Help me understand Twitter

[Cncrman]

Ok, so I joined Twitter (http://twitter.com/braincase) but I still haven't fully grasped what it is meant to do. I try to keep an open mind in regards to new web-based technology or fads (Had MySpace, didn't like it) so I am giving it a shot.

Don't get me wrong, I can see the fun in it and maybe ultimately that's all it's meant to be, but is the purpose just keeping in touch?

Is there a point were we are too connected?

[neglet]

I dunno. Would you feel too connected if I said I was typing this on a wireless keyboard while taking a dump?

[Cncrman]

Well first I'd commend you on the range of your wireless keyboard.

Second, I'd say please turn on the fan. Small animals have feelings too.

Other than that, I really think that is what this boils down to. How much information do my friends REALLY need to know?

[neglet]

Second, I'd say please turn on the fan. Small animals have feelings too.

After what my cat has been letting fly while sitting right next to me this morning, she has no right to complain!

And weirdly enough, another of my cats is endlessly fascinated by what I do in the bathroom. If I try to close the door for some privacy, she scratches on it until I let her in. And then she smells my feet.

I think reading Twitter for cats would be a lot more interesting than reading Twitter for people. Do I really care if you had a chicken sandwich for lunch, and right now are playing "Text Twist" before your sales meeting? (I guess in today's self-absorbed culture, people think we should.) But to get insight into the inner workings of the feline mind, that might be interesting ... once you waded through the 80% of the entries that said "taking a nap."

[Kaeos]

Taking a peek at Twitter, I don't know. Just seems like a tool thats only useful if all your family and friends use it and actually WANT to check in on you regularly and vice versa.

My wife accomplishes the same thing with Blogspot.

[Trazalca]

Bowel movement shenanigans aside, this makes me wonder, just how
many blog sites should one have? Is it for the sake of adopting what I
call a "spray & pray" approach to reaching out?

Let's see, I still have my Xanga blog, which I have chosen to update with family fare.
I have a Myspace account, which I don't visit all that much, and honestly, the place seems overrated to a fault.
There's my very unforgiving blog spot here at Mania with its lack of editing functions (which is enough to pull your hair out).
And lastly, one over at RottenTomatoes, which puts all the blog editing
features at the other sites to utter shame.

So, I have four. Do I really need more? Am I desperate to connect
to the outside world so badly that I ought to register at Twitter?
Don't see the need. There's many other blog sites that would probably
serve me better. But whatever they are, I'm kind of clueless.
I'm just trying things on for size, and if it doesn't fit, I move on.

:popcorn:

[mckracken]

especially if you're doing it under assumed names like Phil McKracken :D

honestly I dont like MySpace or Facebook either but I set my profile to private and i dont reach out to strangers and everything i do get filters through my email (much like My Nowlive and Facebook profiles - which are also both set to private)

i've never heard of the "spray and pray" but it seems a fitting description.

My thoughts, if you're going to have a profile... HAVE it be a real filled out profile with a real location and useful information.

I'd try using the top two profile sites as if you're trying to be found online, odds are good that nobody but you would know about Twitter or ringo or tagged or some of the lesser known ones at all...but I bet they've all heard of facebook and MySpace.

keep'em private, have people email you that dont know you... be picky about who (or what) you take in as friends. Friends that never communicate on your online profiles are best left to send you an email once in a while.