Thinking about Twitter
Posted by hubman38 on August 8, 2009
Ok, I’ll admit it, I’m thinking about re-creating my Twitter account.
Sometime last winter, the blogger known as Spanking Barbie [she's gone, far as I know, so no link] invited me to join Twitter. So I did, then found that I posted something maybe 3 times in a month and really found no use for it. At the time, it just seemed so very narcissistic and I never really got into it, so I deleted my account. [I wrote about social networks a few months ago. See the post here] But apparently, I can restore my account and reclaim my user name.
As my mind wandered, thinking about Twitter, I wondered how they make any money and found this little nugget on Wikipedia:
Privacy and security: Twitter collects personally identifiable information about its users and shares it with third parties. The service considers that information an asset, and reserves the right to sell it if the company changes hands. While Twitter displays no advertising, advertisers can target users based on their history of tweets and sometimes may quote tweets in ads.
I hope none of you are surprised by that. And as far as I know, Google does the same thing.
So tell me, Twitter-philes, what do you think? What am I missing out on by not being on Twitter? Educate me, please. What do you like about it. What don’t you like. Any suggestions for things or people I should be following. Besides my blogger friends who are on Twitter, of course 
Have a good weekend! We have family descending upon us for Darling Boy’s birthday party later today and Veronica and I will be vanilla-prepping the house this morning!
Lilly said
Ok, I didn’t know that.
hm.
See I don’t use Twitter as a narcissistic “i’m doing xyz right now” thing. When a thought, a question, an observation whatever pops into my head when I’m at the computer, I might tweet it. I equally though read what others are saying and conversing to each other. I half treat it like a big ole chatroom a lot of the time.
Sexy @ Forty said
I’m on Twitter. Have been for a while – but it’s my good gurl account.. lol I just recently took on another account so add me if you rejoin! – SexyForty is my username.
Twitter is fun, But I don’t do much “Tweeting” mostly read what others say. I think a lot of those sites collect info – but you CAN add a fake name, location and all that. You can be searched through email though, so make sure you got a private one… just for that.
osbasso said
That doesn’t surprise me. Facebook has been under fire for the same thing over the past couple of months. They consider any personal information as assets, and have been doing the same thing. They cover their butts by allowing an individual to “opt out” of things, but 99% of the users are totally unaware, so that rarely happens.
I shall never join Twitter. It’s a time suck. And based on this past week’s hacking of it, and the resulting “crisis” it caused, it holds absolutely no appeal to me.
Gray said
I enjoy twitter for the ease to have mini conversations with the people that read my blog and that I read theirs. But I’m nosy so of course I like it! Come on back. You’ll enjoy it.
Emmy said
I was the same way about Twitter when I first joined. Didn’t find value in it, so I would just leave my account idle. I think everyone just needs to find their use of Twitter really. For me, it’s like a quick blog….I’ve posted on my blog before about how I use it – to keep track of news, technology stuff, etc. But it has been fun keeping instantly connected to a few other bloggers. Because I use it to keep track of “work stuff too”, I don’t find it to be too much of a time suck really. I think Facebook with all of its applications and games and stuff could be considered more of one.
But that’s just my opinion.
Vixen said
IDK….Twitter is one of those things you either enjoy or don’t. It does suck up a lot of time. Which is not something I have a lot extra of.
I think there are a couple different types of Tweets (Twitterers?). There ARE the very narcissistic type (not my favorite to follow), then the ones Lilly mentioned that use it more as a chat room (which I find enjoyable), or the ones that just add interesting thoughts/comments/opinions/open up communication.
I think it comes down to another situation of to each their own.
Playfully Yours said
I agree with Osbasso, with the recent attack/hacking. It is one less thing I have to worry about. If I want to chat then I have Ymessenger for that.
samtagious said
Thats why I have a junk address I use for my domain and all services therein. I don’t care about SPAM in it and I don’t care what net weirdos get ahold of it, let’em buy it lol it’ll do them no good! I like Twitter because I don’t have time for actual chat services, I love the links people post, I love to post cool links. I’ve actually made some powerful connections through twitter–help with coding on my site, info on serious social topics and some really great friends. There is spam and a lot of tweets are superficial and seemingly vain but isn’t that how all conversations and relationships start? You call someone or meet them in a cafe and its all “Oh hey, I saw so&so the other day” or at the post office “I love that sweater” etc. everything starts superfluous, its up to you if you want it to mean more!
TentCamper said
I like twitter. I know that they do or will sell my info….but I am out there on the web, blogs and some other social networks…if ‘they’ want your info…they’ll get it somehow.
when you get back on…as long as you follow me (TentCamper) you’ll be just fine!!!!
Bacon said
Twitter for us started as simply an extension of our blog — a micro-blog, where we could post something at any time, without the need for a lot of detail, time or effort. It could certainly be narcissistic depending on what one tweets, but that could be said for any such thing, including ones blog. All depends on what a person’s objective is for using it. Ours is just to add an additional aspect to the fun our blog.
Love the “vanilla-prepping” remark – that was funny! LOL!!
Britni TheVadgeWig said
When I first joined, I thought it was stupid. Really, I did. I was like, this is the dumbest thing ever. But then, people I knew (of) began following me. I started to get the hang of it. And now it’s taken over my life. If you don’t know people on there, or don’t follow people that reply and use it often, it’s a waste of time and not fun. But I love it, since I *do* engage with people and they engage back.
Barefoot Dreaming said
I would get nothing done, my life is one random thought after the other and if people started responding to my random thoughts they would take over my life. seriously I would be a twitter tweeter, twatter – what ever!
Grace said
I rarely tweet, but I do have some friends who are quite witty (twitty?), and I do enjoy reading what they have to say.
mnwhr5 said
Think it is totally narcissistic, but hey sometimes that’s not a bad thing. I tried it for a while but found it takes up to much time for very little in return, so I closed my account.
rage said
I use twitter but use a different nic for it. Anyone should be under the assumption that anything you sign up for on the web that your information is sold to 3rd parties (even if they tell you it’s not).
Lascivious D said
*stands up* My name is Dana and I’m a Twitter convert.
We all know that I had nothing nice to say about Twitter … until I discovered that it is just a tool and can be used in whatever way fills your needs. I spend FAR less time on Twitter than I do on FaceBook or *gasp* reading/commenting on blogs. I don’t find it to be a time suck at all.
I follow very few people – mostly bloggers who I *know* fairly well (as an informal chat option) and news feeds (local, national and breaking). I find it a nice, neat little way to get everything I need in a relatively compact format.
Topaz said
Just saw that you added me! I’ve done the same for you…
I’m a horrible twit (is that what they call us? lol). I don’t update often, respond if I’m messaged to, but I do use it as a method of venting. Sometimes I twitter many times a day, sometimes I leave it alone for a few weeks. Hopefully, I’ll figure out what I want to do with it instead of being so wishy washy…