Evan Williams, one of the founders of Twitter, recently gave a Ted.com talk on the start-up, and how it has surprised him with its popularity and usefulness.
On the other hand, satirist Brian Unger hates Twitter.
What is it that so many love and so many others despise about this popular micro-blogging site?
Brian Unger’s March 9th commentary described “The Darker Side Of Tweets And Twitter” on NPR’s Day to Day. While Twitter claims that “most of our day-to-day lives are hidden from people that care,” Brian’s position is that “Nobody Cares” what you’re doing. He considers Twitter users to be self-centered and narcissitic if they think others want to know when they are “showering, gardening, or working out – these things are boring.” He says that the people who say they care about these little things “are lying to you.”
Even those who don’t send many Tweets, but like to follow others don’t escape Mr. Unger’s wrath. He compares following a friend on Twitter to stalking someone, “but without the inconvenience of sitting outside their house on a cold, rainy night with a gun in your lap.”
Brian Unger recommends that people avoid twitter, or they will end up blogging while driving, stalking people, and talking to themselves.
When Evan Williams agreed to fund Twitter as a side project, he did not know where it would lead. It was simply based on friends sending simple SMS status messages, in order to feel more connected with eachother by sharing “moments” in their lives. He discussed uses they never expected in this Ted.com talk.
Later, they learned that Twitter could be very important. During the 2007 fall wildfires that broke out in San Diego, neighbors used Twitter to share information about what was happening with eachother. The LA Times and Red Cross got on the bandwagon and also used Twitter to dispense information, as well as to collect information to share on other forms of media.
Twitter users have created conventions to make the tool more useful, which Twitter has subsequently pulled into the software to make it more user friendly. One example is tagging convention #tag. This allows a search term to be easily found using the Twitter search feature. During the gas crisis, Atlanta Twitter users coined the convention #atlgas, so people would Tweet where they found gas and the price. This connected many people who did not know eachother, and lent a real-time helping hand.
Also, Twitter can be used to allow people who cannot attend a convention or event to tap into the Tweetosphere of that experience by searching for the #tag that is often posted for attendees. This way, people stuck at the office can still hear the conversation and goings on, experiencing it from afar.
Finally, many applications have been developed to make Twitter even more useful. Tweet clouds, twitter analytics, and approximately 2,000 others allow users, followers, and anyone who is interested to find valuable information in this micro blog.
So, should you join Twitter? It really depends on your friends. If they will update you with interesting or important information, or if you are part of a pretty large group and they will make plans using the site, it’s a great idea. It may also work for transient office groups to easily keep the team abreast even on the go.
However, constant status updates can be a bore. If you follow a friend who’s ego encourages them to post “eating pepperoni pizza,” you may find yourself responsible for knowing the most intricate details of their day – while you are just trying to get through yours.
On the other hand, satirist Brian Unger hates Twitter.
What is it that so many love and so many others despise about this popular micro-blogging site?
Brian Unger’s March 9th commentary described “The Darker Side Of Tweets And Twitter” on NPR’s Day to Day. While Twitter claims that “most of our day-to-day lives are hidden from people that care,” Brian’s position is that “Nobody Cares” what you’re doing. He considers Twitter users to be self-centered and narcissitic if they think others want to know when they are “showering, gardening, or working out – these things are boring.” He says that the people who say they care about these little things “are lying to you.”
Even those who don’t send many Tweets, but like to follow others don’t escape Mr. Unger’s wrath. He compares following a friend on Twitter to stalking someone, “but without the inconvenience of sitting outside their house on a cold, rainy night with a gun in your lap.”
Brian Unger recommends that people avoid twitter, or they will end up blogging while driving, stalking people, and talking to themselves.
When Evan Williams agreed to fund Twitter as a side project, he did not know where it would lead. It was simply based on friends sending simple SMS status messages, in order to feel more connected with eachother by sharing “moments” in their lives. He discussed uses they never expected in this Ted.com talk.
Later, they learned that Twitter could be very important. During the 2007 fall wildfires that broke out in San Diego, neighbors used Twitter to share information about what was happening with eachother. The LA Times and Red Cross got on the bandwagon and also used Twitter to dispense information, as well as to collect information to share on other forms of media.
Twitter users have created conventions to make the tool more useful, which Twitter has subsequently pulled into the software to make it more user friendly. One example is tagging convention #tag. This allows a search term to be easily found using the Twitter search feature. During the gas crisis, Atlanta Twitter users coined the convention #atlgas, so people would Tweet where they found gas and the price. This connected many people who did not know eachother, and lent a real-time helping hand.
Also, Twitter can be used to allow people who cannot attend a convention or event to tap into the Tweetosphere of that experience by searching for the #tag that is often posted for attendees. This way, people stuck at the office can still hear the conversation and goings on, experiencing it from afar.
Finally, many applications have been developed to make Twitter even more useful. Tweet clouds, twitter analytics, and approximately 2,000 others allow users, followers, and anyone who is interested to find valuable information in this micro blog.
So, should you join Twitter? It really depends on your friends. If they will update you with interesting or important information, or if you are part of a pretty large group and they will make plans using the site, it’s a great idea. It may also work for transient office groups to easily keep the team abreast even on the go.
However, constant status updates can be a bore. If you follow a friend who’s ego encourages them to post “eating pepperoni pizza,” you may find yourself responsible for knowing the most intricate details of their day – while you are just trying to get through yours.
