We love Twitter because it loves us
Posted on June 30th, 2008 by Jackie Danicki
I swear, I’m not going to post anything about Twitter for a long time after this. But what Nancy Scola has to say is just too spot-on not to link. I can’t do it justice with a quote, and it’s brief, so just read it for yourself.
My headline is not strictly accurate. The truth is that Twitter doesn’t love us - the software is indifferent to us. But it does provide the pipes through which the love (and the pissiness, and the humor, and the sadness) all flow to us. At the best of times, those pipes are free of congestion and life is sweet. At the worst of times, they aren’t even there. Many of us are putting up with the worst because the best is so good.
Thanks to Mary Hodder for the pointer (via Twitter, of course).
Filed under: Life
As a new Twitter user and someone that works in Social Media here are my observations:
1. Right now Twitter revolves around who you are already networked with and the people they are already networked with. That’s great for people with huge networks already on Twitter, but for others who are looking to quickly expand their networks or move into new specialized interest networks….or even join conversations on those networks ad hoc or for a certain amount of time…not so much.
2. Twitter is missing one really crucial element that would make it really useful in my life. Specifically, a community board of sorts where people can meet based on common interests, geographic locations, business conventions, conferences, etc.
Or alternately, if this service is already on Twitter then it is hidden. I haven’t spent much time figuring out the ins and outs, but I shouldn’t have to. It should be clearly intuitive.
3. Right now, yes, Twitter is like High School cliques with the missing element of allowing for organized activities and groups such as “Join the Drama Club” or “Join the Debate Club” or there is a “Field Trip to France this summer, sign up.” on a “bulletin board.” The Twitter equivalent could be: “Hey I’m at the Fancy Foods show in New York all week. Drop me a line if anyone wants to grab dinner or attend the Narrowcasting presentation.” or “what do you think of this panel on building Blogs for Start up Food Businesses?” under a Tag Fancy Foods Show NYC, June 2008 or something.
4. If one thinks of Twitter as a shared space, then it’s more like a building with a tiny lobby that is separated by several stories, individual offices, cubicles and rooms. What seems to be missing is that one large central gathering place such as a “commons”, Village Green, or whatever you want to call it or even cafeteria where people can wander in or choose to meet up, potentially meet new people and then leave when they are ready.
Anyway, my two cents.
(yeah, yeah, I know how can I be in social media and be new to Twitter? Don’t ask).
Right now Twitter revolves around who you are already networked with and the people they are already networked with. That’s great for people with huge networks already on Twitter, but for others who are looking to quickly expand their networks or move into new specialized interest networks….or even join conversations on those networks ad hoc or for a certain amount of time…not so much.
I couldn’t disagree more, based on my experience. A significant number of the people I follow, and whose updates I find most useful, interesting, and worthwhile, are people I ‘met’ on Twitter through a handful of existing contacts. I’m sure I’m not alone in this, having spoken to others about the same pattern in their usage.
Twitter is missing one really crucial element that would make it really useful in my life. Specifically, a community board of sorts where people can meet based on common interests, geographic locations, business conventions, conferences, etc.
Or alternately, if this service is already on Twitter then it is hidden. I haven’t spent much time figuring out the ins and outs, but I shouldn’t have to. It should be clearly intuitive.
Why does this need to exist on Twitter’s infrastructure? I mean, it’s called the internet, that’s where people are connecting, on lots of nodes large and small. It’s like saying the phone company needs to hold meet and greets so that people will have someone to call.
Right now, yes, Twitter is like High School cliques with the missing element of allowing for organized activities and groups such as “Join the Drama Club” or “Join the Debate Club” or there is a “Field Trip to France this summer, sign up.” on a “bulletin board.” The Twitter equivalent could be: “Hey I’m at the Fancy Foods show in New York all week. Drop me a line if anyone wants to grab dinner or attend the Narrowcasting presentation.” or “what do you think of this panel on building Blogs for Start up Food Businesses?” under a Tag Fancy Foods Show NYC, June 2008 or something.
Isn’t that what Twitter hash-tags are for?
Interesting. I guess it might be Twitter newbie syndrome for me. Like I said earlier I haven’t spent much time learning twitter (had no idea hash-tags even existed).
Good point about the phone company analogy. I think I need to shift my thinking as to what Twitter is and isn’t.
Alas we’ll see how I end up gelling with Twitter. Right now I’m on the fence for my own use of it.