keep up on Twitter than on a bulletin board. Of course it doesn't matter if you can't connect with people you share an interest with. Yesterday I "tweeted" a series of pictures of bowl blanks I cut the night before. It's unlikely that I would have ever taken the time to do that here.

Jason

[Mike Gager]

yeah i dont get twitter either. you cant even search for people on there (last time i looked at it)

[Jason Christenson]

yeah i dont get twitter either. you cant even search for people on there (last time i looked at it)


You can search for people, but you have to be a Twitter user to do it.

Jason

[Dennis Peacock]

Nope...not me.

[Greg Cuetara]

I'm in my early 30's and still don't really get facebook. Twitter...what is that...lol

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I've carried a pager since 1977. I've carried a company cellphone (in protest) since they became available.

I work with sophisticated computers daily.

I don't have a personal cellphone.

When I retire next year I won't have one then.

Twitter? Why?

[Mike Gager]

You can search for people, but you have to be a Twitter user to do it.

Jason

do you know of a way to like search for someone that went to the same school i went to or lives in the same town? only way to search for people is by their name. thats great IF you know they have a twitter account but what about the rest of the people out there?

and also i have an account and have zero followers, whats the point of posting stuff to it if no ones ever going to read it?

the only thing i could see that would be worthwhile for twitter is a way to keep up on daily things with friends and family that live far away. but to just go on there and ramble incoherent thoughts for no apparent reason just makes no sense

[glenn bradley]

I'll pass. What a goof of a toy. So many better ways to experience information overload.

[Ben Franz]

I'm almost 60 :eek: (how is that possible?) and I think I've become allergic to technology advances. Daughter and SIL are up on every new gadget that comes out - I get a headache trying to remember my user name at most web sites. I don't like the music so loud, can't name any popular singers under the age of 50 and would rather stay home than go out. So much for aging gracefully! Twitter? Puhleeeze.....

[Belinda Barfield]

Not me. I don't think folks really care that I'm heading out the door to the grocery store, or that I just drank my sixth cup of coffee for the day. Having been the victim of a stalker, I just really don't want to share all the petty events of my everday life. Just MHO. Oh, and I really don't need to know every move Demi Moore makes either. Got better things to do.

[Jason Christenson]

...I really don't need to know every move Demi Moore makes either. Got better things to do.

Well I can't argue with that. I really don't get the whole "follow a celebrity" thing, or the whole celebrity culture in general.

Jason

[Jason Christenson]

...i have an account and have zero followers...

I couldn't find you, what's your ID?

Jason

[Narayan Nayar]

I think it's easy to dismiss things like Twitter as being facile, superfluous, or just plain stupid. Honestly? I think it's just a generational thing, and I'm not talking age, necessarily.

If you don't get it, fine. But don't write it off as being worthless just because you don't get it. Annoying? Fine, don't use it. Worthless and people who use it are wasting their time? Sorry, that's just ignorance. Twitter is no more worthless an endeavor than using this forum, joining a book club, or writing xmas bulletins to send out with cards.

I don't fully get Twitter either, but it's clearly changed the way people relate to each other and the way that information is disseminated. I do think the technology has enormous potential, and not just in its current form.

A colleague of mine at work made the interesting distinction that the things that I enjoy tend to be very solitary (woodworking, photography, fly fishing, etc.) and the things that he does absolutely require group dynamics (skydiving w/ others, scuba diving, etc.). He's an avid Twitter user and I'm not.

[Glenn Clabo]

Although I don't use Twitter...I do use Facebook...so I sure don't dismiss or bad mouth those who do. I've used forums like this one for more than my leisure activities. I've used them for support and information during many life and death events. FaceBook is being used right now to gather many long time friends from all over the world around one person who has cancer. We don't know exactly when he will leave us...but it sure is wonderful to see and read about how we all feel about him. he has been lifted up far beyond what could have been done without it.

My point is...there are many...many good reasons to use new ways to comunicate than just keeping track of celebrities. Don't just dismiss it as useless becasue you haven't found a reason.

[Gene Howe]

I'm almost 60 :eek: (how is that possible?) and I think I've become allergic to technology advances. Daughter and SIL are up on every new gadget that comes out - I get a headache trying to remember my user name at most web sites. I don't like the music so loud, can't name any popular singers under the age of 50 and would rather stay home than go out. So much for aging gracefully! Twitter? Puhleeeze.....

Could not have said it better. Except I just celebrated the 2nd anniversary of my 34th birthday.

[Mike Henderson]

I think it's easy to dismiss things like Twitter as being facile, superfluous, or just plain stupid. Honestly? I think it's just a generational thing, and I'm not talking age, necessarily.

If you don't get it, fine. But don't write it off as being worthless just because you don't get it. Annoying? Fine, don't use it. Worthless and people who use it are wasting their time? Sorry, that's just ignorance. Twitter is no more worthless an endeavor than using this forum, joining a book club, or writing xmas bulletins to send out with cards.

I don't fully get Twitter either, but it's clearly changed the way people relate to each other and the way that information is disseminated. I do think the technology has enormous potential, and not just in its current form.

A colleague of mine at work made the interesting distinction that the things that I enjoy tend to be very solitary (woodworking, photography, fly fishing, etc.) and the things that he does absolutely require group dynamics (skydiving w/ others, scuba diving, etc.). He's an avid Twitter user and I'm not.
I spent my life in technology and communications so I'm definitely not opposed to new ways of communications. But I don't get Twitter.

For those of you who subscribe (are on the receiving end), what do you get out of it? Why do you subscribe to someone else's tweets?

Mike

[If some people find something (like Twitter) of value, they should be able to give some examples of how they use it and what value they get out of it. I could give a good discussion of the use and value of a forum like this, or of Facebook, or of a number of other communications techniques. I can see that a parent might be interested in the tweets of their child. But why would I be interested in your tweets? What musings could you have that would be of continued interest to me? I understand the ego boost that the sender might have - getting a bunch of people to listen to their ramblings, but what does the person on the receiving end get out of it?]

[jason lambert]

I am 36 I use it, programmergeek is my Twitter. I basically only use it for fast quick contact with my friends. Very similar to facebook but simpler. I find it useful I deal with alot of venders and IT / home automation / HT stuuff and when new stuff or updates come out they twitter it really keeps me on top of the game. I know the second a new update is released.

[Steve Sawyer]

I don't tweet, and I agree that much of what is on twitter is stupid and a waste of time.

However, blogging originally was much like Twitter, until folks got tired of the vanity of telling people every detail of their pointless lives. I have a business blog that has become inactive since becoming an FTE - it's easy to speak obliquely of idiots you encounter as a consultant and avoid offending anyone, but it's pretty hard to disguise the behaviors you talk about as an employee!!

I have a nephew that traveled with a couple of friends to China last year, and their tweets were fun to read. I use IM incessantly (but oddly, don't text at all), so I can see that tweets could be a slightly different incarnation of IM.

By the way, I'm less than 12 months from my 60th, so I don't think it's entirely a generational thing. I find blogging and IM'ing useful. I don't yet personally find Texting and Tweeting to be so, but will gladly embrace the technology as soon as it has relevance to what I'm doing for either work or liesure.

[Darius Ferlas]

I work in IT and I certainly can't complain about any shortage of the latest and greatest but I still don't use twitter, or even facebook. Or any other social networking toys. In fact the pace of it all became so fast and so unmanageable that I am considering canceling my cable TV subscription - about a year after I set a TV server at home allowing everyone at home to watch any of the couple hundred channels via any TV set in almost each room, and any of the dozen computers and a few laptops around the house. Nobody actually watches TV in my home anymore.

Just to think about the woodworking tools I could have had for the money I spent on hitech:)

[Chris Padilla]

No Twitter, No Facebook (although PLENTY of friends keep bugging the you know what out of me to join Facebook so I am likely to do it and become a convert) but what happend to good old email? :D

I read a few lines of Twitter once when I found out Lance Armstrong's time trial bike for the Tour of California had been stolen here in the Bay Area. Lance was posting several times a day and it was rather interesting.

[Bruce Page]

I'm almost 60 :eek: (how is that possible?) and I think I've become allergic to technology advances. Daughter and SIL are up on every new gadget that comes out - I get a headache trying to remember my user name at most web sites. I don't like the music so loud, can't name any popular singers under the age of 50 and would rather stay home than go out. So much for aging gracefully! Twitter? Puhleeeze.....

Ben, I'm right there with ya!
(I do crank up the tunes sometimes...)

[Mike Gager]

my twitter id is allhailtheking


i use facebook, ive gotten in touch with some old friends and people i went to school with but mostly i just go on there to play mob wars (a game on facebook)

also do myspace but mostly just to find new music through searching band pages which is pretty cool

[Clara Koss]

didn't like facebook... twitter even less interesting... texting and emails are good for me... but twitter is free ,:cool:texts on at&t cost $... so that's why people go on twitter... like the name though... tweet tweet..

[David G Baker]

I usually check out the latest and greatest Internet thingies and most of the time are very disappointed or find it more time consuming than I care for, besides it would take me away from SMC and I couldn't stand that. As far as using Twitter to locate old school mates, most of my friends from my youth probably are not computer literate or are not in a financial position to afford a computer or Internet service.
I will eventually take a look at it but probably won't join due to the terribly boring life that I lead.

[Brad Trent]

To me, it seems that a facility like Twitter could have potential uses, but the popularity of it seems to be in its ability to enable real-time, on-line narcissism. This seems to be a reflection of one direction our socciety has trended.

[sean m. titmas]

in this day and age there a numerous way to keep in touch with family, friends, customers and peers that are custom tailored to everybody's unique style of communication. twitter is just one of the many ways and its not for everyone.

i try use as much technology as necessary to improve my communication ability and twitter does not fit my personal style. however emailing, websites, Facebook and text messaging are more suited to my style and work fine for me.

i think there is a certain amount of beauty to be found in all of these digital applications that we have access to because of their ability to satisfy each and every facet of our needs with extreme uniqueness. personally i look forward to each new incarnation of the digital media kind because there always something out there that can be used to improve our quality of life.

[Jim Becker]

No Twitter for me. I can't handle yet another "feed"...

Chris, FaceBook actually has been enjoyable to keep in touch with family and close friends as well as re-connecting with some high school classmates.

[Don Bullock]

I don't know what the twitter is all about.:eek:

Seriously, I've been using computers for years and have no idea what Twitter, Facebook, etc. are all about. I have enough trouble keeping up with forums and other things I use the Internet for now. I don't see a need to add something else unless someone can convince me that using Twitter and/or Facebook would be useful, helpful, beneficial, etc.

BTW -- I do, somehow, have a twitter account with three followers. I have no idea what they are following because I haven't posted anything.

[Burt Alcantara]

Don't use twitter. Don't text.

[Greg Peterson]

I don't Twitter. Never even checked it out.

I don't get the utility of Twitter. But that likely speaks more to my requirements than Twitters function.

When it comes to technology I've developed an attitude that it is okay to not 'get it'. Most folks didn't initially 'get' hypertext markup language either.

I won't dismiss a technology or service simply because I don't see any way or any need to integrate it into my lifestyle.

[John Terefenko]

I think it's easy to dismiss things like Twitter as being facile, superfluous, or just plain stupid. Honestly? I think it's just a generational thing, and I'm not talking age, necessarily.

If you don't get it, fine. But don't write it off as being worthless just because you don't get it. Annoying? Fine, don't use it. Worthless and people who use it are wasting their time? Sorry, that's just ignorance. Twitter is no more worthless an endeavor than using this forum, joining a book club, or writing xmas bulletins to send out with cards.

I don't fully get Twitter either, but it's clearly changed the way people relate to each other and the way that information is disseminated. I do think the technology has enormous potential, and not just in its current form.

A colleague of mine at work made the interesting distinction that the things that I enjoy tend to be very solitary (woodworking, photography, fly fishing, etc.) and the things that he does absolutely require group dynamics (skydiving w/ others, scuba diving, etc.). He's an avid Twitter user and I'm not.

Don't care what you say but it is worthless time and effort. There is no value to it. Change technology, HOW???? Text messaging is the same thing. Pick the phone up and call. How many people have broken up with the use of a text message. How lame??? Do we really need to be in constant contact with everyone around us 24/7??? No not for me and I will call it lame.

[Greg Peterson]

John, any other technologies you don't use, understand or consider useful that should be terminated? I'm guessing you don't have a cell phone.

I know many folks that think online forums are a joke and people that use them are 'lame', to borrow your parlance.

I wouldn't be so quick to judge others based on your needs, requirements, expectations or experiences. It's a big world out there and not everyone does things the same way as you.

[David G Baker]

I don't Twitter but if I did it would probably improve my typing skills or is Twitter one of those sites where you use abbreviated words?
I am all for advancements in technology even if I do not see the immediate advantage of it.

[Andrew Derhammer]

Facebook User and txter but not a tweeter

Most kids my age look at it and say what? Statuses on Facebook are usually enough don't need to go to another site to do it.

Txting is so great. I personally hate regular phone calls and calls between cells I sometimes find hard to understand. Plus if you are in the middle of doing something else it's alot more convenient to txt than it is to get on the phone.

[Greg Peterson]

Why engage in all the overhead involved in a real time conversation or playing phone tag when a single, simple Q & A will do.

Example:
Send: meet at 5:30 for drinks?
reply: c ya

Texting can be a very efficient use of time. Unless you have a luddite on the other end.

[Jason Christenson]

Well I can't argue with that. I really don't get the whole "follow a celebrity" thing, or the whole celebrity culture in general.

Jason

I have to admit, since I posted that I started following Rainn Wilson. He cracks me up.

Jason

[Craig Summers]

I use facebook and twitter

Facebook for friends and relatives, although the games now consume the most time: Farm Town is kinda fun, getting crops to grow. I even got SWMBO to become an addict. Now she doesn't complain so much about my games.

Twitter mostly in the office, free time to jot a thought or see the current comments and opinions. My groups on Twitter are Conservatives, none of that silly HollywoodStar goofs. I look under hashtag (group id) of #tcot (Top Conservatives on Twitter) #goinggalt (see Atlas Shrugs) or #totus (Teleprompter of the US).

Twitter is a skill, say something in 140 characters. If you want to learn precision in your speech, it might be worth the twittering of your tweets. Maybe we could have #smc for members?

:D

[Belinda Barfield]

Why engage in all the overhead involved in a real time conversation or playing phone tag when a single, simple Q & A will do.

Example:
Send: meet at 5:30 for drinks?
reply: c ya

Texting can be a very efficient use of time. Unless you have a luddite on the other end.

Greg, I see your point. This method of communication doesn't allow me to pick up on verbal and emotional ques that are necessary for me to communicate. Let's say, I reply that I can't meet for drinks. Had I spoken to my friend I might have picked up on the fact that she really needed to talk, or some time away from her kids, etc. In that case, I would have made an effort to meet her. Good thing we don't all have to think alike, ain't it?


I use facebook and twitter

Twitter mostly in the office, free time to jot a thought or see the current comments and opinions. My groups on Twitter are Conservatives, none of that silly HollywoodStar goofs. I look under hashtag (group id) of #tcot (Top Conservatives on Twitter) #goinggalt (see Atlas Shrugs) or #totus (Teleprompter of the US).

:D

I like your Style Craig.

[Greg Cole]

I'll be 35 in July.
Never myspaced, don't facebook, don't tweet & only carry a cell phone as its mandatory for the paycheck. I spent alot of time in the forests & fields hunting alone, I would at LEAST have a cell for an emergency I guess.
I did have a pager as a teen ager when they were "cool".:rolleyes:
Texting can be good for some things, but as with all things useful, there's a flip side (see my 19 year old step daughter for example).
My wife is a facebooker & an avid one. I "get it" but don't use it for simple lack of interest. My wife and a few others are on my case to start "facebooking".... if I was interested in talking to "old" friends, I'd not have let them get out of touch in the first place.
I will e-mail friends and family of "news worthy" things if I don't call them and speak to them.
I'll save my free time for actually doing the things I enjoy, not informing the virtual world of my doings. I participate in this forum and a Missouri Hunting Forum as there's alot to learn here & "there"...
Personally all this digital faceless communication is not for me.

[Joe Mioux]

I can see some commercial applications (I think, I still don't do twitter but I have a facebook account as well as a linkedin account)

Imagine a business promoting a sale for their twitter only accounts?

joe

[Chris Kennedy]

I use Facebook (as of a month ago) and I can see its use. I don't care when friends post something trite, but when a friend announces he will be changing jobs in the Fall, it is a convenient way of disseminating the information. My wife and I text short, important messages ("Can you pick up the boy?") during meetings when they run over, but it is hardly efficient or useful. Twitter? Can't see the appeal.

Cheers,

Chris

[Jason Christenson]

...Twitter? Can't see the appeal...

I'd say it's just the same as the appeal you just described for facebook.

Jason

[Mike Henderson]

I'd say it's just the same as the appeal you just described for facebook.

Jason
Facebook is a multimedia destination. Twitter is 140 max text characters. When you go to Twitter, the tag line is "What are you doing?"

Why do I want to hear what you're doing? What could you possibly be doing that would be of interest to me?

Or what could I possibly be doing that would be of interest to you?

Unless either of us lives a very unusual life, it would be pretty mundane stuff - stuff that is not very interesting. Just text spam, limited to 140 characters.

Mike

[Unless you're really into "A shared life" (as some people seem to be). "I'm going into Home Depot right now." "I'm looking at the plywood - it's really junk." etc. etc.]

[Jason Christenson]

...it would be pretty mundane stuff...

I suppose that would be true if you followed people that you have nothing in common with, but that would be like joining forums with topics you're not interested in.

I assume that if you were a twitter user you would tweet at least sometimes about what is going on in your shop. That is something that I would be interested in, especially if you threw in a few pictures now and then. As far as your tweets that didn't interest me, I would ignore them, just like I ignore posts here that I don't care about.

Jason

[Frank Hagan]

Twitter is a great tool ... my id is fshagan.

Like Craig, I follow #tcot and occasionally #hhrs (a talk-radio personality's radio show Twitter feed). When you search for messages with those "hash tags" you get all the posts that include them.

You might think twitter is senseless and a waste of time ... but perhaps you'll recognize this hashtag:

#teaparty

There was a ton of organization done on Twitter for the "tea parties", and other causes have been using it for grass-roots political or social organizing (both left and right). Companies are monitoring it ... if you have a problem with a Sprint cell phone, send a tweet that you can't get satisfaction with Sprint's customer service. Their Twitter representative will tweet you back with contact information.

I don't use Twitter on a phone; its only on my laptop and desktop, and I use an application called TweetDeck to manage the feed. I can scroll through messages and reply when I want to.

[Belinda Barfield]

Thought some of you might find this interesting. Watch out for twitterjacking.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,518480,00.html

[Dave Anderson NH]

For me a technology tool has to be both useful on a consistent and regular basis AND not be invasive or intrusive. Personally, my interpretation of this is that I can maintain my personal privacy and only let folks into my life as far as I am willing to allow them to go. This means I don't post anything unless I'm comfortable with anonymous "anybodies" knowing about it. The same goes for personal information. Of ultimate important to me is that I can turn off and escape these technologies. As an example, I usually turn my cell phone off as soon as I walk in my house. No business calls for me during my personal time. I also do not check my work email when I'm on vacation.

[Jim O'Dell]

The most technology I allow is the TV (cable) a cordless phone for the house (no call waiting), computer with internet and email, HVAC for the house, cars and my tools in the shop. I used to work for the #3 cell phone provider in the state of Texas, and I still don't have, don't want a cell phone. If I'm away from the house, or my desk at work, leave a message, I'll call you back.
I couldn't give a twit about twitter. :D But if it works for you, go for it. You'll not hear me laugh at you for using something that is helpful or enjoyable to you. Jim.