Furious Seasons

July 14, 2008

The Twitter Experiment

So most of you know that Twitter is a semi-new messaging cum social networking thingamajig that lots of people have now. I'm inherently suspicious of all these new ways to push information around--how many people need to know what my mood is and whether or not I am getting coffee? Damn few, I'd assume--because I'm just not convinced that all the IMs and MySpace/Facebooks of the world have done much to really create community and human closeness in the way that all the Web 2.0 proponents claim. It's just organized us all in communication pools at great distances and given advertisers a new way to shove products at us. Yeah, I'm jaded.

Anyway, I have heard from a few that Twitter (and, maybe, Tagged) have helped them cut down on their email volume and so, herewith, I now announce that I have Twitter. Feel free to add me or whatever the hell it is people do with the thing.

This is an experiment on my end. If it pans out over the next few weeks, cool. If not, I'll drop it as yet another useless Internet technology.

Posted by Philip Dawdy at July 14, 2008 08:58 AM

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Comments

Hey all I've got is dial up internet, and email. I don't know how everyone keeps up with the myspace,facebook, twitter junk. What happened to the telephone? Talk about a brain buzzer with all of that input! Hopefully you can write about how it worked or not and educate non tech savvy ppl like me!

Posted by: Stephany at July 14, 2008 09:58 AM

I'm generally in the "second wave" of adopters - I don't stand in line to buy a gadget but get it soon afterwards.

It took two tries for me to "get" Twitter. My expectations and assumptions were all wrong the first time around.

As for bandwidth, Twitter tweets are very petite at 140 characters plus they can be sent/received via SMS on your cell phone.

Posted by: Matt Hussein Platte at July 14, 2008 11:10 AM

What the heck is it???

Posted by: Sherry at July 14, 2008 12:01 PM

I *love* twitter. Im going to find you right now and make friends. You have so much information to offer the twitter world and its such a great way to get your posts in front of alot of people that might not other wise see it! Fair warning-- its quite addicting!

Posted by: Amber at July 14, 2008 05:25 PM

Youtube and blogs with a perspective/expertise/wit, sure. A random assortment of 140 character statements? mmmm no thanks.

Posted by: Deborah at July 14, 2008 06:23 PM

Have no idea how Twitter works. My son has Twitter comments on his blog and that is my only experience with it. But I don't have a clue how to access your Twitter comments. Do we have to join to see them? Maybe you should enlighten some of the less hip readers here.

Posted by: Sara at July 14, 2008 09:06 PM

Sara yes you have to join twitter, to write and read.you dont have to give them your email password in the registering process.

Posted by: mark p.s. at July 15, 2008 08:29 PM

Glad I saw this post and the comments :D

I was not aware it was also used to share useful information...and here I was about to update my brand spankin' new Twitter account like an idiot by posting: ...I've finished mowing and soaking body piercings that got sweaty. just fyi. :doh:

Posted by: d at July 20, 2008 01:33 PM