adjustafresh: a fresh design - Online Strategy, IA, User Experience Design & UI Development

Twitter… Why? [Updated]

February 14, 2008

By Scott Kiekbusch

Every now and then I find myself randomly showing up and hanging out on the Why Use Twitter page like it’s an ex-girlfriend’s apartment.  When I get to the page to explore why I should invest my time Twittering, this is the best they can tell me:

Why? Because even basic updates are meaningful to family members, friends, or colleagues—especially when they’re timely.

You’re going to have to do better than that Twitter.

For the uninitiated, Twitter is a micro-blogging tool that allows users to publish and syndicate tidbits of information that they wish to share.  I’ve read a few Twitter feeds, but the majority of the feeds I’ve run across are self-absorbed, overly self-promotional or just adding to the noise.

I’ve bookmarked a few articles on the pros and cons of Twitter, but for some reason, I can’t make up my mind.  I still keep lurking on the site… toying with a membership, and then convincing myself that it’s pointless.

For those who do use Twitter – Do you see the value?  Can you explain it to me?  Should I take the plunge?

Update: Thanks for the comments; I’m still waiting to hear from a Twitter advocate!  In the mean time, I came across this entertaining article in the NY Times today about the pros and cons of Twitter: If You Can’t Let Go, Twitter.

Tagged:

Social

Technology

Trends

Your turn—Leave a comment

devin said:

I think i’m more interested in knowing why Dale has 999 people following his self-indulgent twitter feed. One can argue that all twittering, if not all personal social websites, is self-absorbed to some degree. I’m okay with that I think.. after all, I beieve I was Time’s man of the year.I set up for a twitter account before i drove cross country and tweeted (::Shudder::) along the way. I’m not sure if any of the 3 people who followed it got any value from it. I haven’t used it since I made it to CA and no one has complained. Like you, i’m intrigued by it, but can’t find a compelling reason for it. I’m perplexed by the people who use it beyond the “trial phase” and feel like it has the same appeal as slap bracelets, pet rocks and torn jeans—Trend over Taste.. Nothing attracts a crowd like a crowd.

February 12, 2008 - 08:00 PM

Scott Kiekbusch said:

Devin,

I think that you have a good point about most, if not all, social media being self-absorbed.  Most of us are participating because, to some degree, we want the attention.

I guess using Twitter is just another form of attention seeking.  The thing that irks me about it is the abbreviated nature of each “tweet” which makes the self indulgence even more obvious and less palatable.  I just don’t care that Dale thinks, “That eTrade ad was okay until the throw up.” And, I don’t think people care that much for my opinion about it either.

Thanks for commenting!

February 12, 2008 - 09:30 PM

Amy Marr said:

To me, it’s just more noise.  Twitter disagees:

Twitter puts you in control and becomes a modern antidote to information overload.

They credit their service as the solution; I submit they’re contributing to the problem.

February 13, 2008 - 11:33 AM

Scott Kiekbusch said:

So Amy, if Twitter is just more digital noise pollution, why is it all the rage?  Are the people who use it addicted to the noise?  Are they better at filtering the relevant content from the chaff?

Is anyone seeing any value in Twittering?

February 13, 2008 - 01:47 PM

Amy Marr said:

Clearly there are those who either ‘don’t mind the noise’ or perhaps crave it like certain celebrities crave attention.  Look at the landfill that is MySpace - obviously some people love the clutter!

Value is perhaps in the eye of the beholder.  But I’ve noticed a number of folks who start twittering & fall off the wagon after a few weeks or months.  Is that because it’s not worth the time investment?

February 13, 2008 - 02:19 PM

Lydia said:

...if I can randomly butt in, I just came across your site from cssbeauty looking at your contractible header (nice!).  Anyway, I’m not a Tweet..or a Twitter-er… or whatever you want to call it, but I don’t especially see it as “adding to the noise” because I never visit the site.  If people get a kick out of Twitter, they can go for it.  It sounds like you are on the fence for good reasons.  Since you already have a nice blog, why bother?  Then again, it’s the internet.  It could be fun… right?

February 14, 2008 - 12:37 AM

Scott Kiekbusch said:

Hi Lydia,

Since you complimented my site twice in one comment you can butt in anytime!  Thanks for stopping by.

February 14, 2008 - 01:00 AM

rob said:

“I think i’m more interested in knowing why Dale has 999 people following his self-indulgent twitter feed. “

Make that 1000!

As for Twitter in general, I keep trying, but I don’t really have the patience to find and follow a bunch of people. Doing that, I think, would make it a more interesting experience. Right now, I just text random missives into the aether to pass the time and check in on the comings and goings of a handful of “web celebrity” types who I found basically because they blogged about the service.

February 14, 2008 - 11:26 AM

devin said:

Since this has become quite a popular thread here, I guess I’ll comment again.

I’m with Scott on this one.. while I can definitely explain some of the basic appeal or twitter as well as the annoyance, I can’t fathom the wild popularity of it.  MySpace, despite all of it’s noisiness, at least has some purpose. Just last night I was on a profile created for my High School graduating class, connecting with people I haven’t seen in years—even found some who happen to live in the same town as me, 3000 miles from our HS.

That said, what’s the PURPOSE of twitter? How can people in our industry create exciting new experiences if so much of the audience seems enthralled by something with no purpose? Understand their need, understand their behavior. But if you don’t understand their needs, then are you just hanging out on the outside of twitter looking in?

February 19, 2008 - 01:09 PM