It is hard to explain the good of an object having never used it. To judge whether there was any good in Twitter I signed up. After a brief evaluation I found it to be pretty useful. At the touch a button and a quick search I could find a few major news outlets. Not only could you stay on top of current events easily and follow up on the more interesting ones, but it brought to my attention the fact that I could stay in tune with whats going on in the bar culture by following some of the major shakers and movers of the industry today, this could be applied to just about any facet of industry or general interest. Though it may be true that not everyone is posting useful thoughts Twitter provides a great marketing tool for ideas. If businesses can reach the masses through their favorite celebrities and promote their products, why couldn't one do the same for their beliefs and ideas? Though I can see how its short 140 character limit can make it difficult to express complete and well written thoughts, but it certainly is enough space to attract someones attention to a link where an idea is better expressed or displayed. Twitter hasn't brought about any degradation in thought, or the written word, that we haven't already sought ourselves.
I find Twitter, Facebook, and all other misc. social networking websites to be distractions from the misery of everyday life. I don't mean this to seem fatalistic, but rather, I mean it in a realist sense.
To view happiness as a continuous strife which is never achieved in it's fullest, most ideologically pure sense is most accurate in my opinion. With this comes the strife of eliminating as much misery and other negative emotions as possible to make more room in the sands of the hourglass for happiness and other pleasant emotions.
If I were to suppose that all people seek happiness, if not just temporary pleasure as well, I could reason that social networking offers a (mostly harmless) distraction. These distractions I think are used primarily as a substitute to the happiness we seek. In other words we use both temporary happiness and distraction to push misery out of the hours of our day. It just happens that distraction is more accessible and easier to use. That's not to say however, that it is more effective. It's quite the contrary.
In Brazil they say "sair para se distrair". This translates roughly as "to 'go out' to distract one's self". This, in my opinion, comes much closer to describing the purpose of distraction to alleviate the emotional pain of the human experience than any other way of expressing such a thing in English. It expresses a desire to 'go out' not to gain happiness, but to distract yourself from sadness or loneliness (Twitter is a distraction to 'stay in' however). The Portuguese language also has a word that is infamously difficult to translate which relates to the misery of the human experience, more specifically in lost and/or long past feelings of joy or love. "Saudade" is often translated as "nostalgia" in English (and Spanish as well), but conveys additional feelings of melancholy and sadness.
(disclosure: I don't have a Twitter account). That said, I don't think It's wrong in any sense, I think it's natural. It's natural for humans to seek out happiness and, in this case, distractions. The content is for all intents and purposes most often very questionable in it's relevance, intelligence, etc.
Often times, we take things that are meant for simple enjoyment and turn them into difficult things for...enjoyment. I have a Twitter account and I've probably "tweeted" less than a hundred times. For me, it's a way of seeing my version of beauty on record. The 140 limit is merely a filter to get the main point across. Of course, there are some tweets that are unnecessary and should not even be allowed. But there are many that inspire me, make me smile, or get me thinking about an important issue.
Facebook is great because it connects you with people and Twitter does the exact same thing but quicker. In no way does that limit the Twitter user's ability to formulate a valid or truthful argument or opinion.
In the end, the strong opinions against Twiiter are ignored roadblocks in my street of tweetful early Monday mornings paved for beauty and peace...
I heard about Twitter before from different people even in the news but I wasn’t interested until tonight that I decided to create an account and browse through the page. I always though “oh, great…” another account another username and password to memories just to keep up with friends. To my surprise it is not just another page where I can search for friend but a page that provides everyone with updates and the latest news on so many different topics to choose from and it can be just for fun or for informative preference. In my case I can use Twitter for Business, family, fashion, heath, music, and art and design. Twitter gives options and one of them is choosing topics of interests, so I keep up. I can agree and say that Twitter is a useful tool to those who search and like to involve and aware of some of the many things going on now at days. I can tell you one thing I will not used it for friends because if I do then it will become just like Facebook or My Space and really...I don’t have time for that. PAEZ, N
First I would like to state that I do not have a twitter account nor will I be signing up for one as I do not intend to take part in the tweet culture trend. I truly believe people of today's modern technological society spend an incredible amount of time and energy using mass media as a form of distraction. It's no surprise there is a loss of substance in thought process, consequently producing shortcuts in speech, grammar, and most importantly, the approach to the essences of life for the matter. Unlike tweets, text messaging or blogging, personal experiences require paying attention to the simplicities found in our natural surroundings. It is these personal moments, oftentimes unspoken messages we send life, that shape our being and how we express who we are as individuals. These messages cannot be conveyed in tweets, blogging or text messages. This said, I rather deliver my thoughts and opinions to nature, friends, and those I know in the form of spoken words and personal experiences as this method I believe, is much more edifying.
Prof: As an advent Twitter User and Social Media-lite, I have found Twitter to be a very useful and effective tool despite the negative rap it often gets by people who have nothing important to say on it (Sorry for being truthful). If I may give a testimonial, I have connected with several influential people who have played an important role in my spiritual life through mutual friends on Twitter, as well as Facebook. I believe social media tools such as twitter can be effective and non-effective in the following ways. If your trying to connect to a mass market via a brand, idea, musically, artistically, personally, socially, spiritually, emotionally or whatever way you have identified a specific market or demographic, you can make a great impact with a Tweet. The fact that any person from anywhere, with one tweet you can update your facebook, Blogs and or website is an awesome resource.
I have seen the power of twitter as in the case of addressing Social Justice issues by people such as @Shaunking, who has turned this tool into a way to impact lives in Haiti and around his Local Community. Of course you have people as well as marketers who flood the streamlines with unimportant content that really nobody cares about or you feel overwhelmed by the numerous amounts of tweets one can send.
What I appreciate about twitter is the limit of 140 characters. I feel some people need just 40.... (No further comment), but it's a unique feature and it seems to work. For many, Twitter gives the follower a great opportunity to get to know things about someone or something before they ever encounter it or them. It almost SIN to become so impersonal on Twitter because the streamlines demand a glimpse into your personal life, so you have to be public enough that it doesn’t effect your private life, which for some people they have a hard time doing.
The truth is that Twitter has been out way before it ever blew up or the general public got a hold of it. It works great with other social media monsters like Facebook, Four Square, Gowalla and Blogs, that I don’t think it will fade away just yet because it’s not Facebook, nor does it attempt to be. It has it’s own identity, purpose and audience that really enjoy the relationships and connections that go on with the push of a button or click on a computer.
I only had a vague idea of what Twitter was before this week. I had heard of it, but never really had an interest in learning more about it. I visited Twitter's website to learn what it was really about and to develop an opinion of it. After looking at the front page I noticed today's "Top Tweets", it gave me some insight. It seems that Twitter is an easy way to post simple, transient thoughts. This is great for people interested in what their favorite movie star named their new chihuahua, however most of the "tweets" seem to be unimportant and short.Many of the "tweets" I read were only a single sentence. Being concise is one thing, but posting tiny, undeveloped thoughts is entirely different.
I believe that Twitter is part of the evolution that the internet is bringing with the social networks. The social networks are a great achievement for man kind because no matter where you are in the word, you are able to communicate and inform your followers, especially if you are a recognize figure like an artist or a politician. Also it is a great tool to increase business sales and growth through advertisement and sales online, specially due to the increase of social network users. I believe that this is just the beginning of many great things and that the social network is going to become the prime source of advertisement and publish news in the world.
I will try to be as honest as possible; I also want to be clear that I am only speaking about my personal experience. I do not have a Twitter account and I do not even want to think about opening one. I find this new social network website to be a waste of time and boring as well as Facebook. I do have a Face Book account, which I primarily opened because it was supposed to help me get more jobs in my industry as an actress and a model, and since I did not have a website, Facebook seemed to be a good option to post my pictures and resume. The results were terrible I only encountered people that offered me fake jobs just to meet me. For this reason I decided to continue getting my jobs the old fashion way which is through my talent agency and forget about Facebook. Diana Hernandez
Please I want to apologize if my post will offend anyone in any way but let it be noted that those are not my intentions, at the end of the day, to each its own. I want to start by stating that I had at one point in my life a “myspace” and I deleted it after it created dilemmas for me. Most of my family members who are out of the country started the facebook buzz. Now I personally don’t care about meeting anyone or being “friends” with anyone on it. I simply added it because when I’m on the phone with my family and they tell me about whatever is going on over there, it becomes very aggravating when they don’t send me the pictures, and it always takes me forever to get them to send it to me. So I decided it would be much easier just to make a facebook account so that every time they tell me about a birthday or a vacation, I can just login and view the pictures they will show me. Also, I did get into myspace and facebook before to link up with friends and share cool news but after a few weeks I started realizing that there are a lot of spies in there. It started creating social problems for me, because when I would tell a friend that I was going to stay home and not go out with them tonight and they find out otherwise when the friends that I actually did go out with posted pictures, I was caught. I heard about twitter recently maybe 5 or 6 months ago but I haven’t tried twitter and I really don’t have any interest in even trying it, as a matter of fact, I hate it and myspace too. For the same reasons, not only have I gotten in trouble with friends but I know a few girls who were looking into my comments that people have left me and I felt like I was being spied on. I enjoy my privacy; I enjoy having private conversation either face to face or on the phone. Oh and I really don’t care about news updates either, that is what channel 7 or my Blackberry is for.
Twitter will come and go. Just like MySpace and many other social websites. Twitter is one of thousands of similar websites doing the same thing. Twitter just lucked out on becoming the most popular site of them all. Being in the digital age there are many benefits of twitter, but none of them are for the “common” person. Politically and commercially twitter is great for politicians and celebrities, it's a cheap way to advertise their thoughts in hope others will follow. For everyone else Twitter is a waste of time, a better way to describe your thoughts is through Facebook at least there your friends are following you. Twitter just adds to our deteriorating social skills and is another part of our virtual evolution away from reality. -Thaddeus Nadelson
I beleive that Twitter as others social networks have been created with two purposes. The first one to keep people interacting with each other and the second one just to entertain them and keep them away from reality. I am not a Twitter user, but I have to say that I am a Facebook user.The reason for having a facebook account is to not lose contact with my friends in my country. I do not think that social networks are bad for society, but I do beleieve that is a huge distraction for people. For example, I have friends who always close their accounts when they are in finals because it distracts them to much. I do not think these social networks are the real problem; I think people have made these social networks a major problem. It is true that they distract people but depends on people how much they want to get distracted from them. Is just like I heard in class "solving a problem usually causes another problem." Miluska D.
As everyone was raving about the twitter, I opened the twitter website and signed up for my very own to see the new wave of social networking that everyone claims to have. Not only do I think it was a waste of time but found it so boring to use. Though it might be a great way to "follow" friends, family memebers, and so forth I have no purpose for it and will continue not to use it. Even though I have no purpose for it others might find it useful to sell their products and use it as a great advertising technique.
To be completely candid with you, I feel that the updates on Facebook as well as twitter in general is a bit. I mean really. I signed up for twitter and could not bare to endure the idea of being egocentric enough to ramble on and on in the bubble about every mundane aspect of my life. Even if someone had something poignant to say online, I'm not so sure if the tweet or post is as important as the validation one gets from the glorification of having and knowing that people find ones thoughts and self valuable. On the contrary, I've found that in the case of some celebrities and their fans, it gives both parties the ability to experience each other on a more personal level. I also find that in some cases it allows people to share information that keeps others abreast of milestones(weddings, births, etc.) in their lives and it also allows them the opportunity to share opinions, thoughts, and emotions which in turn allows them to receive feedback and support from friends and family. Side-note, you can usually tell which people are the I need approval bunch, they tweet things like "my dog is going to the bathroom", "shaving my legs", and " I am so blessed, my life is so wonderful garble", I'm so anti that bunch. Additionally, I'd like to point out that the social networking sites are helpful in reuniting people that haven't been in contact for years and finding activities to occupy your free time. I suppose, it's not the worst thing. The sites enhance people's relationships and keep them connected with one another. My problem is with the self absorbed.Eh.... that's it
In my experience i've found that facebook has been a complete and utter distraction from the world around us. It bothers me to know that half of the computers in the courtyard right now are being used for that. On the other hand, I have interacted with twitter, and even though the lack of characters in each post really makes it harder to express a complete thought, it also helps us shorten our statements to it's most basic form; the actual point trying to be made. I constantly catch myself weaving intricate stories and explanations for something that I can express in much less words, but simply do not. In the world we live today because of the fact that we have less time for one another, and more interuptions to have ourselves heard, much of the information we are trying to pass on to the next person is lost amongst our very own ramblings. In my opinion, Twitter has helped show us one thing, keep it short and sweet or people will move on to the next thing. -Mitchell Alvarez
Personally, I think that people need more than just a 140-character tweet to keep them going through the day. For the most part I believe that people are more visual, and require more than just a text update to keep their attention. This is most likely what we owe the success of Myspace and Facebook to. They’re simple to use, yet they give you the option to easily share pictures, videos and music with every update. I have had a Twitter account for quite a while now, to be honest, I STILL don’t know how to share a picture. Although it may be simple, if it doesn’t give me the option to add it from the update box, I won’t go through the trouble of figuring it out. Sadly, it sounds lazy, but it’s the American way. Now, don’t get me wrong, I do like twitter for following and sharing news, tips, quotes, comedy, art and design. BUT, I don’t think twitter can be considered the “next big thing” in social networks. As far as I’m concerned, Twitter will continue to live in the shadow of Facebook.
Honestly, I have never liked twitter. I remember when I first heard about it, and what it was like, I thought it was a little kids version of facebook. Then, when it got pretty big with the media, I just did not understand why people found it so interesting. It is just a website for status updates! That's so boring! However, I tried not to be close minded and tried twitter out. I made an account and then...what? Twitter asked me to update my status, but I didn't have anything to say. Then twitter suggested some celebrities I should follow. I followed a few socialites, but after a week, I began to realize, twitter wasn't made for communication the way facebook was. Twitter was made so celebrities and important figures could gain quick press and advertisement. It wasn't for friends connecting. There I was, following 10 actors and musicians, but not one of my friends. And who was following me? Some weird tanning salon business! All in all, I think twitter is useless and shouldn't be as popular as it is. Hopefully, people will one day realize that.
Let me start by saying I'm not a user of twitter. Nonetheless, I've done research about it and the idea seen pretty good. The main idea is to keep us inform and discover new things. However, in my humble opinion I think we already have enough with the issues around us to pile some more in top of us. For instances, I watch people on tv telling us to follow them on twitter. A few months ago, ones announced his sexual preferences to the wide-world via twitter. But was that necessary to be public? I think not. Some might agree that it was something good that this person express him-self the way he wanted. although must people would think as me that what we say and do affect others. Especially young kids and even inmature adults. We have to keep in mind that what a person see read or hear can have a bad or good influence in life. I also refer to business as well as personal stuff. Therefore, there is no way we can fully express an idea or even more complicated, emotions, with a limit of 140 character. Moreover, how to know if the person or source that is using twitter is being genuine. Technology is consuming us with this new type of communications. We have forgotten the beauty of being humans, love. And our only and unique way of expressing our feelings and thought: words and actions. I agree twitter is not a big thing.
I, a fellow “tweeter” find twitter at times very informative and entertaining, if and only if you’re the type who’s constantly checking up on the latest buzz. Twittering unfortunately isn’t for everybody; I feel that those who disapprove of Twitter only do so because they have never really explored the site. However, the down fall of having to express one’s self in only 140 characters is really difficult. Especially, when there’s so much that one has on their mind and so little space to put it. Although most of the none sense that’s posted on sites like Facebook and Myspace fits in 140 characters as well (even so less than that), so if one can express oneself in less than 140 characters why is it such a bad thing. Twitter as of this moment isn’t that popular right now because just like Facebook (in the past) it takes baby steps to become popular. The site is mainly meant for those that can sum up their whole thoughts and opinions in one sentence. It’s a keep it clear and simple site….something that everybody has forgotten about. -Brandis McGlond
In my opinion twitter is another way of becoming human machines. I do not have a Facebook account because for me it is a way to waste my time. INthese times keyboards are our mouths. I know that being again technology is a difficult experiment, almost impossible but every day we speak less. These websites take us away from every day responsibilities. I do not have a smart phone because in my case I do not need it but these phones for me are very addictive and I prefer to be away from them. Also these phones are corrupting people and more accidents every day in streets product the entertainment they produce. People are almost all day with their phone wasting their time and procrastinating their dairy tasks. I think if we want to be effective people the first thing we must do is stay away from these distractions because it is too much. I am sorry for my honesty my friends.
In my opinion I believe that Twitter and Facebook have their ups and downs. It wasn’t too long ago that I made my own Facebook and it was because my friends kept telling me to make one, I still rarely use it. Twitter on the other hand, has never captured my attention even though I have heard from other people that Twitter is good. I think that Twitter for the most part is for gossiping. On the radio you hear how celebrities insult each other on Twitter and also how people post fake messages about certain celebrities. Then that becomes such big deal because it comes out on the radio or the news how celebrities did this, then everyone becomes interested in it. I’m actually tired of hearing about Twitter on the radio, it’s boring and repetitive. I prefer Facebook better than Twitter and it’s not because I have Facebook but because for the most part Facebook isn’t about celebrity battles or people writing lies about famous people. Facebook is a place where I can just talk with friends about life and so on.
I have to disagree with the opening statement of the article. Unfortunately, in my opinion, Twitter is the next big thing. Facebook is the “King” of social networks, and Twitter is becoming the “Prince”.
It was April 2009, when I came across an interview between Larry King and Ashton Kutcher on television. Kutcher was being praised for having a million followers on something called Twitter. “Twit…What? I wondered. At first, I (naively) thought they were talking about a rally for some benefit or marathon, or something of that caliber. How wrong was I???
Of course I opened an account, checked it out, thought it was pointless and never again signed on it. Today, I do not even remember my password. But I understand how dangerous and addicted it can be. It was bad enough our cell phones became our fifth limb and Facebook our second job, and here it came this Twitter drug.
The reason why I believe Twitter is the next big thing is because I realized how powerful it can be as a marketing tool for politicians, celebrities and business owners. For instance, I work at a nightclub in South Beach; the competition is fierce. My boss decided to open a Twitter account for the club, where she can post real time updates on which celebrities are there, drink specials, etc. She can also, see what customers are saying about the venue while they are there and what competitors are posting, as well. It is amazing how Twitter can make or break your business. Imagine the influence, then, when it comes to politics. It can be extremely useful.
But on the personal level, not only does DISconnect people from real life, it is also breeding a new generation where is “cool” for people to be followers thus any idiot can be a leader (my coworker gets really, really excited every time she reaches a new “Follower Milestone” :/) When did we become these two-sentences, no-vowels, attention-beggars, friends-solicitors people ???
To answer the concluding question on the article: No. The disengagement in the search of simplicity is not good. It is awful, sad and scary.; and I will try to stay out of it as long as I can.
Twitter has become an important social network program that allows people to be constantly informed about the life of others and the events that take place all over the world. The positive aspect of this innovative tool is the possibility of mobilize groups of people toward good causes, for example raising money for the victims of Haiti Earthquake. In addition, twitter is also a lieu to express political ideas in places where the mass media is repressed; it is the case of the protest during the presidential election in Iran. Even thought twitter is not a bad program for transmitting information, I think that people is misusing this important channel of communication by twitting trivial information that is constantly invading the network and covering the information that is important for the community.
New media technology such as facebook and twitter seem to offer an advanced form of global communication. It may prove more cost efficeint to facebook a relative half way accross the world rather than making a pricey phone call. We use facebook and twitter as requirements for work, school, and networking. With all these components at hand one would believe that this new form of communication will allow societies to truley reconnect. However, is this technology really allowing society a step closer to reaching a higher form of interconnectedness? Perhaps the real paradox here is that this media will only hinder our progression of social growth as it slowly disconnects us from one another. The more time you spend infront of that dismal backlight screen the less time you have to experience real connections with people. As you sit at a local starbucks reconnecting with an old friend or meeting up with new ones there are layers of senses being used. From the smell of the coffee, to the sweat on your head your creating an atmosphere and an energy that cannot be recreated or felt through a computer. It is these moments and senses that allow us to learn about one another face to face. Simply through the actions and expressions we make to one another we are able to expand a multitude of feelings such as empathy and sincerity. The cyber world has much to offer. The information is somewhat accurate once filtered by your own logic but it will never provide you with any form of sincere human interaction or stimulation. Angelica Gardian
Many of us find it difficult to interact with our pears by fear of rejection or because of shyness. The social network provides a platform where neither rejection nor shyness is an issue. Although I’m not a twitter user I could see the appeal for certain people, who feel the need to share the every move in their everyday live with millions of people. Nevertheless I’m not one of those folks I have no interest in someone else personal life. I personally believe it’s none of my business, than again enough about me. Furthermore there is other issue that make social network like twitter very appealing; as life is getting harder people are looking for and escape, their own little world where they are the star of the show and twitter does that for them. My opinion of twitter it’s neither good nor bad it’s all depend on the individual.
I am going to be blunt. I don’t care for Twitter. What is the appeal of knowing everyone’s move at all times of the day? There is something about it’s simplicity that can be attracting, but the fact that Twitter is yet another site for people around the world to post what they believe to be deeply philosophical and intellectual thoughts in 140 characters or less is not a selling point. It is understandable that while Twitter is mostly useless, it also serves the purpose of getting the message across; businesses, stores, even schools, are using Twitter to send mass memos to employees, customers, and students. Taken in the latter context, there is an epsilon of use to Twitter but overall, I do not care for it. I consider myself a deeply interactive person. I enjoy conversation. There is something about being able to speak to a person face-to-face, or even on the phone that I find incredible value in. Twitter seems to be the end-all of personal conversation. For that I will not hesitate in saying that I don’t like it. It has become default to use some sort of status update to get across to friends, family, even strangers. Twitter has somehow found a way to sever ties and become the end of personal communication. Besides almost completely abolishing physical interactivity between people, Twitter has somehow made it okay, even popular, for individuals to broadcast their every move, thought, feeling, on the internet. I cannot understand why anyone would be interested in knowing that Kim Kardashian is going out to lunch, or that Jessica Simpson feels sick and is staying in bed. On the other hand, why would anybody want the world to know every step they take? Twitter is eradicating privacy. I would not be surprised to find that its users might not even know what privacy is. Frankly, the mundane tweeting (twittering?) makes absolutely no sense. On a different perspective, when Twitter is utilized as a means of communication in businesses and schools, it makes sense.When it is painted like this, as a tool to enhance communication, not replace it, Twitter gains some respect from me.
I personally think that twitter is very ridiculous. The idea of watching someone or a celebrity daily life proves to me that the person who is actually keeping up with them is running away from their own problems. Most of these social sites although they can be fun at times or good to keep contact with family and friend, are merely just distractions. I believe people spend more time on their twitters or facebook more than they actually study for school or something more useful to mankind. I think there is some irony for the fact that these social networks came at a time when there is still pointless wars going on, and the worse global recession. I don't agree with the 140 word minimum use either.
I personally have never used twitter nor do I own a Twitter account. Therefore I am strictly commenting on your blog about Twitter. Twitter seems to be to me a source of entertainment and information. It is very interesting to glimpse into other peoples' lives on invitation. People share there thoughts and actions with broad network of people sharing their page. Twitting is like mini blogging. Giving you a synopsis into the life you it's author. The Sysomos' survey further proves my point that Twitter is entertaining. With 22.5% of twitters twitting the majority. I believe Twitter should exist in the same way I believe television, video games and other sources of entertainment should exist. Also, reading and writing are the main sources of twitting, so you are using your imagination while being entertained. Granted it is not as substantial as reading a book or writing a paper. Andrea Bingham
Is Twitter the next big thing? I think not aswell. Granted I don't use any of the major social networking sites. I can see were they can be useful for getting the pulse of many peoples thoughts on certain issues, but at the same time you have to wade through the garbage. The lexical knowledge displayed on the majority of the post is non-exsistant. The 150 word limit might have something to do with the mass abbreviation, but it should be used sparingly. If you allow me to compare it to another medium I maybe able to shed some light.The apparent abuse of the written word may not be as thoughtless as you and I have beleived it to be. Like I said before, I have never used Twitter,MySpace or Facebook, but I have extensive knowledge of MMOG's(Massively Multiplayer Online Games) culture. It has been my experience that expressing ones thoughts through typing in the limited confines provided within the game has no bearing on how these clan/guild members really write. I have played with Lawyers, Doctors and many people with Phd's. I have read posts in other venues by these people and I can tell you, how they write in one limited space loctaion has no bearing on how articulate they are. I also have read in-game post that are amazingly contructed by a Best Buy employee. A lesson to be learned here is to try and not be so judgemental. I am at fault here aswell, as I started be saying that most people posting on these social networking sites can't write well. I am working on it.
I am not able to make a judgment call on whether I find Twitter to be a useful site or not since I have personally never visited the site, but I have known of its lack of networking capabilities and this has caused me to deter from its use. Although it is hard to accept, social networks have flourish into an everyday tool we use whether it be for making new friends, finding employment, or expressing our feelings. Twitter in my opinion does not satisfy any of these requirements with the 140 word limit that they have placed upon their update status. I don't feel that it lives up to other competitor social network sites such as Facebook or Myspace which actually has the capability of taking your interests or school/work information and matching them with possible friends,family members,co-workers,prospective clients, and even school classmates that you have loss contact with. I understand that maybe Twitter's goal may be to meet that expectation but answer this question: when have you ever been able to express an interest or situation that occurred on a normal day within 140 words?
I personally do not have face book, twitter or any other social network account. I am not a fan of expressing my thoughts or emotions on a website where millions of people can access me and read every single blog I post. Although I am 22 years old I am a little conservative about myself and my emotions where as others blog every single thing they have done throughout the day. I do not follow twitter nor never been on the website. However, by reading others blogs I can tell that it isn’t really going to be the next big thing, like face book. If twitter is a site where you post your thoughts, emotions or anything you want to talk about I don’t see why it should only allow you to write 140 words. Shouldn’t you be allowed to write your full feelings on a social network site, how can it constrict you to only post until what they feel is enough and how much can one write in 140 words?
(The corrected Post) Well it’s called social network for a reason. If you would like to keep in touch with friends or want to hear their random opinions about the way of life then I recommend getting one of these networks, As for twitter I do not have an account and having a 140 character limit wouldn’t prevent me from writing what I am feeling since there's no need to post an essay about how my life is going, or even write about how bad a movie was. If you want more characters then make a blog. I can't say that twitter will be replace since I saw that it can be link to one of the most popular networks (facebook)but then again i do not understand why have two of them and then linked when facebook pretty much does the same. I believe that society will benefit from these networks because it forces you to learn new concepts and even help with your vocabulary, in other cases you may have a friend that has many grammatical errors and if he might do it on purpose out of laziness, but if that’s not the case you can always comment on that so that they can fix it. As for reading less I can say tat i do not like to read and after signing up for Facebook I notice that I can stay on this network just reading random things. I cant say that its the same as reading a book but it helps. For the people that love their privacy you might have to let your friends know how much privacy means to you before it's too late... Christopher Paulino T, 5:40 PM
There's no doubt we have come a long way with not only technology, but communication. We might even say they go hand in hand. Now in days we are able to communicate with one another without having to see, or hear each other. It's incredible how a "Hello" is just one text away, a letter is an email away, and your personal life is just one Tweet, or status update away. I believe this social networks are pretty good to certain limit. Twitter for example is a great way of keeping up with celebrities, fashion and news.The fact that it has 140 character limit is okay, its not suppose to be a newspaper but a brief way to catch up on the entertainment world. Now the down side to this social networks is when your life has no privacy at all. Just like friends can see what your doing, and where you are so can strangers. Not only that, but in an instant people can spread any news about you being real or not. Whether Twitter is next big thing or not, there will always be something better in the future to replace it. -Jenifer Mejia
I believe twitter is not only a social network but also a medium of communication. Since now a days everything evolves in a blink of an eye, Twitter makes it much easier to stay updated. I agree 140 characters is a bit short to express an idea or to communicate twitter users about a current event, but it makes you write the substantial part of the idea. If the issue is the 140 characters, a link can be posted giving the reader freedom to go into depth on the tweet. If it were to write indefinitely Twitter would just be another blog site. I do believe the user is given the option to choose what he or she wants to pay attention to by following what or who he or she is interested in. Reading many different and interesting topics makes me personally want to keep on reading and investigating more about them. Yes, twitter is a social network but it’s also the new fastest way to stay updated of the currents event that interest you.
What can i say? To be honest, i registered a long time ago and never really used it. I actually find it a bit silly. It seems its kind of a texting on a website. Though i wonder if through a text you have more space to express yourself.
I believe is kind of difficlt to state an opinion on something that i do not really have any clue about. Surely something to look into.
To be quite honest I don’t believe that twitter can ever magnify itself well enough to become the next big thing. Facebook has surpassed every social network site as we know it and it is constantly reinventing itself. The site is constantly updating their site and making it accessible in every department. The fame it is has received is also like no other, for example in 2010 “The Social Network” was released, a movie which narrates the start of the founders and the social network site itself. Personally, I have admitted my addiction to Facebook, I can do anything imaginable, post what I feel at any moment with minor restrictions and most importantly it is extremely user friendly. I remember my first time on twitter and it toke me two days to find my way around it. I could not change my background, or upload a photo and post it as my default until I finally asked someone for help. I have to agree with the idea that less is more especially in regards to the character restrictions twitter allows. One thing is be bombarded with millions of post and comments at a time, but what makes it worse is that most of the time these post are brainless, dazed events or details of someone else’s day. I on occasion may come across a post that enriches my knowledge on a subject, or that can test my creativity. Twitter, like everything else has its pros and cons and ultimately I don’t feel that the features the site provides is enough to shoot the blue bird across from the borderline that it is currently standing on, onto being the next great thing.
To be quite honest I don’t believe that twitter can ever magnify itself well enough to become the next big thing. Facebook has surpassed every social network site as we know it and it is constantly reinventing itself. The site is constantly updating their site and making it accessible in every department. The fame it is has received is also like no other, for example in 2010 “The Social Network” was released, a movie which narrates the start of the founders and the social network site itself. Personally, I have admitted my addiction to Facebook, I can do anything imaginable, post what I feel at any moment with minor restrictions and most importantly it is extremely user friendly. I remember my first time on twitter and it toke me two days to find my way around it. I could not change my background, or upload a photo and post it as my default until I finally asked someone for help. I have to agree with the idea that less is more especially in regards to the character restrictions twitter allows. One thing is be bombarded with millions of post and comments at a time, but what makes it worse is that most of the time these post are brainless, dazed events or details of someone else’s day. I on occasion may come across a post that enriches my knowledge on a subject, or that can test my creativity. Twitter, like everything else has its pros and cons and ultimately I don’t feel that the features the site provides is enough to shoot the blue bird across from the borderline that it is currently standing on, onto being the next great thing.
In my humble opinion Twitter has Re-invented the wheel of advertisement, media interest and the way of communicating with one another. Twitter primary purpose is to engage others in capturing the brief messages of entertainment and business growth at a glance. It opened doors for entrepreneurs and companies to promote their products/skills through celebrities. The limited characters allowed in blogs allows for one to be engage at just a glance. Keeping it simple and direct to what one is expressing assist in indentifying whether it is worth to follow or not. The human touch for communication has forever evolve since internet became widely accessible and Twitter is just another parasite amongst the many others IM , TEXT,FACEBOOK, MYSPACE and any other unnecessary depended social network. I must admit they are addicting and one must learn to use its benefits to a certain limit without having to solemnly depend on them in means of replacing direct social contact .
44 comments:
It is hard to explain the good of an object having never used it. To judge whether there was any good in Twitter I signed up. After a brief evaluation I found it to be pretty useful. At the touch a button and a quick search I could find a few major news outlets. Not only could you stay on top of current events easily and follow up on the more interesting ones, but it brought to my attention the fact that I could stay in tune with whats going on in the bar culture by following some of the major shakers and movers of the industry today, this could be applied to just about any facet of industry or general interest. Though it may be true that not everyone is posting useful thoughts Twitter provides a great marketing tool for ideas. If businesses can reach the masses through their favorite celebrities and promote their products, why couldn't one do the same for their beliefs and ideas? Though I can see how its short 140 character limit can make it difficult to express complete and well written thoughts, but it certainly is enough space to attract someones attention to a link where an idea is better expressed or displayed. Twitter hasn't brought about any degradation in thought, or the written word, that we haven't already sought ourselves.
I find Twitter, Facebook, and all other misc. social networking websites to be distractions from the misery of everyday life. I don't mean this to seem fatalistic, but rather, I mean it in a realist sense.
To view happiness as a continuous strife which is never achieved in it's fullest, most ideologically pure sense is most accurate in my opinion. With this comes the strife of eliminating as much misery and other negative emotions as possible to make more room in the sands of the hourglass for happiness and other pleasant emotions.
If I were to suppose that all people seek happiness, if not just temporary pleasure as well, I could reason that social networking offers a (mostly harmless) distraction. These distractions I think are used primarily as a substitute to the happiness we seek. In other words we use both temporary happiness and distraction to push misery out of the hours of our day. It just happens that distraction is more accessible and easier to use. That's not to say however, that it is more effective. It's quite the contrary.
In Brazil they say "sair para se distrair". This translates roughly as "to 'go out' to distract one's self". This, in my opinion, comes much closer to describing the purpose of distraction to alleviate the emotional pain of the human experience than any other way of expressing such a thing in English. It expresses a desire to 'go out' not to gain happiness, but to distract yourself from sadness or loneliness (Twitter is a distraction to 'stay in' however). The Portuguese language also has a word that is infamously difficult to translate which relates to the misery of the human experience, more specifically in lost and/or long past feelings of joy or love. "Saudade" is often translated as "nostalgia" in English (and Spanish as well), but conveys additional feelings of melancholy and sadness.
(disclosure: I don't have a Twitter account). That said, I don't think It's wrong in any sense, I think it's natural. It's natural for humans to seek out happiness and, in this case, distractions. The content is for all intents and purposes most often very questionable in it's relevance, intelligence, etc.
My preferred distraction is facebook...
Often times, we take things that are meant for simple enjoyment and turn them into difficult things for...enjoyment. I have a Twitter account and I've probably "tweeted" less than a hundred times. For me, it's a way of seeing my version of beauty on record. The 140 limit is merely a filter to get the main point across. Of course, there are some tweets that are unnecessary and should not even be allowed. But there are many that inspire me, make me smile, or get me thinking about an important issue.
Facebook is great because it connects you with people and Twitter does the exact same thing but quicker. In no way does that limit the Twitter user's ability to formulate a valid or truthful argument or opinion.
In the end, the strong opinions against Twiiter are ignored roadblocks in my street of tweetful early Monday mornings paved for beauty and peace...
I heard about Twitter before from different people even in the news but I wasn’t interested until tonight that I decided to create an account and browse through the page. I always though “oh, great…” another account another username and password to memories just to keep up with friends. To my surprise it is not just another page where I can search for friend but a page that provides everyone with updates and the latest news on so many different topics to choose from and it can be just for fun or for informative preference. In my case I can use Twitter for Business, family, fashion, heath, music, and art and design. Twitter gives options and one of them is choosing topics of interests, so I keep up. I can agree and say that Twitter is a useful tool to those who search and like to involve and aware of some of the many things going on now at days. I can tell you one thing I will not used it for friends because if I do then it will become just like Facebook or My Space and really...I don’t have time for that. PAEZ, N
First I would like to state that I do not have a twitter account nor will I be signing up for one as I do not intend to take part in the tweet culture trend. I truly believe people of today's modern technological society spend an incredible amount of time and energy using mass media as a form of distraction. It's no surprise there is a loss of substance in thought process, consequently producing shortcuts in speech, grammar, and most importantly, the approach to the essences of life for the matter. Unlike tweets, text messaging or blogging, personal experiences require paying attention to the simplicities found in our natural surroundings. It is these personal moments, oftentimes unspoken messages we send life, that shape our being and how we express who we are as individuals. These messages cannot be conveyed in tweets, blogging or text messages. This said, I rather deliver my thoughts and opinions to nature, friends, and those I know in the form of spoken words and personal experiences as this method I believe, is much more edifying.
Aleida
Prof:
As an advent Twitter User and Social Media-lite, I have found Twitter to be a very useful and effective tool despite the negative rap it often gets by people who have nothing important to say on it (Sorry for being truthful). If I may give a testimonial, I have connected with several influential people who have played an important role in my spiritual life through mutual friends on Twitter, as well as Facebook. I believe social media tools such as twitter can be effective and non-effective in the following ways. If your trying to connect to a mass market via a brand, idea, musically, artistically, personally, socially, spiritually, emotionally or whatever way you have identified a specific market or demographic, you can make a great impact with a Tweet. The fact that any person from anywhere, with one tweet you can update your facebook, Blogs and or website is an awesome resource.
I have seen the power of twitter as in the case of addressing Social Justice issues by people such as @Shaunking, who has turned this tool into a way to impact lives in Haiti and around his Local Community. Of course you have people as well as marketers who flood the streamlines with unimportant content that really nobody cares about or you feel overwhelmed by the numerous amounts of tweets one can send.
What I appreciate about twitter is the limit of 140 characters. I feel some people need just 40.... (No further comment), but it's a unique feature and it seems to work. For many, Twitter gives the follower a great opportunity to get to know things about someone or something before they ever encounter it or them. It almost SIN to become so impersonal on Twitter because the streamlines demand a glimpse into your personal life, so you have to be public enough that it doesn’t effect your private life, which for some people they have a hard time doing.
The truth is that Twitter has been out way before it ever blew up or the general public got a hold of it. It works great with other social media monsters like Facebook, Four Square, Gowalla and Blogs, that I don’t think it will fade away just yet because it’s not Facebook, nor does it attempt to be. It has it’s own identity, purpose and audience that really enjoy the relationships and connections that go on with the push of a button or click on a computer.
-Benny Salas
I only had a vague idea of what Twitter was before this week. I had heard of it, but never really had an interest in learning more about it. I visited Twitter's website to learn what it was really about and to develop an opinion of it.
After looking at the front page I noticed today's "Top Tweets", it gave me some insight.
It seems that Twitter is an easy way to post simple, transient thoughts. This is great for people interested in what their favorite movie star named their new chihuahua, however most of the "tweets" seem to be unimportant and short.Many of the "tweets" I read were only a single sentence. Being concise is one thing, but posting tiny, undeveloped thoughts is entirely different.
I believe that Twitter is part of the evolution that the internet is bringing with the social networks. The social networks are a great achievement for man kind because no matter where you are in the word, you are able to communicate and inform your followers, especially if you are a recognize figure like an artist or a politician. Also it is a great tool to increase business sales and growth through advertisement and sales online, specially due to the increase of social network users. I believe that this is just the beginning of many great things and that the social network is going to become the prime source of advertisement and publish news in the world.
I will try to be as honest as possible; I also want to be clear that I am only speaking about my personal experience. I do not have a Twitter account and I do not even want to think about opening one. I find this new social network website to be a waste of time and boring as well as Facebook.
I do have a Face Book account, which I primarily opened because it was supposed to help me get more jobs in my industry as an actress and a model, and since I did not have a website, Facebook seemed to be a good option to post my pictures and resume.
The results were terrible I only encountered people that offered me fake jobs just to meet me. For this reason I decided to continue getting my jobs the old fashion way which is through my talent agency and forget about Facebook.
Diana Hernandez
Please I want to apologize if my post will offend anyone in any way but let it be noted that those are not my intentions, at the end of the day, to each its own. I want to start by stating that I had at one point in my life a “myspace” and I deleted it after it created dilemmas for me. Most of my family members who are out of the country started the facebook buzz. Now I personally don’t care about meeting anyone or being “friends” with anyone on it. I simply added it because when I’m on the phone with my family and they tell me about whatever is going on over there, it becomes very aggravating when they don’t send me the pictures, and it always takes me forever to get them to send it to me. So I decided it would be much easier just to make a facebook account so that every time they tell me about a birthday or a vacation, I can just login and view the pictures they will show me. Also, I did get into myspace and facebook before to link up with friends and share cool news but after a few weeks I started realizing that there are a lot of spies in there. It started creating social problems for me, because when I would tell a friend that I was going to stay home and not go out with them tonight and they find out otherwise when the friends that I actually did go out with posted pictures, I was caught. I heard about twitter recently maybe 5 or 6 months ago but I haven’t tried twitter and I really don’t have any interest in even trying it, as a matter of fact, I hate it and myspace too. For the same reasons, not only have I gotten in trouble with friends but I know a few girls who were looking into my comments that people have left me and I felt like I was being spied on. I enjoy my privacy; I enjoy having private conversation either face to face or on the phone. Oh and I really don’t care about news updates either, that is what channel 7 or my Blackberry is for.
-Miguel Fajardo
Twitter will come and go. Just like MySpace and many other social websites. Twitter is one of thousands of similar websites doing the same thing. Twitter just lucked out on becoming the most popular site of them all. Being in the digital age there are many benefits of twitter, but none of them are for the “common” person. Politically and commercially twitter is great for politicians and celebrities, it's a cheap way to advertise their thoughts in hope others will follow. For everyone else Twitter is a waste of time, a better way to describe your thoughts is through Facebook at least there your friends are following you. Twitter just adds to our deteriorating social skills and is another part of our virtual evolution away from reality.
-Thaddeus Nadelson
I beleive that Twitter as others social networks have been created with two purposes. The first one to keep people interacting with each other and the second one just to entertain them and keep them away from reality. I am not a Twitter user, but I have to say that I am a Facebook user.The reason for having a facebook account is to not lose contact with my friends in my country. I do not think that social networks are bad for society, but I do beleieve that is a huge distraction for people. For example, I have friends who always close their accounts when they are in finals because it distracts them to much. I do not think these social networks are the real problem; I think people have made these social networks a major problem. It is true that they distract people but depends on people how much they want to get distracted from them. Is just like I heard in class "solving a problem usually causes another problem."
Miluska D.
As everyone was raving about the twitter, I opened the twitter website and signed up for my very own to see the new wave of social networking that everyone claims to have. Not only do I think it was a waste of time but found it so boring to use. Though it might be a great way to "follow" friends, family memebers, and so forth I have no purpose for it and will continue not to use it. Even though I have no purpose for it others might find it useful to sell their products and use it as a great advertising technique.
Michelle Mazoleny
To be completely candid with you, I feel that the updates on Facebook as well as twitter in general is a bit. I mean really. I signed up for twitter and could not bare to endure the idea of being egocentric enough to ramble on and on in the bubble about every mundane aspect of my life. Even if someone had something poignant to say online, I'm not so sure if the tweet or post is as important as the validation one gets from the glorification of having and knowing that people find ones thoughts and self valuable. On the contrary, I've found that in the case of some celebrities and their fans, it gives both parties the ability to experience each other on a more personal level. I also find that in some cases it allows people to share information that keeps others abreast of milestones(weddings, births, etc.) in their lives and it also allows them the opportunity to share opinions, thoughts, and emotions which in turn allows them to receive feedback and support from friends and family. Side-note, you can usually tell which people are the I need approval bunch, they tweet things like "my dog is going to the bathroom", "shaving my legs", and " I am so blessed, my life is so wonderful garble", I'm so anti that bunch. Additionally, I'd like to point out that the social networking sites are helpful in reuniting people that haven't been in contact for years and finding activities to occupy your free time.
I suppose, it's not the worst thing. The sites enhance people's relationships and keep them connected with one another. My problem is with the self absorbed.Eh.... that's it
In my experience i've found that facebook has been a complete and utter distraction from the world around us. It bothers me to know that half of the computers in the courtyard right now are being used for that. On the other hand, I have interacted with twitter, and even though the lack of characters in each post really makes it harder to express a complete thought, it also helps us shorten our statements to it's most basic form; the actual point trying to be made. I constantly catch myself weaving intricate stories and explanations for something that I can express in much less words, but simply do not. In the world we live today because of the fact that we have less time for one another, and more interuptions to have ourselves heard, much of the information we are trying to pass on to the next person is lost amongst our very own ramblings. In my opinion, Twitter has helped show us one thing, keep it short and sweet or people will move on to the next thing.
-Mitchell Alvarez
Personally, I think that people need more than just a 140-character tweet to keep them going through the day. For the most part I believe that people are more visual, and require more than just a text update to keep their attention. This is most likely what we owe the success of Myspace and Facebook to. They’re simple to use, yet they give you the option to easily share pictures, videos and music with every update. I have had a Twitter account for quite a while now, to be honest, I STILL don’t know how to share a picture. Although it may be simple, if it doesn’t give me the option to add it from the update box, I won’t go through the trouble of figuring it out. Sadly, it sounds lazy, but it’s the American way. Now, don’t get me wrong, I do like twitter for following and sharing news, tips, quotes, comedy, art and design. BUT, I don’t think twitter can be considered the “next big thing” in social networks. As far as I’m concerned, Twitter will continue to live in the shadow of Facebook.
Honestly, I have never liked twitter. I remember when I first heard about it, and what it was like, I thought it was a little kids version of facebook. Then, when it got pretty big with the media, I just did not understand why people found it so interesting. It is just a website for status updates! That's so boring! However, I tried not to be close minded and tried twitter out. I made an account and then...what? Twitter asked me to update my status, but I didn't have anything to say. Then twitter suggested some celebrities I should follow. I followed a few socialites, but after a week, I began to realize, twitter wasn't made for communication the way facebook was. Twitter was made so celebrities and important figures could gain quick press and advertisement. It wasn't for friends connecting. There I was, following 10 actors and musicians, but not one of my friends. And who was following me? Some weird tanning salon business! All in all, I think twitter is useless and shouldn't be as popular as it is. Hopefully, people will one day realize that.
Let me start by saying I'm not a user of twitter. Nonetheless, I've done research about it and the idea seen pretty good. The main idea is to keep us inform and discover new things. However, in my humble opinion I think we already have enough with the issues around us to pile some more in top of us. For instances, I watch people on tv telling us to follow them on twitter. A few months ago, ones announced his sexual preferences to the wide-world via twitter. But was that necessary to be public? I think not. Some might agree that it was something good that this person express him-self the way he wanted. although must people would think as me that what we say and do affect others. Especially young kids and even inmature adults. We have to keep in mind that what a person see read or hear can have a bad or good influence in life. I also refer to business as well as personal stuff. Therefore, there is no way we can fully express an idea or even more complicated, emotions, with a limit of 140 character. Moreover, how to know if the person or source that is using twitter is being genuine. Technology is consuming us with this new type of communications. We have forgotten the beauty of being humans, love. And our only and unique way of expressing our feelings and thought: words and actions. I agree twitter is not a big thing.
I, a fellow “tweeter” find twitter at times very informative and entertaining, if and only if you’re the type who’s constantly checking up on the latest buzz. Twittering unfortunately isn’t for everybody; I feel that those who disapprove of Twitter only do so because they have never really explored the site. However, the down fall of having to express one’s self in only 140 characters is really difficult. Especially, when there’s so much that one has on their mind and so little space to put it. Although most of the none sense that’s posted on sites like Facebook and Myspace fits in 140 characters as well (even so less than that), so if one can express oneself in less than 140 characters why is it such a bad thing. Twitter as of this moment isn’t that popular right now because just like Facebook (in the past) it takes baby steps to become popular. The site is mainly meant for those that can sum up their whole thoughts and opinions in one sentence. It’s a keep it clear and simple site….something that everybody has forgotten about.
-Brandis McGlond
Good comments. Intense.
In my opinion twitter is another way of becoming human machines. I do not have a Facebook account because for me it is a way to waste my time. INthese times keyboards are our mouths. I know that being again technology is a difficult experiment, almost impossible but every day we speak less. These websites take us away from every day responsibilities. I do not have a smart phone because in my case I do not need it but these phones for me are very addictive and I prefer to be away from them. Also these phones are corrupting people and more accidents every day in streets product the entertainment they produce. People are almost all day with their phone wasting their time and procrastinating their dairy tasks. I think if we want to be effective people the first thing we must do is stay away from these distractions because it is too much. I am sorry for my honesty my friends.
In my opinion I believe that Twitter and Facebook have their ups and downs. It wasn’t too long ago that I made my own Facebook and it was because my friends kept telling me to make one, I still rarely use it. Twitter on the other hand, has never captured my attention even though I have heard from other people that Twitter is good. I think that Twitter for the most part is for gossiping. On the radio you hear how celebrities insult each other on Twitter and also how people post fake messages about certain celebrities. Then that becomes such big deal because it comes out on the radio or the news how celebrities did this, then everyone becomes interested in it. I’m actually tired of hearing about Twitter on the radio, it’s boring and repetitive.
I prefer Facebook better than Twitter and it’s not because I have Facebook but because for the most part Facebook isn’t about celebrity battles or people writing lies about famous people. Facebook is a place where I can just talk with friends about life and so on.
-Norma Zeron
I have to disagree with the opening statement of the article. Unfortunately, in my opinion, Twitter is the next big thing. Facebook is the “King” of social networks, and Twitter is becoming the “Prince”.
It was April 2009, when I came across an interview between Larry King and Ashton Kutcher on television. Kutcher was being praised for having a million followers on something called Twitter. “Twit…What? I wondered. At first, I (naively) thought they were talking about a rally for some benefit or marathon, or something of that caliber. How wrong was I???
Of course I opened an account, checked it out, thought it was pointless and never again signed on it. Today, I do not even remember my password. But I understand how dangerous and addicted it can be. It was bad enough our cell phones became our fifth limb and Facebook our second job, and here it came this Twitter drug.
The reason why I believe Twitter is the next big thing is because I realized how powerful it can be as a marketing tool for politicians, celebrities and business owners. For instance, I work at a nightclub in South Beach; the competition is fierce. My boss decided to open a Twitter account for the club, where she can post real time updates on which celebrities are there, drink specials, etc. She can also, see what customers are saying about the venue while they are there and what competitors are posting, as well. It is amazing how Twitter can make or break your business. Imagine the influence, then, when it comes to politics. It can be extremely useful.
But on the personal level, not only does DISconnect people from real life, it is also breeding a new generation where is “cool” for people to be followers thus any idiot can be a leader (my coworker gets really, really excited every time she reaches a new “Follower Milestone” :/) When did we become these two-sentences, no-vowels, attention-beggars, friends-solicitors people ???
To answer the concluding question on the article: No. The disengagement in the search of simplicity is not good. It is awful, sad and scary.; and I will try to stay out of it as long as I can.
TTYL PPL…
-Maria Nieves-
Twitter has become an important social network program that allows people to be constantly informed about the life of others and the events that take place all over the world. The positive aspect of this innovative tool is the possibility of mobilize groups of people toward good causes, for example raising money for the victims of Haiti Earthquake. In addition, twitter is also a lieu to express political ideas in places where the mass media is repressed; it is the case of the protest during the presidential election in Iran. Even thought twitter is not a bad program for transmitting information, I think that people is misusing this important channel of communication by twitting trivial information that is constantly invading the network and covering the information that is important for the community.
Juliana Canon de la Rosa
New media technology such as facebook and twitter seem to offer an advanced form of global communication. It may prove more cost efficeint to facebook a relative half way accross the world rather than making a pricey phone call. We use facebook and twitter as requirements for work, school, and networking. With all these components at hand one would believe that this new form of communication will allow societies to truley reconnect. However, is this technology really allowing society a step closer to reaching a higher form of interconnectedness? Perhaps the real paradox here is that this media will only hinder our progression of social growth as it slowly disconnects us from one another. The more time you spend infront of that dismal backlight screen the less time you have to experience real connections with people. As you sit at a local starbucks reconnecting with an old friend or meeting up with new ones there are layers of senses being used. From the smell of the coffee, to the sweat on your head your creating an atmosphere and an energy that cannot be recreated or felt through a computer. It is these moments and senses that allow us to learn about one another face to face. Simply through the actions and expressions we make to one another we are able to expand a multitude of feelings such as empathy and sincerity. The cyber world has much to offer. The information is somewhat accurate once filtered by your own logic but it will never provide you with any form of sincere human interaction or stimulation.
Angelica Gardian
king
Many of us find it difficult to interact with our pears by fear of rejection or because of shyness. The social network provides a platform where neither rejection nor shyness is an issue. Although I’m not a twitter user I could see the appeal for certain people, who feel the need to share the every move in their everyday live with millions of people. Nevertheless I’m not one of those folks I have no interest in someone else personal life. I personally believe it’s none of my business, than again enough about me. Furthermore there is other issue that make social network like twitter very appealing; as life is getting harder people are looking for and escape, their own little world where they are the star of the show and twitter does that for them. My opinion of twitter it’s neither good nor bad it’s all depend on the individual.
I am going to be blunt. I don’t care for Twitter. What is the appeal of knowing everyone’s move at all times of the day? There is something about it’s simplicity that can be attracting, but the fact that Twitter is yet another site for people around the world to post what they believe to be deeply philosophical and intellectual thoughts in 140 characters or less is not a selling point. It is understandable that while Twitter is mostly useless, it also serves the purpose of getting the message across; businesses, stores, even schools, are using Twitter to send mass memos to employees, customers, and students. Taken in the latter context, there is an epsilon of use to Twitter but overall, I do not care for it.
I consider myself a deeply interactive person. I enjoy conversation. There is something about being able to speak to a person face-to-face, or even on the phone that I find incredible value in. Twitter seems to be the end-all of personal conversation. For that I will not hesitate in saying that I don’t like it. It has become default to use some sort of status update to get across to friends, family, even strangers. Twitter has somehow found a way to sever ties and become the end of personal communication.
Besides almost completely abolishing physical interactivity between people, Twitter has somehow made it okay, even popular, for individuals to broadcast their every move, thought, feeling, on the internet. I cannot understand why anyone would be interested in knowing that Kim Kardashian is going out to lunch, or that Jessica Simpson feels sick and is staying in bed. On the other hand, why would anybody want the world to know every step they take? Twitter is eradicating privacy. I would not be surprised to find that its users might not even know what privacy is. Frankly, the mundane tweeting (twittering?) makes absolutely no sense.
On a different perspective, when Twitter is utilized as a means of communication in businesses and schools, it makes sense.When it is painted like this, as a tool to enhance communication, not replace it, Twitter gains some respect from me.
I personally think that twitter is very ridiculous. The idea of watching someone or a celebrity daily life proves to me that the person who is actually keeping up with them is running away from their own problems. Most of these social sites although they can be fun at times or good to keep contact with family and friend, are merely just distractions. I believe people spend more time on their twitters or facebook more than they actually study for school or something more useful to mankind. I think there is some irony for the fact that these social networks came at a time when there is still pointless wars going on, and the worse global recession. I don't agree with the 140 word minimum use either.
I personally have never used twitter nor do I own a Twitter account. Therefore I am strictly commenting on your blog about Twitter. Twitter seems to be to me a source of entertainment and information. It is very interesting to glimpse into other peoples' lives on invitation. People share there thoughts and actions with broad network of people sharing their page. Twitting is like mini blogging. Giving you a synopsis into the life you it's author. The Sysomos' survey further proves my point that Twitter is entertaining. With 22.5% of twitters twitting the majority.
I believe Twitter should exist in the same way I believe television, video games and other sources of entertainment should exist. Also, reading and writing are the main sources of twitting, so you are using your imagination while being entertained. Granted it is not as substantial as reading a book or writing a paper.
Andrea Bingham
Is Twitter the next big thing? I think not aswell. Granted I don't use any of the major social networking sites. I can see were they can be useful for getting the pulse of many peoples thoughts on certain issues, but at the same time you have to wade through the garbage. The lexical knowledge displayed on the majority of the post is non-exsistant. The 150 word limit might have something to do with the mass abbreviation, but it should be used sparingly. If you allow me to compare it to another medium I maybe able to shed some light.The apparent abuse of the written word may not be as thoughtless as you and I have beleived it to be. Like I said before, I have never used Twitter,MySpace or Facebook, but I have extensive knowledge of MMOG's(Massively Multiplayer Online Games) culture. It has been my experience that expressing ones thoughts through typing in the limited confines provided within the game has no bearing on how these clan/guild members really write. I have played with Lawyers, Doctors and many people with Phd's. I have read posts in other venues by these people and I can tell you, how they write in one limited space loctaion has no bearing on how articulate they are. I also have read in-game post that are amazingly contructed by a Best Buy employee. A lesson to be learned here is to try and not be so judgemental. I am at fault here aswell, as I started be saying that most people posting on these social networking sites can't write well.
I am working on it.
Mario Salas
I am not able to make a judgment call on whether I find Twitter to be a useful site or not since I have personally never visited the site, but I have known of its lack of networking capabilities and this has caused me to deter from its use. Although it is hard to accept, social networks have flourish into an everyday tool we use whether it be for making new friends, finding employment, or expressing our feelings. Twitter in my opinion does not satisfy any of these requirements with the 140 word limit that they have placed upon their update status. I don't feel that it lives up to other competitor social network sites such as Facebook or Myspace which actually has the capability of taking your interests or school/work information and matching them with possible friends,family members,co-workers,prospective clients, and even school classmates that you have loss contact with. I understand that maybe Twitter's goal may be to meet that expectation but answer this question: when have you ever been able to express an interest or situation that occurred on a normal day within 140 words?
I personally do not have face book, twitter or any other social network account. I am not a fan of expressing my thoughts or emotions on a website where millions of people can access me and read every single blog I post. Although I am 22 years old I am a little conservative about myself and my emotions where as others blog every single thing they have done throughout the day. I do not follow twitter nor never been on the website. However, by reading others blogs I can tell that it isn’t really going to be the next big thing, like face book. If twitter is a site where you post your thoughts, emotions or anything you want to talk about I don’t see why it should only allow you to write 140 words. Shouldn’t you be allowed to write your full feelings on a social network site, how can it constrict you to only post until what they feel is enough and how much can one write in 140 words?
(The corrected Post)
Well it’s called social network for a reason. If you would like to keep in touch with friends or want to hear their random opinions about the way of life then I recommend getting one of these networks, As for twitter I do not have an account and having a 140 character limit wouldn’t prevent me from writing what I am feeling since there's no need to post an essay about how my life is going, or even write about how bad a movie was. If you want more characters then make a blog. I can't say that twitter will be replace since I saw that it can be link to one of the most popular networks (facebook)but then again i do not understand why have two of them and then linked when facebook pretty much does the same. I believe that society will benefit from these networks because it forces you to learn new concepts and even help with your vocabulary, in other cases you may have a friend that has many grammatical errors and if he might do it on purpose out of laziness, but if that’s not the case you can always comment on that so that they can fix it. As for reading less I can say tat i do not like to read and after signing up for Facebook I notice that I can stay on this network just reading random things. I cant say that its the same as reading a book but it helps. For the people that love their privacy you might have to let your friends know how much privacy means to you before it's too late... Christopher Paulino T, 5:40 PM
There's no doubt we have come a long way with not only technology, but communication. We might even say they go hand in hand. Now in days we are able to communicate with one another without having to see, or hear each other. It's incredible how a "Hello" is just one text away, a letter is an email away, and your personal life is just one Tweet, or status update away. I believe this social networks are pretty good to certain limit. Twitter for example is a great way of keeping up with celebrities, fashion and news.The fact that it has 140 character limit is okay, its not suppose to be a newspaper but a brief way to catch up on the entertainment world. Now the down side to this social networks is when your life has no privacy at all. Just like friends can see what your doing, and where you are so can strangers. Not only that, but in an instant people can spread any news about you being real or not.
Whether Twitter is next big thing or not, there will always be something better in the future to replace it.
-Jenifer Mejia
I believe twitter is not only a social network but also a medium of communication. Since now a days everything evolves in a blink of an eye, Twitter makes it much easier to stay updated. I agree 140 characters is a bit short to express an idea or to communicate twitter users about a current event, but it makes you write the substantial part of the idea. If the issue is the 140 characters, a link can be posted giving the reader freedom to go into depth on the tweet. If it were to write indefinitely Twitter would just be another blog site. I do believe the user is given the option to choose what he or she wants to pay attention to by following what or who he or she is interested in. Reading many different and interesting topics makes me personally want to keep on reading and investigating more about them. Yes, twitter is a social network but it’s also the new fastest way to stay updated of the currents event that interest you.
Tania Torres
What can i say?
To be honest, i registered a long time ago and never really used it. I actually find it a bit silly. It seems its kind of a texting on a website. Though i wonder if through a text you have more space to express yourself.
I believe is kind of difficlt to state an opinion on something that i do not really have any clue about. Surely something to look into.
Aurora
To be quite honest I don’t believe that twitter can ever magnify itself well enough to become the next big thing. Facebook has surpassed every social network site as we know it and it is constantly reinventing itself. The site is constantly updating their site and making it accessible in every department. The fame it is has received is also like no other, for example in 2010 “The Social Network” was released, a movie which narrates the start of the founders and the social network site itself.
Personally, I have admitted my addiction to Facebook, I can do anything imaginable, post what I feel at any moment with minor restrictions and most importantly it is extremely user friendly. I remember my first time on twitter and it toke me two days to find my way around it. I could not change my background, or upload a photo and post it as my default until I finally asked someone for help. I have to agree with the idea that less is more especially in regards to the character restrictions twitter allows. One thing is be bombarded with millions of post and comments at a time, but what makes it worse is that most of the time these post are brainless, dazed events or details of someone else’s day. I on occasion may come across a post that enriches my knowledge on a subject, or that can test my creativity.
Twitter, like everything else has its pros and cons and ultimately I don’t feel that the features the site provides is enough to shoot the blue bird across from the borderline that it is currently standing on, onto being the next great thing.
By. Catherine Murillo
To be quite honest I don’t believe that twitter can ever magnify itself well enough to become the next big thing. Facebook has surpassed every social network site as we know it and it is constantly reinventing itself. The site is constantly updating their site and making it accessible in every department. The fame it is has received is also like no other, for example in 2010 “The Social Network” was released, a movie which narrates the start of the founders and the social network site itself.
Personally, I have admitted my addiction to Facebook, I can do anything imaginable, post what I feel at any moment with minor restrictions and most importantly it is extremely user friendly. I remember my first time on twitter and it toke me two days to find my way around it. I could not change my background, or upload a photo and post it as my default until I finally asked someone for help. I have to agree with the idea that less is more especially in regards to the character restrictions twitter allows. One thing is be bombarded with millions of post and comments at a time, but what makes it worse is that most of the time these post are brainless, dazed events or details of someone else’s day. I on occasion may come across a post that enriches my knowledge on a subject, or that can test my creativity.
Twitter, like everything else has its pros and cons and ultimately I don’t feel that the features the site provides is enough to shoot the blue bird across from the borderline that it is currently standing on, onto being the next great thing.
By. Catherine Murillo
In my humble opinion Twitter has Re-invented the wheel of advertisement, media interest and the way of communicating with one another. Twitter primary purpose is to engage others in capturing the brief messages of entertainment and business growth at a glance. It opened doors for entrepreneurs and companies to promote their products/skills through celebrities. The limited characters allowed in blogs allows for one to be engage at just a glance. Keeping it simple and direct to what one is expressing assist in indentifying whether it is worth to follow or not. The human touch for communication has forever evolve since internet became widely accessible and Twitter is just another parasite amongst the many others IM , TEXT,FACEBOOK, MYSPACE and any other unnecessary depended social network. I must admit they are addicting and one must learn to use its benefits to a certain limit without having to solemnly depend on them in means of replacing direct social contact .
-Katiana H.
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