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[helpful]

I just sat down at the computer after having my supper.

Now I am typing a message to the fora.

That is all twitter does...no more, no less.

[bread_pirate_naan]

Did I mention Twitter?  No. 

Even the most esteemed twitters like Xeni Jardin are vacuous at best.  My posts and the article were about Facebook, which Helpful tells you demonstrates everything you need to know about twitters. 

[helpful]

BTW the subject line is about twitter as well as facebook. Hence my (joking) post.

[scampster]

In defense of twitter:

Sometimes I just have incredibly witting and interesting commentary to make and when I am sitting in my office alone, who else am I going to say it to besides the internets?

(although seriously, I have a couple friends who live far away but are avid twitter users so even if I don't "tweet" all that much, I learn a lot about what is going on in their lives, including the contents of their breakfast plate)

[polly_mer]

In defense of twitter:

Sometimes I just have incredibly witting and interesting commentary to make and when I am sitting in my office alone, who else am I going to say it to besides the internets?

Some of us send email to our friends with a subject line like "Random thoughts".

(although seriously, I have a couple friends who live far away but are avid twitter users so even if I don't "tweet" all that much, I learn a lot about what is going on in their lives, including the contents of their breakfast plate)

Most mornings, I'm not even interested in the contents of my own breakfast plate.

I'm just not sure that I see the point in just spewing random garbage.  Perhaps I'm missing something, but it's not as though twitter sets up an exchange like carrying on an extended asynchronous conversation through email or PM.  While I certainly have said/thought/heard something and immediately thought, "I must write Friend X and share that immediately", the connection is always with a specific person or set of persons, not a random "Everybody I know needs to hear this".

As for the "I learn a lot about what is going on in their lives", I have to wonder if that's true or if it just feels like that because of the volume.  Do people twitter things like "I'm waiting out these six weeks to see if this pregnancy is going to stick", "That <expletive> jerk has hit me for the last time.  I'm at the court filing for divorce now", or "I've had to resort to threatening to tell his wife, but I'm definitely getting tenure here"?

[scheherazade]

The good part about the internet is that one has the opportunity to think before writing, thereby sparing the public at large one's excessively mundane thoughts.  The bad part is not everyone has yet realized this.

[scienceprof]

Even the most esteemed twitters ...

Is "esteemed twitter" an oxymoron?

[tenured_feminist]

Even the most esteemed twitters ...

Is "esteemed twitter" an oxymoron?

If not, that says something about you, doesn't it!

[bread_pirate_naan]

Even the most esteemed twitters ...

Is "esteemed twitter" an oxymoron?

Good one. 

She has a solid reputation as an early adopter.  I read a comment in a Gawker* recap of "Real Houswives," or something about Cokepants that ridiculed the inanity of Twitter.  That's lower esteem than I imagined possible.

*tabloid/trash TV substitute.

[felix_unger]

I just want to point out that there is a thread on these fora devoted to what people plan to have for dinner tonight. There are countless others discussing "My cat is lost," "Should I wear the red suit or the grey," etc. with anonymous strangers.

Pointlessness is in the eye of the beholder.

[drannmaria]

Guess I am the minority opinion here.

How I use twitter:
I have two accounts. My 'professional' one, I follow a number of people in my field and they follow me. There is a major conference coming up and several people have posted they had bought their tickets, made reservations at the hotel, followed by responses from others, including me, suggesting we meet in person to discuss on-going work, the conference presentations, etc.

Very often people include URLs, I just saw this from NIH on the economic stimulus grants, check it out. Or, just something interesting on the economy, technology, etc.

Occasionally there is a , "I just competed in a bike race and won - hurrary".

Also, people usually post a link when they update their blogs, and since all of these are related to my field, I'll go check. It seems to egocentric to send everyone you know email that you updated your blog, but if people are following you, they are probably interested. If I am following your, your blog is definitely not on what you had for breakfast.

As for Facebook, I have an account I barely use only because I am an officer in a non-profit and there is a Facebook group. Whether it is 25 things on Facebook, my blog or twitter, I NEVER put anything on the Internet that I would not want just anyone to know. That seems pretty obvious but I am continually astonished by the facts about themselves other people reveal.

[bread_pirate_naan]

Not everyone should twitter, but there are moments, people, poetry, art.
http://twitter.com/cwalken

[csguy]

I am on Facebook but mostly because the Young Person asked me to. I have little interest in people on "my" network (this university).

Recently, however, some of my family have begun using Facebook. It should be an improvement over their constantly sending pictures of their babies via email.

I'm not all that in to IM or twitter. I prefer to control the pace of communication (I also hate phones).

[jackit]

Twitter (which I've never tried) sounds much too loquacious.

What next? A gadget that sends only grunts, scratches, and other bodily noises?

Get the patent now.

The Fiona

Good idea!

;-)


I bet there is a market for a gadget that just 'transmits your mood' based on biomonitoring.


<Oooh, Sandy is pissed!.>

[helpful]

I still don't understand the point of Twitter.