If you are like many people, you may be wondering what people see in Twitter – why use Twitter – what do people use Twitter for – what are the uses of Twitter (or, for that matter, even, what is Twitter?)
The easiest way to think about Twitter – to understand what Twitter is – is to imagine an instant messenger program where instead of you sending a message to one other person, when you send a message 5, 10, or even 100 or more people can all see it in their instant messenger (Twitter) program. In a way, it’s kind of like a cross between instant messenger and Myspace, only instead of folks going to your Myspace page to follow your day-to-day.
So who follows people on Twitter? Well, sure, your friends and colleagues. But other people find you on Twitter too. People will follow the people that the people they follow follow. (That will make sense if you read it three times, slowly.) People also follow those who popular people follow. Followings grow.
But it isn’t just about getting popular. Some people are finding unique, and useful, business uses for Twitter.
For example, people use it to keep a group of people apprised of their travel schedules (and flight delays), to update people on their business ventures, and to supplement blogging, for those things you want to say to the world, but warrant only a sentence, not a whole blog post. These message (called “Tweets”) are all entered in the same way: just like you do with an instant message, either at the Twitter site, or using one of many free Twitter applications available for both Windows and Mac.
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But by far one of the coolest uses we’ve seen lately for Twitter is letting people peer over your shoulder at your real-time note taking at a conference, thus sharing the conference with people who aren’t able to attend themselves. Assuming that it doesn’t violate the rules of the conference, it’s as pretty cool use of Twitter!
In fact, UK blogger Karen Blakeman recently experimented with Twittering her conference notes, and you can read Karen’s notes about Twittering a conference here.
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like Hal asked.. How many ways do we need to communicate with people?
How many ways do we need to communicate with people? In my current job of running a good sized organization, I have at least 5 ways to let people know what is going on at any given time. This does not include whatever personal software or device I and a few others may have.
I think this is simply “yet another way” and will ultimately die. Then, out of the ashes will rise more ways to do the same thing.
I see a backlash in gadget must haves coming, if not already here. Being tied to so many communication devices is fast becoming a sorry way to live one’s life.
I’ll pass on Twitter, thanks.