When Twitter started out it seemed like a cool new web application to update your ’status’ (what you are up to) for friends and, well, the world in general. Like Facebook status updates, but out on the Wild Web. But when people started having conversations via their Twitter status updates using the “@” symbol (e.g. “@mike Yeah, I thought that”)I was initially quite annoyed. I even direct-messaged some people to tell them to stop it! Go get a chat room! This was not the proper use of Twitter, I told them.
How wrong I was.
It quickly became apparent that this was turning into the best use of Twitter of all. Not for long, winding conversations you might have on instant messaging, but short, to the point wise-cracks between people interspersed with a little status update here, a small observation on life there. Twitter was no longer about ’status’ or ‘what are you doing’. It was about conversation, ‘what are you thinking’, ‘what are we talking about’.
The key difference is that people who say “take this conversation over into IM” don’t get it. IM can’t do what Twitter does. You can’t instant message into “the cloud”. With Twitter you can. You can shout or whisper whatever you want to say out into the ether and anyone online can hear you. And anyone following you, even if you don;t follow them, can reply - then you may well become connected.
Of course, the problem comes when people abuse this. They Twitter constantly. The worst are those who Twitter their status all the time (making tea, reading paper etc). According to one statistics site I saw, I Twitter roughly every 2 hours. Too much for a status update but about right for an ongoing conversation.
Status updates - unless they are funny - now seem irrelevant and boring. Status updates are dead for me. It’s all about conversation now. I’m on Twitter here.
Twitter is confusing because
Twitter is confusing because it blurs the boundaries. Some times it feels like Micro-blogging or micro-publishing. (one to many) Then it’s about pinging your friends (one to few). Finally it’s almost like group discussion or IRC 2.0 (few to few) except it’s hard to tell who’s listening and the conversations often appear to be one-sided.
I do wish there was something that was a cross between IRC/Skype Group chat and Twitter following/followed by where the groups were formed on the fly but Twitter exposes the logical flaw in that because you often only see one side of the conversation. In the end Twitter is just not very good for conversation. But this does seem to be a need because people keep trying to use it for that.
I went on twitter overkill
I went on twitter overkill for 3 days during Christmas. It made me new friends, but also lost me some. I just wanted to see what it was like to ‘work twitter’. It does not work for me, and not for my followers (awful term by the way). So yeah! Thing is though, the way I surf changes completely every 2 years. How will we use twitter in 2 years time. It should in theory have 10 times the users… less tech oriented crowd. Who know where it is going.
I’ve got a personal hatred
I’ve got a personal hatred of people who use Twitter as microblogging - one way “conversations” which are usually done by splitting a single coherent argument into a three-twitter rant. My partner said to me the other day that she was fascinated by the way that I use Twitter, because for me it’s like “slow IM” - which is true, but it’s a public conversation.
Ironically, Jaiku is MUCH better for this kind of conversational approach - so I’m really hoping that Google actually do something with it soon.
My sentiments exactly! In
My sentiments exactly! In fact, I wrote a post just a couple of days ago that spoke to this very point. As a result of this new conversation focus, I’m giving Twitter a second chance!
Good points all. And yes,
Good points all. And yes, Jaiku held great promise but it does rather look now like the firm was acquired for its people and not the product.
Good post Mike. I agree
Good post Mike. I agree with some bits, but not with others. I covered my thoughts on it a few days ago at http://thayer18.livejournal.com/1455.html (towards the bottom).
I agree that the one or two @thayer’s or @mike’s are good fun and useful often if you’ve a question, but I think the use of Twitter for an actual conversation is just plain wrong. One thing I have noticed though since taking myself off it for a month for reflection, is that all social media should be used how the user defines. I don’t think there is a one size fits all approach. I think it’s down to the user to decide if they want to listen to people they’re following have a 20 Tweet conversation, or not. It’s also something that users of the medium need to think about, depending on if they want to attract followers as a marketing, pr or self promotion tool, or if they just want to chat with their mates all day.
Personally, I can’t stand following anyone who chats over 5 or tweets on Twitter, it gets an automatic cull from my list, best friend or not, I’m just not interested.
Twiiter seems to elicit
Twiiter seems to elicit polar opinions! I briefly blogged about how my friends still say ‘why bother?’ about twittering.. but head here to get the link for a brilliant TED presentation about how ‘new forms of human collaboration have always created new forms of wealth’ http://justinmcmurray.com/post/30715986. So I now say to these friends, wait and see.
Hi Mike,
The main advantage
Hi Mike,
The main advantage of Twitter over IM you mention has its downside too though.
Most of us communicate with other people we know - and in journalism there are already a number of established, verifiable public figures who are using the service. But when you get into the realm of inviting others to view your conversations (and the ease with which an account can be created), the potential for hoaxing increases exponentially, not to mention the potential for un-edited content getting out there - which should send a cold draught down any news editor’s neck.
Twitter is like a hybrid discussion board/communication tool, with all the potential for antisocial anonymity that comes with the former. Hence why its now attracting Spam, not to mention large media organisations don’t know what to do with the system yet, so use it as a supplementary RSS platform - just clogging the system up.
It used to be the case that IM (or any other messaging service) tied you to your PC (and hence Twitter won out because it was compatible with mobile technology), but the new generation of 3G phones now have IM software as standard.
Maybe its because most of my friends are luddites(!) but I remain to be convinced that Twitter is the all-singing all-dancing news essential many folk seeem to be saying, and am sticking to IM for now.
Mur.