Tweet, Tweet, Tweet
Apparently I have no idea what the difference is between a Post and a Page..here is one from last week!
About 20-30 times a day my phone’s text messaging alert goes off. In a state of pure excitement that someone is needing my assistance, wanting to notify me on something, or just checking in on me is killed within the 2 seconds it takes for me to open my non-smart flip phone to see that it is just a twitter alert.
Recently, in my social media class, we have been learning the ins and outs of twitter, it’s capabilities, uses (networking, updating what you are doing, notifying people about your business, etc.).
The reason why my excitement is somewhat demolished when I see it is only a twitter alert is because I feel like maybe its time to think before we tweet.
My social media teacher as advised us that it might annoy some if you tweet anything and everything you are doing or even every thought that comes to mind. Constantly I am getting alerts about some team winning a college intramural game, someone going to the gym, sitting in a boring class or even if they are tired from the day’s activities.
When is enough actually enough? Is it ok for people to tweet that often? I typed in “What is twitter” in their search bar and received nothing in return, so here is my question(s) to you… what is twitter and when the urge arises in you, to tweet or not to tweet?
In response to your question “what is twitter and when the urge arises in you, to tweet or not to tweet?” Twitter is a choice. Twitter is real time, instant access to a global audience. On Twitter’s home page, it states that Twitter is a way to keep in touch with family, friends and coworkers by answering the question “What are you doing?” Well as we all know, Twitter has taken on a life of its’ own. It is being shaped by all the people who are followers and following people they know, but more often than not, people they don’t know. I began by following people in my profession, but that got boring. So I started following people like tech geeks (to learn more about computer apps), conservative Christians, political pundits, news organizations, and the like. I also follow several young people in their 20s so I can gain insight into the thinking of this generation. During the recent severe weather which struck OK, I followed #OKStorms and received up to the minute, eye witness accounts of the devastation. When I say that Twitter is a choice, I mean that people can choose to follow, not follow, tweet or not tweet. Device updates is also a choice – I only receive updates on my phone from selected accounts. I use an application on my laptop called Tweetdeck to organize the people I am following. Twitter is a great way to keep in touch with the world and it is fun! So in answer to the second half of your question, when the urge arises in me I choose to tweet!!
Terri Sullivan
February 16, 2009