If you are not using Twitter yet, then maybe now is time to take a look at the application that seems to continue to cause quite a buzz on the web. Twitter is classed as a micro-blogging application, effectively tracking the small pieces of information that previously might fly point-to-point on IM or be posted as a short blog entry. If you are using Facebook – then its like the ’so-and-so is…’ feature, on steroids.
So – why should you be using Twitter – here are five of my top reasons:
- Twitter is really quick and easy to update – you can use the web page itself, a whole bunch of lovely looking desktop clients and even SMS from your cellphone. I use a Windows Vista sidebar gadget called Twadget, which is always open and chirrups peacefully everytime news arrives.
- You can integrate Twitter with any service you like (it publishes in RSS), I automatically update my Facebook profile with my ‘tweets’, and I also publish them automatically here on this blog (over to the right there).
- You can follow your online friends and here what they have to say, and where they are (lots of people use Twitter as a mini travelog/diary)
- You can follow news and blog services in Twitter and get a really concise feed of information quickly and effectively, news travels fast on the internets – and twitter seems to be one of the quickest ways to see news happening. Following an event like CES is really easy on Twitter.
- Its not a deluge – you choose what you follow and don’t follow (like RSS) but (unlike RSS) the messages are short (140 characters), so people are brief and concise.
Steve Claytons post on Twitter has some really interesting debate on how Twitter is becoming more and more mainstream, and eventually may become the new facebook. I’m looking forward to seeing what else Steve has to say on Twitter – and if he needs anyone inside Microsoft to bounce ideas off – I’m two floors down from him!
So – my suggestion is that you get over to Twitter, sign up and then add me to your list – I’d love to hear what’s going on.
coffee shall be scheduled Matt
[...] This really adds to one of the reasons I suggested you should be using Twitter, it’s a ‘pull’ environment which is less intrusive than mail and IM – so people are using it to capture digital ephemera and thoughts. [...]