Do You Tweet?

So the internet rave lately is all about Twitter. I'm adding to it unfortunately, but if you haven't been living under a rock for the past few years, then you probably know all about Twitter. In a nut shell, Twitter is a simple service that allows you to post 140 characters or less about you status. "I am watching Heroes right now, what do you think will happen next season." Hopefully there won't be a next season of Heroes, however that is basically how you use Twitter, but allow me to explain ever further:

Members like the service because it lets them stay connected with friends without having to think about technical details such as their friends' instant-messaging handles or which cellular carrier they use. It is simple. Yes, Facebook does the same thing, but also includes Pages, Groups, applications, constant upgrades (which no one likes), Pokes, annoying iLike quizes, etc. I see an older crowd using Twitter and the younger crowd using Facebook. Or what some people say, Twitter is "a sophisticated, device-agnostic, social message routing system that nobody realizes they need until they try it."

I would agree. When I first heard of Twitter, I instantly registered because that is what I want to do to secure my name to new startups. I did not use Twitter however. My account literally sat untouched for sever years. Then one day I decided to try it out; Lasted a few weeks and I stopped. Tried it again a few months ago and I am somewhat addicted.

Twitter is a system that quickly matches new messages coming in from members with the followers who have signed up to receive them, then retransmits them using each follower's preferred channel: instant message, SMS, or the Twitter website. There are so many ways to use Twitter and if you have an iPhone then you know there are a million and one Twitter applications to choose from.

Even today, I still look at Twitter as somewhat pointless, however, there are beginning to be quite a few uses to the service these days. I was watching my local news the other day and the reporter asked the viewers to "follow us on Twitter to find out more." I was flabbergasted. Really? That is useful, but wow...

I follow many people and I must say, if your news stations aren't using Twitter, people are great sources of news. Not everyone tweets about "eating oreos." Some user tweet about a plane crashing in the Hudson with a picture attached. Remember that? Some users tweet about celebrity gossip. Not my thing, but a lot of people love that. Even our president is on Twitter, tweeting his presidential policies. Although, I refuse to believe those tweets are actually him, but I digress...Twitter is becoming a lot more than what it use to be and just how blogging was when that started - a lot of talk about it.

And just like blogging, you will eventually join the crowd in the rush to have Twitter accounts and I am thinking this will be the next big thing to come. Try it. It is so simple, you'll feel the same way I do - unimpressed, however, you'll love it. If that makes since. Don't let all this Twitter news discourage you though. It'll pass like every new and big thing.

So, do you Tweet? Follow me. I don't talk about much, but I can assure you, I won't ever mention "going to take a piss," I promise.