A while back, I signed up for Twitter and felt like I was " just not good at it", as I didn't really know what to say all the time, and I wasn't particularly interested in what I would see when I would log on. It wasn't until a month ago when I tried Twitter again and approached it as am information consumption tool, first and foremost, an output tool, secondarily, and a social tool, lastly and minimally, that I realized it is an incredibly useful engine, and a [much more] productive place to spend my leisure internet-browsing time (than the perceived alternative, Facebook). Clearly, this is not a unique breakthrough: Twitter, with its tagline of "follow your interests", had already understood its maximum value proposition and was trying to tell me it would be most successfully utilized as an information consumption tool. I just missed the message, and had to learn that for myself. This realization has ultimately helped me considerably, to organize, personalize and maximize my news intake. I now log on to Twitter (before and often instead of Facebook, mind you) to effectively scour my favorite news & information sources-- Financial Times, TechCrunch, Fast Company, Fortune Magazine, Social Edge--and the individuals I find incredibly intriguing, in the most efficiently-personalizing fashion: in less than 140 characters, I can either read a complete tidbit of information, or get a very good idea of what the linked article will explain to me, and I can click on only the ones most relevant to my quest for info. If you haven't yet, I do suggest giving Twitter a shot, approaching it the "right" way.
On a side note, I am getting better and more comfortable with my own Twitter output, as well:
http://twitter.com/#!/aliparkerkay
I don't use the popular social network media of Twitter and Facebook, but I appreciate those who can take it and use it as a positive in their life and for the benefit of others.
ReplyDeleteI live a quiet country life and usually swamped with med school or spending time with my family. But my teenagers could easily become addicted if I allowed it.