By E. Brown
In the last article I asked, “what is Twitter really for?” Now I am wondering who is it really for?
Is it really for the average person on planet Earth? Is my life really that interesting that I feel compelled to notify others (or an online service) of everyday changes:
“I got out of bed at 6:00am .”
“I showered using a new shampoo.”
“I am meeting (insert name) at Starbucks for coffee at 8:00am.”
Okay, okay, I know that is a bit condescending. Yet, if I have to tell someone something immediately — like I just got out of an opening night Broadway play and YOU have to see it — I’ll call or text them on my mobile.
Celebrities
If I were a celebrity, I might see the value in Twitter. I know people are going to be interested in me and besides, it’s a form of marketing and PR.
Let’s face it, the average person is more apt to be interested in a celebrity figure than Joe-Schmoe down the street cutting his grass at 2:00pm.
Voyeurism
This brings up the topic of reality TV and the voyeuristic society we are becoming. We would rather watch or hear about peoples lives than help or interact with them. There is a cool detachment that can be unhealthy and disturbing at times. Does Twitter advance this trend
Use Twitter?
I am still not convinced. There are others forms of communication that are more intentional. Yet, in this seeming ADD Generation intentionality gives way to spontaneity.
What do you think?
Related Article
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WeirdGuy Creative 
Personally, I think a lot of these Web 2.0 technologies look like they were developed by someone with ADD – they are all half baked.
Im looking for the day when I turn on my computer and my OS is my web interface as well. – Well, O.k. I can settle for a web app I suppose – better than having Microsoft running off with my idea and making even more clutter. ;)
My point is that so many apps basically do the same thing, overlapping in areas, and yet missing vital functions of other.
Flock (based on Firefox…and the fox itself with its extensions) goes a long way to consolidating a lot of this mess from my perspective.) I have my browser open, and I hit the blog icon and without even coming here to WordPress it publishes…and even to my other blog sites. (Thats cool, but reality is how many blog sites do we need, and that is part of where I was coming from.)
My apologies for my rant, but its coming around to a close now.
Your post did hit a button to be sure. ;) I think you are quite right, who the heck cares that Im about to eat some hot peppers, (unless there is some habanero hot pepper club where you doing some experiment.), the fact is that most people do tend to be wasting away their lives typing instead of living. :)
(Maybe its time to get a keyboard glued to us.)
Im not being hard at all…again, to each their own.
I view this as much as I do the cell phone. I have not owned one or any phone for years now.
In my view if you really need something you can wait till you see me. (I understand emergencies, but I promise 99% of you havent been having emergencies or havent had it organized where an emergency can be taken care of without your immediate notice.)
Seeing people glued to their phones, and even one on each hip is about the same as people twittering.
Now is all this bad, no…its as it is – but I think a lot of people are bored.
When they are alone their minds are buzzing for the next thing to do and instead of takind time to reflect and observe nature around them…the moment they are in – a buzz goes off and they have to chat. ;)
Again I have mixed two aspects in here – one is about the chatter, and the other concerns the tools that helps us to chatter and how it is organized.
Perhaps there is a way, as mentioned, where web 3.0 will come around and we will have that single user interface that allows us to communicate clearly without having 500 different applications trying to do the same thing, yet lacking full functionality and compatibility.
Again, the apps tend to suffer from ADD and may help others in that train of thought. j/k
Peace
dAlen
@dAlen – good comments. It would be nice to have an all-in-one interface. Unfortunately, there is no money to be had in that kind of economy and it does not support innovation unless you get all tech companies under one roof and playing nice together….
unlikely!
Still, it is interesting to me to watch the social adoption and application of certain apps and technologies. Some I see as very productive…. And, wasn’t that the “promise” of the PC and Web?…and some I see as a colossal waste of time.
Cheers,
-Eric
I can tell that this is not the first time at all that you mention the topic. Why have you decided to write about it again?
One word – “popularity”
Thanks for reading. -eb