The Point of Twitter

I've been meaning to write this post for a long time.

A friend of mine - who is a professional writer - asked me what the heck the point of Twitter is.  And I have to admit that I totally understood where she was coming from.  Twitter has been around for something like 4 years and I've logged exactly 6.5 months. 

Of course, in the 6.5 months since I joined I've tweeted almost 13,000 times and now, the POINT is completely obvious - to me.

So here it is, FIRST you have to find out what your OWN POINT is, what you're looking for.  And THEN you can see if Twitter can BE THAT for you.

If you're a spammer, looking for clicks and suckers then, Yeah, sadly, Twitter can be that for you.

But if you're a person, looking to connect with other people, Twitter can TOTALLY be that for you.

As a matter of fact that's what I think Twitter is best for.  As I explained to my husband, Twitter is great because it's a PURELY cerebral connection between two people without any prejudice at all regarding looks, dress, profession, education, etc.

It's two mom's talking about teething or cloth diapers or #PPD.  It's strangers sharing stories and Friday nights over a glass of wine.

Sure there are some people who tweet because they DON'T have a life but most people tweet because the life that they HAVE keeps them at home or in their office INSTEAD of out with their friends.  So they find friends on Twitter; friends who understand when they suddenly disappear for 3 days and then reappear, friends who are willing to offer all sorts of support, understanding and advice and don't take it personally when you don't take any of it.

Anyone else?  What do you think the point of Twitter is?

Comments

[andygirl]

the point? connection, sure. but it's more than that. it's networking in your field (especially for bloggers or social media types). it's a conversation sans celebrity or status. I can tweet Roger Ebert and he'll tweet back. it's instant connection. it's humor. it's grass roots politics.

it's community. I found this amazing community through twitter that I never expected. people I consider friends now. and we're fiercely loyal and protective and concerned for each other. it's incredible.

the possibilities for twitter are endless and there is no point unless you just jump in and get the conversation going.

[blackhuff]

I totally agree with you on what Twitter is. Twitter to me is exactly what you describe here. I also use Twitter to advertise new things which I have posted on my websites, it's a great marketing tool.

[Simone]

I joined twitter 5 days ago. I never saw the point before.
Then i realised that so many people in the blogging world use twitter.
For me it's all about the blogging.
And getting people to read what I've written
And talk to me about it.
I am a feedback junkie.
So I decided to give twitter a try.
I have yet to discover if twitter will help put my blog "out there" more... I sure hope so.
Cos I think what I write is worth reading.
I'm crossing my fingers for twitter as one more blog-linking tool :)

[Jen O.]

I've met people through Twitter I would literally consider friends. In fact, one of those people I'd go out on a limb and call one of the best friends I have in the world - real or online. Twitter, for me, is a way to make a connection without having to put yourself out there in a vulnerable way. Twitter, for me, is a series of one-liners, everyone trying to out-do each other in the greatest world-wide battle of the one-liners ever. Twitter is a quick, easy, compact and convenient way to keep writing in between blog posts, complete with the instant gratification of feedback.

I love Twitter, is my point.

[Bill Peschel]

I'm not online all the time, so Twitter doesn't do all that much for me. It must depend on what you put into it.

[D H-Arza]

Twitter is for me exactly how you describe it. I have met great people and found awesome sellers and blogs e.g. www.bloggingdangerously.com ;). I am a shopaholic so it has been fun for me but no my wallet...

[Lisa]

The point is connection. I don't have other friends who are moms yet, so it's nice to have someone to commiserate with, ya know?

[TechyDad]

In my case, I live a pretty isolated life IRL. I work, go home, make dinner, play with my boys a bit, put them to bed, then maybe have some time with my wife. I don't have any IRL dad friends to go hang out with nor do my wife and I get to go out for date nights as much as I'd like. Twitter is a great way for me to connect with other dads (and moms) who understand my situation because they're likely in the exact same situation. The fact that we can't physically be in the same room doesn't mean we can't talk about what's on our minds.

About the spammers thing, though, I'd actually argue that Twitter is less valuable for spammers thanks to how it is set up. You need to follow someone for them to appear on your timeline. So if someone starts spamming, you could unfollow them (and block or report them as spam) and suddenly they're not tweeting to you. Spammers have resorted to trying to hijack accounts because they can't simply set up @SpammerTweets and inundate us with links to not-quite-reputable products and offers from Nigerian princes. This downside for spammers is an upside for the rest of us as it means more signal and less noise on our Twitter stream.

[Amy_R]

You hit the point slap dab on the head. That's what I love about twitter. I can say, "hey folks, I'm having a sucky day" and then usually at least 2 or 3 people will try to cheer me up or give me virtual hugs. I don't think that twitter takes away from my real life, I think it actually enhances my real life. Especially since I've become pretty good friends with some of the twitter folks! Thanks for sharing this...I may have to send my husband over here to read. He often questions the twitter too!

[donna]

I really like the "micro" in the its microblogging definition. Sometimes I just have something short to say, something that is not meaty enough for an entire blog post, but that I know my friends would find interesting or funny or sad or infuriating.

Somehow this gives a more in-depth look into each other's lives I think, because we are more likely to Tweet something quickly and more often than a full blown blog post.

[Jess@Straight Talk]

Agreed. I love Twitter. It's a great place to make connections. And also, a great place to make things happen and bring people together. Look at #wineparty!

[c lo]

Sometimes I feel like Twitter is like chatting without the need for immediate feedback. I can see, quickly, whats going on with my homies, and respond without having to sit in front of a computer and actually converse when I don't have the time.

Wow......does that sound douchey? I hope not.

And, yeah, what you said too. :P

[Rachel]

It's connection for me. Living in a new state, trying out a car-free life, it's a sanity life-line.

And, through it I found The Bloggess, which led me to all her blogs, which led me here, which got me some great shoes (still loving my Trekkers) and a vibrator for 50% off & free shipping. Really, it's a life-changer. ;-)

[Kali]

Twitter for me is about expanding my interests and listening to different points of views about a variety of subjects.
It gives me up to date news for my news-junkie fix.
I can keep up w/ sports I'm interested in and the ppl who play those sports.
I've made friends who I've got similar interests w/ (books, movies, tv shows).
It's also a chance to support others and be a listener to others lives.

For me it's a community w/ different streets and blocks where all the things I love can be found.

[D]

You've hit the nail on the head with this. It's really hard to to explain this to people who don't Tweet (or blog). For me, it's a great connection to people I've never met in person, but are close friends to my heart.

[Clutteredbrain]

I totally AGREE!
Twitter is all about the connections you make!
I LOVE people and I love meeting new friends every day! Sure all my friends don't leave near me, but does that mean I can't have fun online (Twitter) with them?
Two of my closest great awesome BUDS live in kentucky and Fla...
I love them as they lived next door.
Thanks for this post! I'm tweeting it out to the masses!

[Tiffany]

i'm not always sure what the heck i'm doing on twitter. i'm kind of bipolar when it comes to twitter but def. see how people become addicts.

[Marian]

twitter is the future, man.
it's a place to make real connections.
to get real support and support others.
to make people laugh or find laughs.
to find or market a cause, raise money, do good.
to assert yourself.
to observe.
to learn.
to find community and information.
to practice and grow.
i could go on and on and on.
thank YOU for being part of my twitterworld.

[Nichole]

This may sound a bit dramatic, but for me, Twitter served as a lifeline after the birth of my son.

Those early days with two kids were rough--it was just too much work to get out of the house. Twitter brought friends into my home without the need to clean up first!

I am so very grateful for the friendships that I've made on Twitter.

[Carolyn (temysmom)]

Loved your post. I think you get out of twitter what you put into it. For me, it's nice to know every random weird thought I have doesn't just have to stay in my own head.

[Dave]

Fascinating.. I could not have said it better myself. Maybe simpler?
Twitter is a communication tool. Like a chatroom where you can talk to people and friends, make friends. It includes public conversation with the @reply feature and private with direct messages.
I would think everyone has their own way of using Twitter.

[thelifejourneygirl]

I'm new to Twitter, but quite frankly find it fascinating. It's like a mini window (well it's really like a bazillion mini windows) into the thoughts and dreams of other people. It's fabulous to see and learn about other people and their lives and be able to share my own life. Challenging to do in a one-liner, but incredibly fulfilling to just toss something out there and see it get picked up and commented on!

[Vicarious Chelsea]

This was SO well said! It's been hard for me to verbalize this, but I agree completely!

[MommyLisa]

I think YOUR point of Twitter is mine exactly. I love this post! See you at #wineparty!

[subWOW]

I do love Twitter. you are right: it is what you make of it. I use Twitter to connect to strangers. What can I say? I love an audience when I make a fool of myself. Twitter is awesome for this since I don't know 99.99999% of the people so I don't care as much that I am making a fool of myself. It is liberating. (OK, maybe I have deeper issues...)

[TheNextMartha]

Like others I can totally be myself on twitter. This may not always be a good thing but for me it's gold. Enjoyed this.

[Paxochka]

I work from home (somedays half-heartedly) and twitter is like my office water-cooler. I wander in and out, gossip and banter, and then focus back on my work. But the best part is that it the people I've stumbled across on twitter are the ones who would make my day if I worked with them IRL. They make me laugh out loud, snarf my coffee, cry when they have hard times, want to reach out and hug them. I think twitter allows people to find their "soulfriends". You pick up the ones you gel with and you run with them. And they make you smile with just a sweet square avatar and a few brief words.

I love twitter.

p.s. HAPPY BIRTHDAY :P