I’ve fallen into Twitter and I can’t get up. Nor do I want to.
I’ve capitulated.
It was only six months ago that I expressed, right on this blog, my reservations about Twitter:
“I admit I’ve had mixed feelings about Twitter myself – I registered many months ago, but have really yet to post to it. Between my life, my job, my blog, and everything else, I haven’t been able to get to the point where I can chronicle my activities in that manner.”
I had it very wrong. It’s not just a “chronicle of activities“.
Here’s what I just said on a very, very good post about Twitter by Chris Cree:
“Ah yes, Twitter. You know what it is? It’s the “ticker tape of collective thoughts”. They stream in front of you in a way that is strangely relaxing, not unlike watching a real stream up in the mountains. I really resisted this too – really. I didn’t think telling people what I had for breakfast was really interesting (or relevant). But I missed the point. When I saw the fun people were having with it at Blogger Social in NY last month, I finally got it. And jumped into the stream. And now I’m flowing just like the rest of you. Life is strange, because it is so capable of surprising you. Twitter really surprised me.”
The thing that really locked me in was how we used Twitter at SOBCon08. I had just finished my opening comments on Saturday and sat down in front of my computer in the back of the room, and decided to check-in with the Twitter stream. Sure enough, there were attendees “Twitting” to each other about what they were seeing, hearing, and feeling.
“What a cool backchannel!” I thought. I jumped in, and in the process, also posed questions about the sound quality, the temperature in the room, and a host of other things I wanted to get immediate feedback on. And feedback I got. All good and useful, and I didn’t have to interrupt the flow of the conference to make needed adjustments.
We saved a ton of time simply because we opened this backchannel, and in the process we found “reason number 136 that Twitter is really useful” – as a “quiet” feedback mechanism for MC’s at conferences.
Yep, that’s a “business use” if I’ve ever heard one. Even if some people think it’s a cult
Ruth Marie Sylte came up with even more institutional uses for Twitter on this post. Even folk-rock stars are using Twitter!
I’m so pumped about Twitter now that I just HAVE to break out into song (to the Sinatra classic “Come Fly With Me”):
Come Twitt with me, lets Twitt lets Twitt away
If you can use, some exotic prose
Theres a blogger in far bombay
Come Twitt with me, well Twitt well Twitt away
Come Twitt with me, lets float down to peruse
In Twitter land, theres a blogging band
And they’ll toot their flutes for you
Come Twitt with me, well float down in the blue
Once I get you on there, where the air is rarefied
Well just glide, starry eyed
Once I get you on there, We’ll follow you so near
You may hear, posters cheer – you’re a Twitterer now!
Twitter wise its such a lovely day
You just post the words, and we’ll link the blurbs
In each and every way
Its perfect, for a social network swoon – they say
Come Twitt with me, well Twitt we’ll Twitt away
By the way, I’m @Starbucker, and I’m a Twitterer. Fully capitulated. 
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{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m another you can put in the “surprised” camp. For a long time, I resisted. Couldn’t see the point. There’s only one way to get it, and that’s to jump in…
Terry:
I am totally turned on to twitter. Instant feedback. Ask a question get an answer. Get an idea. Get feedback. Nice.
It is like watching people think and move in the marketplace. Thanks for turning me on to the application.
- David Bullock
Terry, love the song. It seems we Twitters are constantly finding useful ways to repurpose Twitter to our needs. I enjoyed meeting you at SOBCon and look forward to keeping up with a new blogging friend.
Rick
I love Twitter. In fact, I would argue that it has enhanced my life in significant ways. However, there was a time in the not too distant past when I too believed Twitter to be no more than a passing fad catering to arch-procrastinators. How wrong I was! One of the best outcomes of my Twitter use is that I have met some of the most wonderful people and struck up friendships which span the globe.
Thank you so much for sharing how you used Twitter at SOBCon. I loved listening in on those SOBCon tweets. It helped to make me feel a part of the event even although I was many miles from Chicago.
Thanks again, Terry.
Amy
xx
Thanks for the kind link, Terry. I’m thinking the double-very might be a bit over the top, though.
And I agree with you in that Twitter is far more “useful” than I ever thought possible when I first heard about the idea way back when.
Terry, I thought your engagement with the twitter feed was an excellent example of how to use it. A lesser mortal might have been a bit freaked by seeing comments and feedback live – warts and all, including criticisms or gripes – but jumping in, learning from it, and making some of the points part of the show helped to involve and include people as well as inform your learning.
On a side point – I like David’s comment on the market place. That’s how it feels to me too, not like blogging where you feel you’re ‘pitching’ (often awkwardly), it’s a rapid fire place where you can say I’m doing some of this, anyone help, anyone interested? I’ve got some of this but need some of that, can we fix it?
I’ve had feedback, marketing suggestions, business enquiries through twitter as well as a heck of a lot of fun. It really does feel like a place of barter, banter and exchange.
Joanna
PS The song is priceless!
I *loved* the backchannel use of Twitter at the conference. Being able to let the organizers/MCs right away about things like speaker volume, temperature, etc. meant that attendees did not need to interrupt any presentations or spend unnecessary time trying to physically track down someone who could help (just tweet in less than 140 characters!). It helped to keep the presenters and audience focused on the important topic at hand.
As the Twitterverse expands to include new groups of people, I will be interested to see how this backchannel use will technically impact *non-technical* conferences in the future.
I’m new to Twitter, but have found new ways to connect with people in my own community. – both online and in my hometown… I loved how we were getting real time thoughts during SOBCon. My relationship with Twitter borders on addictive – luckily I’ve got a child to distract me, but hey, there are worse things I could be addicted to. And without Twitter, I never would have made it to SOBCon08. Joanna Tweeted me, “Come” she said, “Come”. So I did.
Terry, twiter is a useful tool. I have declined to fully take the plunge only to keep my head above water with everything else going on. It can be addictive!
If Blackberry’s create Blackberry thumb, what will we call the twitter disease?
twinked?
twonked?
twiddlead?
??
BTW – love the verse!
Ah… so Twitter has claimed another victim… welcome.
Like you, I expressed reservations — even dissed! — Twitter. Now, I’ve, too, “fallen into Twitter and I can’t get up.” I could go on and on this topic… but suffice to say, I’m with you.
Many thanks Steve, David, Rick, Amy, Chris, Joanna, Ruth, Michelle, Steve and Ann for your great comments.
Steve, head first is better than feet first.
David, you are most welcome. Please keep me posted on how integrating your new tools is helping your business.
Rick, ditto, ditto!
Amy, you WERE in Chicago – now your person just has to follow next year!
Chris, thanks for the inspiration of your excellent (yes, “very very” worthy) post.
Joanna, I’m glad you mentioned the word “fun” – on top of everything else, I do have a blast Twittering!
Ruth, I’m going to experiment with “backchanneling” in the coming months at my day job – stay tuned!
Michelle, connections are key, aren’t they? I never would have seen your bear picture!
Steve, I like “twonked”. That has a nice ring to it.
Ann, let’s hope we never get up – it’s too much fun!
All the best to you all!
Twitter is like the high dive at the swimming pool when you were a kid.
You watch people doing it and having fun, but you don’t get the attraction-climb up, jump in, so what? Are they just showing off? It can’t be that much fun.
You think you’ll try the low dive (you sign up for an account) and you do once or twice (a few updates) and it’s ok but you still don’t see the attraction. But it bothers you. You need to know what it’s like.
Then one day, you get up the nerve to try it. The high dive.
You climb up the ladder and look around, urged on by those in line behind you. You walk out onto the board, still not sure it’s for you.
Then, closing your eyes and taking a deep breath-you jump in!
Then, and only then, do you get it. Now, you’re part of the high-dive crowd. You’re part of Twitterville. And you can’t imagine how the pool was ever any fun without it.