Why are we so keen to ‘tweet’? #metatweet

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So far I’ve come across people who like or dislike Twitter, and others who think I’m a sandwich short of a picnic and give me a wide berth. Can you categorise ‘twitters’?

According to UberNoggin, yes you can. People fall into one of three ‘types’ or twitters;

  1. Avid Users: “Twitter is cool. I find it handy / interesting / fun / addictive!”
  2. Avoiders: “Why should I care that so-and-so wants another coffee, has to take the dog out, has a headache?! I have my own life!”
  3. Unaware: “What’s Twitter?”

As I am using Twitter to find and read more about eLearning, Web 2.0, and Social Networks in general I am not that keen on some friends who want me to follow them so I can read about their new bathroom or the fact they’re meeting their Grand Parents tomorrow … I can speak to them or meet them for a coffee or a beer to find that out.

I use Twitter to gain professional knowledge, to further my professional ‘being’ and to find out what others are doing. I know Stephen Fry is one of the UKs most followed ‘Twits’, and he famously kept everyone up to date as he was stuck in a lift. Great, for him.

You never know what you’ll get when you follow someone. I follow Richard Branson (or someone sounding very much like him) but might stop now he’s asked if I wanted to work for the Virgin Group. I don’t know if I do, but I was more interested in following him in case he was imparting some amazing knowledge and / or wonderful secret to business that has so far passed me by.

So, why are we keen to Tweet? Is it the fact that I feel the people who follow me are waiting for some ‘pearl of wisdom’ to utter forth, or that I want to use my Blog and Twitter account as my virtual ‘soap-box’.

How are you using Twitter … go on, tell me?

PS. You’ll notice that the post title uses a #hashtag. This means that when I publish this blog entry, it is automatically postted as a new tweet to Twitter, and the #metatweet will get the tweet spotted by others who are following the subject. Phew, that’s a whole lot of ‘tweets’!!

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