Twittering Nonsense Part 2

Written by on June 18, 2009

Some time ago I wrote a post about how I didn’t like twitter (you can read it here), but since then I have been thinking I was a bit mean, to say that I hadn’t even used it properly at the time.

So I decided, in the interest of fairness, I should sign up and give it a go. I set up a personal account and had a poke about then after awhile I set up a “professional account” under the Slow Coach name (if you are interested, you can follow me here or click on the link at the top of the sidebar). I have been messing around with posting on there as and when I think about it. Mostly I have been linking to these blog entries. The problem I have found is that I am not sure what to say! Do I tell you about the minutiae of my life (are people really interested in what I do all day)? Do I use it to pass on handy short hints and tips as to how to slow down? Do I draw your attention to interesting sites and bits of news that I find? A combination of all three? I haven’t figured it out yet and am still trying to figure out the best way to be a “Slow Twitterer” (which doesn’t necessarily mean not posting very often…).

But the most interesting thing I have found out so far is that people are so impatient on there. They follow you for a few hours and if you don’t post something interesting or informative in that time they dump you and move on. Which is really quite sad and an indication of our dwindling concentration spans…

The other thing was the piece of research that was released a few weeks ago (you can read it here) that says that 90% of tweets are posted by 10% of the users and most users only return to the site once a month and often don’t return after 2 months. So maybe Twitter is Slow after all?

For all the posturing about the way Twitter is the next big thing, the new social networking site and all that, it doesn’t seem true at all, in reality, it really isn’t the be all and end all. In fact I am the only person I know that twitters.

So it seems that a lot of people agree with me! Conclusion so far? Still nonsense, but I will persevere and see how I get on…

SC

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Twittering Nonsense

Written by on January 28, 2009

twitter-logoI got an invite to join twitter by a friend of mine today.

For those of you not in the know twitter is the latest online “social networking” site that (rather pretentiously) calls itself a  “micro-blogging service” that allows its users to send and read other users’ updates (otherwise known as tweets), which are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length.

Twitter is the latest trend in communication and is starting to be used by all sorts of people (even Barack Obama has an account!).

You won’t find me on there though.

Why?

Because twitter is the latest step in the ever-increasing pace of life, of the tsunami of information we have to keep up with.

Just 10 years ago, we would phone someone or write a letter to keep in touch. Mobile phones were only just becoming common place and texting was in its infancy, even email was only just starting to walk.

10 years before that is was landline phone or letter. To keep in touch with world you would read a daily paper or watch the news at 10.

Do we really need this constant barrage of information? I think not. Yes, I write this journal, yes I have a mobile phone and email. But do I constantly check it? No! I don’t even know where my mobile is right now and often go out and forget to take it with me. Does my world end? Nope!

Now we are obsessed with being constantly “on” and are constantly bombarded with information. We feel the ever increase need to be always be “in touch” with everyone and everything.

It is like we are no one unless we are telling everyone what we are doing every second of the day. We are turning into a bunch of egomaniacs!

Twitter is the latest symptom of this. Where will we go next?!

Does it really matter what someone is up to at that very second? If it is that is that important can’t they call you or drop you text?!

Can’t you wait to find that out? Do you need the constant banal updates?!

We get so much information all we have time to do is process it. Information is pointless if we don’t have the time to act on it, all it does is make us stressed and worried and feel out of control…

We don’t need all this information, in fact I would argue that it is bad for us, physically, psychologically and socially.

Relax, chill out, delete your twitter account, close your web browser, go and buy a newspaper.  Phone a friend and have a proper chat. Why not arrange to pop round for a cup of tea? Too far away? Why not write them a letter and let them now what you are up to? Or even an email (it comes to something when an email seems a “slow” form of communication doesn’t it?!)

I prefer the quieter life:

The little retreat is to hide

Among wooded hills;

The great retreat is to vanish

In the capital.

- Kanzan

Tomorrow you will here my thoughts on other social networking online. Brace yourself…

SC

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