I just do not get what the big deal is about Twitter.And there could be a big deal, hell there was a time when I thought blogging was way overhyped as well. I just can't see why anyone would care to read my 10 daily updates on how I'm reading my favorite blogs, doing client work, or what I had for lunch. Or that I'm blogging about Twitter...
Calacanis is threatening to stop blogging and just Twitter. His readers are threatening to leave if he does.
Apparently the tipping point for Twitter came last week at SXSW. Suddenly 'all the cool kids are doing it.' It's the hottest search term on Technorati, and everyone it seems is either professing their love of the service, or hatred.
And when everyone either loves or hates you, that assures that they will keep talking about you.
I'm feeling the pressure to Twitter. Paul is raving about it, so is Armano, it seems Gavin is about to get started. Too many bloggers that I respect and enjoy are using it, so I feel that I HAVE to check it out.
But then there's this: Yesterday I was link-surfing, going from one blog to another via links, and I found Christine Kane's blog. My first thought was 'I really need to start reading this blog'. My second thought was, 'Crap....I really need to start reading this blog.' Because there's only an infinite amount of time. When I first started this blog about a year ago, I had about 5-10 blogs that I read every day. Now I have close to a hundred, and try to get to about half of those a couple of times a week. The other half maybe once a week, sometimes not that often.
And I hate that, because I'm beginning to have some of my blogging buds call or email me and ask 'Hey did you check out my post on...', and I realize it's been days since I've read their blog.
So I'm going to keep an eye on Twitter, but stay on the shore for now. There's a ton of buzz about Twitter right now, but is that due to what it provides, or that 'everyone's talking about it'? Time will tell, and right now time is something that I'm already running short on.
Technorati Tags:
The Viral Garden, Marketing, Twitter
9 comments:
Mack,
I am with you. I get "it" but at the same time don't want to get "it". I think as you do that we are struggling with enough 'noise' and that what Twitter feels like to me. I'll sit on the fence with you if you don't mind. I've been working very hard lately trying to separate the signal from the noise of the blogosphere.
Bryan
Christine Kane is a must read!
I first found out about her blog when I was hosting a Marketing Carnival. I read through dozens of entries, most of which failed to have content of value. Then I ran across her entry. The writing, the content, the style, were all different than I was used to reading in the blogosphere.
Good for you for giving her a call-out!
I, too, was wondering what everybody was talking about, so I visited Twitter about fifteen minutes before checking out your post. It's interesting to watch these things rise and fall ... all in a much shorter timeframe than in the past.
Mack,
I checked out Twitter 5 months ago at launch, and found it novel form of instant messaging among a small group of people. However, I really don't care what other people are doing "right now". I suppose this is a cool mobile chat room fad going on; I'd rather SMS or phone someone because it's personal...and that's who I am.
Hey Mack ... interesting post ... I must admit that it took Armano's excitement to tip it for me. I have been holding off on MyBlogLog for a while and still have doubts -- but the WAY that you can use Twitter is what fascinates. If conversation is king then Twitter is great.
At the moment I am using it a little irresponsibly -- mostly IM type updates ... but watch the way DA uses it to instantly update his "followers" and move from conversation to action. The potential for brands is enormous.
As we continue to invest in the constantly-evolving story of our brands, then conversational enablers like Twitter will become integral. I don't think Twitter is for everyone, but for a targeted niche (even a large one), it could be a knockout.
Gavin said: "...but watch the way DA uses it to instantly update his 'followers' and move from conversation to action. The potential for brands is enormous."
I'm not sure I follow you here, Gavin... like, how, exactly?
I've definitely been following Twitter, but I have yet to have the a-ha moment with it. Maybe I have to wait for DA's seminar for that..? lol...
But right now,Twitter feels like an ego-centric tool, and -- to be honest -- I don't like the idea of "followers." It's just a term, I know, but its implications bug me.
I did find it interesting that the WSJ has already done a story on it. MSM is getting much hipper to what's hot in the blogosphere.
Hi Mack...
well, as with Second Life, don't believe all the hype with Twitter. It's a nice tool if you've got nothing else to do, and is kind of like the way early blogging was...but over the long haul, boredom will set in for many (other than the parents trying to keep track of their kids' every waking moment.)
Think about the people that you know, and their daily habits. That's the real barometer of Twitter, not the blogosphere :-)
Actually now that I think about it, Twitter sounds like a widgetized (new word alert) version of Wiffitti.
Hmmmm...would if Jaynie would agree?
Shhh ... don't tell anyone but my life is too boring to twitter, flitter or blitter. Altho I can see some biz applications of archiving a text message conversation. However, from what Ive seen Twitter only holds one side of that conversation on the "Twitter page." Rather reminds me of listening in to a one-sided telephone conversation.
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