Mar 27, 2008
Q: “What is the point of Twitter?” A: …
Someone recently posted on my Facebook wall: “Paul, I don’t understand, and fear I may be too old for all this already… but… what exactly is the point of twitter?”
I can come up with at least nine answers. I’m sure you can come up with more:
- It’s a great way to publish to mobile devices;
- it’s a social networking tool to make contacts and carry on conversations;
- it’s a way of discovering new information (through tips and leads);
- it’s a great way to follow what’s happening through your mobile (set Twitter up to send you mobile updates)
- It’s a way of organising people
- It’s a great way of reporting from a live event or other occasions when you only have your phone
- You can aggregate a number of twitter feeds to one collective feed of what a group of people are doing
- You can push an RSS feed into twitter, creating a mobile/social network update
- For bloggers, it’s a good place to put thoughts and ideas that are so brief you wouldn’t normally blog them
Any more for any more?
19 Comments, Comment or Ping
Stef Lewandowski
Have you seen WTFisTwitter.com?
Mar 27th, 2008
tomfromthepost
This is a debate raging at the Birmingham Post.
twitter.com/tomscotney btw, if anyone else wants to add.
Mar 27th, 2008
seanachie
I’ve read your nine points closely, and I’ll repeat the previous poster’s question: ‘What’s the point in Twitter?’
Mar 28th, 2008
paulbradshaw
How about: more people have mobile phones than have computers?
Apr 4th, 2008
Matches Malone
If you have to ask, you haven’t tweeted…. Twitted?
Jan 29th, 2009
Matches Malone
And furthermore…. Why isn’t my Twitter page considered a website?
Jan 29th, 2009
Mr Kleen
The point of twitter is the give a bunch of self absorbed, egotistical doucebags a place to tell us all what they had for lunch and how great they think their every thought is. If you are that interesting, you have actually friend to tell these things to. If you dont, then your are probably a boring pratt – and no one cares anyway.
Mar 30th, 2009
Mike Power
Silly question. To quote that great scientist Sir Ernest Rutherford, the father of nuclear physics, when a woman asked him “but what is the use of physics, Mr Rutherford? He replied: “Madam, what is the USE of a newborn baby?”
And , Mr Kleen, we may be all the things you say on Twitter but at least we can spell and write coherent English. Remember, it’s like anal sex. If you don’t enjoy it, you don’t have to do it!
Mar 30th, 2009
RogerRat
What is the point of Twitter? ‘aint it obvious? Wrap something up in “meaningful” language and tell people it’s all about keeping one step ahead. But is it not a business? Is it not about the people in the business making money from you? Why make your life even more complex than it already is? You don’t need it. It doesn’t need you. It’s just more technology….. always, always more….. I’m going to get myself a pencil, some paper, and write some poems sitting in the sun.
May 20th, 2009
Stevo from OZ
Waste of time ol Twitter and mark my words or better still put a bet on it. This Twitter crap will die as fast as it was born, folk will tire of texting “im having a crap now” “oh I have run out of paper”"guess what I’m on the bus”" Isnt that great”"yawn”
Jul 9th, 2009
Steve
90% of tweets are meaningless, a bit like people who have just met and can’t think what to say except “Lovely weather we’re having” or “Milk’s dear now, isn’t it?” Social networking is changing the way we communicate – it means we spend more time texting or sat at our computers rather than bungie jumping naked. It’s a sign of our generation – sterile, empty, hopelessly futile and without meaning….I mean, who really needs and digital stapler…bye for now, I’m just off to top myself (hope the Inglish is okay with you Mike)…
Jul 28th, 2009
Steve
That was meant to be “a digital stapler” Mike…
Jul 28th, 2009
Calli
Don’t forget the search function!!
I guess the replies above show how the folks ‘think’ Twitter is used. In actual fact like everything else you get out of it what you want.
If you want to read great updates that inform, teach entertain then choose who you follow. You carve out your own filter for the inane updates and obviously un-follow non performers lol
Jul 28th, 2009
Joe
Twitter is basically pointless if you dont have a mobile phone…thats why I dont use it. I dont have a cell phone, so yeah. Twitter sucks.
Jan 15th, 2010
Joey
Twitter is pointless even if you have a mobile phone.
Feb 3rd, 2010
Jesus
Twitter is useless, God said so.
Mar 15th, 2010
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