33 replies to this topic

[Matthew (Admin/MPJ)]

Everyone seems to be going on about Twitter, but is it that good? I have signed up to see what it is all about (I am farsleyamersham on it) but am not sure what to make of it, how it all works and is it really of interest to most (or indeed am I of interest to anyone?!). I have signed up to travel alerts from the rail companies I use, but could just as easily get the information elsweher.

Does anyone else use it or have views on it?

I am also on Facebook and see that as a good way of sending news and photos to friends, which include those people you know but do not communicate with regularly, but apart from that I don't use Facebook too much, so am I too old for all this social networking stuff?!

[Fran]

Different social networking tools have different uses and audiences, I think.

• I use LinkedIn, but I keep that (almost) entirely for professional contacts and groupings.
• I use Facebook recreationally and like you, I find it useful for keeping in loose touch with people and sometimes quite an amusing way of staying in touch with people one sees a lot of anyway.
• I've looked at Twitter feeds (though not signed up) and been unimpressed. It's a bit like Facebook with nothing but status updates, i.e. less interesting and less useful. As internet-enabled phones become increasingly common, it seems to foster more frequent and ever more banal posts (I don't care who has just brushed their hair or replaced a light bulb), though I'm sure there are some exceptions. Apparently 90% of Twitter content is created by only 10% of users and most people only ever "tweet" once (see Harvard study). Friends who use Twitter reckon you need to use Tweetdeck or another similar app to manage your feeds.
• I also use www.goodreads.com which some might class as social networking. That's purely for book groups, reviews and book-related discussions. (The book-related groups on Facebook are pretty dead.)
• Friends Reunited is pretty quiet and obsolete and I've never looked at BeBo or MySpace.

I am a technical author by trade and I have seen Twitter promoted in some circles as a great new technology for delivering content to users (see these Cherryleaf blog entries if you're interested). I have yet to be convinced.

[Paul Capewell]

I use Twitter religiously - I follow about 160 'people' (some of these are websites though, and act a bit like RSS feeds), of which about half are people I know 'in real life'. For those people, I find the direct contact really useful. A handful of them I know for a fact use it on their phones, or have it constantly open while they're at work, so it has replaced text messaging for me if I need to contact them quickly when I'm out and about. (My phone is rubbish, but it can access twitter and facebook amongst others).

There are three stages of twitter use in my experience: not using it/derision of those who do; trying it out and not 'getting it' and leaving; and people like me who are shamelessly addicted.

The good thing is that if you follow people who you don't find interesting or who post too much - you can simply stop following them! Twitter is only as useful as you make it.

Another point: I have my twitter feed set to private. I did this when I 1) realised Google indexes tweets when people search for me (and god knows I have far too much online under my name) and 2) I started using it more personally (the text messaging point above) and wanted this to be private. This has also stopped the spamming (being followed by agencies who pick up on keywords you use, for example) which I know puts some people off.

I could probably write volumes about it but none of it would make any more sense than even this post so I'll leave it

[Matthew (Admin/MPJ)]

Thanks for the information. I have an I Pest (as my wife calls it, I call it an I Phone) so can keep an eye on Twitter out and about if I want to, so I can see the advantage of just small bits of information as opposed to the mountain of information on Facebook. I suppose it boils down to finding people you want to track and also if others find you. I will make sure my account is private as I get enough junk as it is

[struthie]

I'm on twitter but can't really get into it,much prefer facebook I'm ashamed to say!

[KevinR]

There are three stages of twitter use in my experience: not using it/derision of those who do; trying it out and not 'getting it' and leaving; and people like me who are shamelessly addicted.
it

I fall into the category of "trying it out and not 'getting it' and leaving".

<<<red rag to bull mode on>>>

I already feel at the point of information overload, and my experience was of having an open channel to vast quantities of chatter of dubious value. I reached the conclusion that I did not want to spend lots of time and effort ploughing through mountains of inane trivia on the off chance that there might be something useful/interesting occasionally pop up. Quantity and immediacy are not a substitute for quality communication.

<<<red rag to bull mode off>>>

[Paul Capewell]

That's where I find it confusing - if you're finding yourself overwhelmed by information, you're obviously following too many people. You're in charge of that!

But in a much wider sphere, I agree with you entirely. I am rather concerned with where all these new media are taking us (and more importantly, the next generations).

[Fran]

From today's old media, but also on the web:
Quick guide to Twitter for late adopters
Profile of Twitter HQ

[KevinR]

That's where I find it confusing - if you're finding yourself overwhelmed by information, you're obviously following too many people. You're in charge of that!

Well, as a "leaver" I now follow zero people, so I'd argue I have taken control of my time:rolleyes:

More seriously, I do find some of the aggregated information that comes out of Twitter (basically other people talking about the news on Twitter) more interesting than Twitter itself e.g. the information coming out re the Iran election. At that level it's been informally peer reviewed and filtered.

[PaulEden]

It's all part of web 2.0, which is purely an exercise in marketing. It's supposed to represent the move to dynamic content, but it's really only resulted in the dilution of useful content on the web. After spam, the biggest use of the web is pornography.

I find it best to not get sucked into the 'latest thing' on the internet because it's usually just some kid in California making money, usually by selling our email addresses.
I joined and left twitter, failing to see the point. My niece made me a bebo profile but it just resulted in me getting dragged into discussion on adult topics run by kids.
Here in short, is what I think these 'applications' are for or who they suit (generalisations may not apply to all users).

Bebo: Teenagers discussing underage sex.
Facebook: Adults discussing sex.
Twitter: One or two famous people running out of characters in which to post stuff. The rest are sheep.
Myspace: People impersonating 'celebrities' and bands.

Wikis are probably the only good thing that has come out of web 2.0. Forums, such as ours predate web 2.0 but they are still dynamic so belong in that family. The trick is to have good moderation and admin.

[Eaton]

Facebook: Adults discussing sex.

Not on my page or on my friends, I must be friends with the wrong people.

[Fran]

Facebook: Adults discussing sex.

Not on my page or on my friends, I must be friends with the wrong people.

Nor mine.

Paul, are you sure you're not looking at Facebonk?

[147]

Nor mine.

Paul, are you sure you're not looking at Facebonk?

More like Faceparty, that is definatly an adult site.

[PaulEden]

LOL yes very good, you two!

I do have a pretty low opinion of these sort of sites. The fact that Twitter is gaining a corporate following on servers to make me more suspicious. I do openly admit that this may be more to do with me than them. More than a decade ago I was heard to say "Top Of The Tops is rubbish now", unwittingly echoing my mother's sentiments from twenty years previous.

I can sort of see why twitter is popular. It is innovative and getting a few big names on board lends it credibility, but the acid test is always 'How did I manage before?' and to be honest, I always did.

Social networking is more about creating a need and fulfilling it, rather than finding a need and fulfilling it.

I just remembered another site to add to my hit list;

Friends United; The divorce lawyers prayer in difficult times.

[David P]

but the acid test is always 'How did I manage before?' and to be honest, I always did.

So you've given up your mobile phone, email, car, . . . .?

But I agree, I really can't see the point of Twitter. But then, I haven't looked.

[Fran]

Whilst my Facebook friends are not as salacious as Paul's (you can always befriend me Paul, and see how the other half lives), it can get out of hand. In the unlikely event you want proof, you may be shocked and amused in equal measure by this. Well, maybe more shocked than amused. Anyway:

myparentsjoinedfacebook.com

[Paul Capewell]

Hahaha I'd not seen that before, it's fabulous.

[PaulEden]

So you've given up your mobile phone, email, car, . . . .?

But I agree, I really can't see the point of Twitter. But then, I haven't looked.

I've still got my mobile phone and all the other things. I've had email since 1996 and connected my first computer to the network in 1985. At the time, I was sure they were useful and that they were here to stay. I'm not convinced twitter and facebook et al are usefu. They will have a minority interest, but never mainstream.

[Fran]

I'm not convinced twitter and facebook et al are usefu. They will have a minority interest, but never mainstream.

Whilst Facebook may be a minority thing in the true sense of the word, for now I think it has a critical mass, certainly far ahead of Twitter and the others: more than 200 million people actively use it, including one third of Canadians (12 million), according to the BBC today, and also about one third of Britons (Facebook usage by country). Once you knock out under 8s and assume there are few pensioners on it, that's a pretty large minority of the population.

That said, I'm sure it will fall out of favour in due course. The more interesting question is whether it will be replaced by something similar or if the whole social networking idea will also fade away.

[Paul Capewell]

Yeah I think the point to remember is that it's not about particular 'brands' - Twitter, Facebook, Bebo et al are all just part of an evolution in the way people communicate. The services and brands will come and go, but it's the way people communicate which is constantly changing.

[David P]

Once you knock out under 8s and assume there are few pensioners on it, that's a pretty large minority of the population.

If you also knock out all those who have logged on just once or twice to see what it is all about and all those who have multiple identities on Facebook, you will arrive at a much more realistic figure.

And be careful what you say about us wrinklies!

[Fran]

And be careful what you say about us wrinklies!

I was very careful. Surely it's a compliment to assume that most pensioners are too wise to waste their time with ephemeral and superficial fads that entice the fickle youngsters?

[Fran]

The government is now actively using Twitter and encouraging civil servants to do so on their behalf on "issues of relevance or upcoming events" (see BBC article). I suppose one can use that fact to confirm or deny the importance of Twitter.

[PaulEden]

Whilst my Facebook friends are not as salacious as Paul's (you can always befriend me Paul, and see how the other half lives),

I'm ashamed to admit that I have at last joined facebook.
Waiter? One serving of humble pie, please.

[Fran]

I'm ashamed to admit that I have at last joined facebook.

And brought it down to your level, already!

[PaulEden]

It was you and Mel who dragged matters carnal to the conversation!
I should say at this point that my motivation for joining facebook is purely financial. A former friend emigrated while owing me some money and a mutual friend told me he was on the site.

[Fran]

It was you and Mel who dragged matters carnal to the conversation!

Really?

Bebo: Teenagers discussing underage sex.
Facebook: Adults discussing sex.
Twitter: One or two famous people running out of characters in which to post stuff. The rest are sheep.
Myspace: People impersonating 'celebrities' and bands.

Mel and I both said we hadn't encountered it there - till today.

A former friend emigrated while owing me some money and a mutual friend told me he was on the site.

I'm not quite sure how you extract money from people via Facebook, but when you've figured it out, do share; it could be useful!

[PaulEden]

I'm not quite sure how you extract money from people via Facebook, but when you've figured it out, do share; it could be useful!

He's not returning any emails, so I'm hoping he'll be more responsive via Facebook.

[Paul Capewell]

Is he a Nigerian prince?

[PaulEden]

No, he's a Lancastrian scuba diver who has emigrated to Vancouver.