I started one to see how that works out for D. http://twitter.com/WalterBright

"Walter Bright" <newshound1@digitalmars.com> wrote in message news:ghs5kf$9d7$1@digitalmars.com...
>I started one to see how that works out for D. http://twitter.com/WalterBright

Call me a curmudgeon, but does anyone ever read twitters? They seem to be enormously popular to write, though I've never understood why. (Maybe I'm just not a "web 2.0" kind of guy -> I've never cared for social networking sites, either.)

Hello Nick,

> "Walter Bright" <newshound1@digitalmars.com> wrote in message
> news:ghs5kf$9d7$1@digitalmars.com...
> 
>> I started one to see how that works out for D.
>> http://twitter.com/WalterBright
>> 
> Call me a curmudgeon, but does anyone ever read twitters? They seem to
> be enormously popular to write, though I've never understood why.
> (Maybe I'm just not a "web 2.0" kind of guy -> I've never cared for
> social networking sites, either.)
> 


I find it odd too and fail to see why the fad attracts people. I'm guessing that the popularity of it is due the attraction the idea has for certain personality types: something like an opportunity for the less expressive to express themselves free of the obligations rigour (no more thought to choosing words carefully, I suppose).  In the manner of blogs, maybe people just like talking about themselves... only twitter seems to take it once step further, where the reader is entertained with decidedly less thought provoking material.  I just don't get it.  Maybe I should /not/ be looking at twitter as an information resource.  But if it's just a way people can connect with one another to let each other know they are there, then all they really need is a flashy red or green light.  Add to that a beeping noise for extra effect.

The other alternative is that it's just yet another "marketing" scheme that has succeeded in making people think that it's the "thing to do".   I'm sure facebook fans would eat this one up. :)

The last option is that I'm just a boring killjoy that doesn't get it. I dunno ;). 

But I'm sure this isn't the last clever idea to make it's rounds on the internet. 


-JJR 

On Sun, Dec 14, 2008 at 12:17 AM, John Reimer <terminal.node@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hello Nick,
>
>> "Walter Bright" <newshound1@digitalmars.com> wrote in message news:ghs5kf$9d7$1@digitalmars.com...
>>
>>> I started one to see how that works out for D. http://twitter.com/WalterBright
>>>
>> Call me a curmudgeon, but does anyone ever read twitters? They seem to be enormously popular to write, though I've never understood why. (Maybe I'm just not a "web 2.0" kind of guy -> I've never cared for social networking sites, either.)
>>
>
>
> I find it odd too and fail to see why the fad attracts people. I'm guessing that the popularity of it is due the attraction the idea has for certain personality types: something like an opportunity for the less expressive to express themselves free of the obligations rigour (no more thought to choosing words carefully, I suppose).  In the manner of blogs, maybe people just like talking about themselves... only twitter seems to take it once step further, where the reader is entertained with decidedly less thought provoking material.  I just don't get it.  Maybe I should /not/ be looking at twitter as an information resource.  But if it's just a way people can connect with one another to let each other know they are there, then all they really need is a flashy red or green light.  Add to that a beeping noise for extra effect.
>
> The other alternative is that it's just yet another "marketing" scheme that has succeeded in making people think that it's the "thing to do".   I'm sure facebook fans would eat this one up. :)
>
> The last option is that I'm just a boring killjoy that doesn't get it. I
> dunno ;).
> But I'm sure this isn't the last clever idea to make it's rounds on the
> internet.

I found this article pretty interesting, at least as far as an insight into what some people see in Twitter and similar services.

http://tinyurl.com/6ng7tg

On Sat, 13 Dec 2008 21:08:32 -0500, Nick Sabalausky wrote:

> "Walter Bright" <newshound1@digitalmars.com> wrote in message news:ghs5kf$9d7$1@digitalmars.com...
>>I started one to see how that works out for D. http://twitter.com/WalterBright
> 
> Call me a curmudgeon, but does anyone ever read twitters? They seem to be enormously popular to write, though I've never understood why.

I made a Twitter account a while back, just to try. But I really have difficulty to keep up with other people's tweets: there is no serious threading whatsoever and 80% of the people tweet about entering/leaving the train, their meals, etc. As a result, if you have more than a few friends, it's impossible to catch up with Twitter, unless you make it a hourly activity.

"Jarrett Billingsley" <jarrett.billingsley@gmail.com> wrote in message news:mailman.190.1229232715.22690.digitalmars-d-announce@puremagic.com...
> On Sun, Dec 14, 2008 at 12:17 AM, John Reimer <terminal.node@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Hello Nick,
>>
>>> "Walter Bright" <newshound1@digitalmars.com> wrote in message news:ghs5kf$9d7$1@digitalmars.com...
>>>
>>>> I started one to see how that works out for D. http://twitter.com/WalterBright
>>>>
>>> Call me a curmudgeon, but does anyone ever read twitters? They seem to be enormously popular to write, though I've never understood why. (Maybe I'm just not a "web 2.0" kind of guy -> I've never cared for social networking sites, either.)
>>>
>>
>>
>> I find it odd too and fail to see why the fad attracts people. I'm
>> guessing
>> that the popularity of it is due the attraction the idea has for certain
>> personality types: something like an opportunity for the less expressive
>> to
>> express themselves free of the obligations rigour (no more thought to
>> choosing words carefully, I suppose).  In the manner of blogs, maybe
>> people
>> just like talking about themselves... only twitter seems to take it once
>> step further, where the reader is entertained with decidedly less thought
>> provoking material.  I just don't get it.  Maybe I should /not/ be
>> looking
>> at twitter as an information resource.  But if it's just a way people can
>> connect with one another to let each other know they are there, then all
>> they really need is a flashy red or green light.  Add to that a beeping
>> noise for extra effect.
>>
>> The other alternative is that it's just yet another "marketing" scheme
>> that
>> has succeeded in making people think that it's the "thing to do".   I'm
>> sure
>> facebook fans would eat this one up. :)
>>
>> The last option is that I'm just a boring killjoy that doesn't get it. I
>> dunno ;).
>> But I'm sure this isn't the last clever idea to make it's rounds on the
>> internet.
>
> I found this article pretty interesting, at least as far as an insight into what some people see in Twitter and similar services.
>
> http://tinyurl.com/6ng7tg

Only read the first couple pages of that, but that's kind of interesting. The description of "like a social gazette from the 18th century", seems to really make it all "click": both why it's so popular and why I find myself not interested.  The stuff on the second page makes it sound like a primitive version of (and here I go into scifi-geek territory) a borg-like mental link (minus the imperialistic tendencies). Seems to make for a potential antidote to the claims some people make about computer technology driving people apart. Also interesting from a marketing standpoint: giving people what they don't realize they want. I'm still perfectly content remaining on the sidelines for this stuff, though.

"Nick Sabalausky" <a@a.a> wrote in message news:gi2kt3$15t7$1@digitalmars.com...
> "Jarrett Billingsley" <jarrett.billingsley@gmail.com> wrote in message news:mailman.190.1229232715.22690.digitalmars-d-announce@puremagic.com...
>> On Sun, Dec 14, 2008 at 12:17 AM, John Reimer <terminal.node@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> Hello Nick,
>>>
>>>> "Walter Bright" <newshound1@digitalmars.com> wrote in message news:ghs5kf$9d7$1@digitalmars.com...
>>>>
>>>>> I started one to see how that works out for D. http://twitter.com/WalterBright
>>>>>
>>>> Call me a curmudgeon, but does anyone ever read twitters? They seem to be enormously popular to write, though I've never understood why. (Maybe I'm just not a "web 2.0" kind of guy -> I've never cared for social networking sites, either.)
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> I find it odd too and fail to see why the fad attracts people. I'm
>>> guessing
>>> that the popularity of it is due the attraction the idea has for certain
>>> personality types: something like an opportunity for the less expressive
>>> to
>>> express themselves free of the obligations rigour (no more thought to
>>> choosing words carefully, I suppose).  In the manner of blogs, maybe
>>> people
>>> just like talking about themselves... only twitter seems to take it once
>>> step further, where the reader is entertained with decidedly less
>>> thought
>>> provoking material.  I just don't get it.  Maybe I should /not/ be
>>> looking
>>> at twitter as an information resource.  But if it's just a way people
>>> can
>>> connect with one another to let each other know they are there, then all
>>> they really need is a flashy red or green light.  Add to that a beeping
>>> noise for extra effect.
>>>
>>> The other alternative is that it's just yet another "marketing" scheme
>>> that
>>> has succeeded in making people think that it's the "thing to do".   I'm
>>> sure
>>> facebook fans would eat this one up. :)
>>>
>>> The last option is that I'm just a boring killjoy that doesn't get it. I
>>> dunno ;).
>>> But I'm sure this isn't the last clever idea to make it's rounds on the
>>> internet.
>>
>> I found this article pretty interesting, at least as far as an insight into what some people see in Twitter and similar services.
>>
>> http://tinyurl.com/6ng7tg
>
> Only read the first couple pages of that, but that's kind of interesting. The description of "like a social gazette from the 18th century", seems to really make it all "click": both why it's so popular and why I find myself not interested.  The stuff on the second page makes it sound like a primitive version of (and here I go into scifi-geek territory) a borg-like mental link (minus the imperialistic tendencies). Seems to make for a potential antidote to the claims some people make about computer technology driving people apart. Also interesting from a marketing standpoint: giving people what they don't realize they want. I'm still perfectly content remaining on the sidelines for this stuff, though.

"Virtual roomate" might be an appropriate term.

Daniel de Kok wrote:

> On Sat, 13 Dec 2008 21:08:32 -0500, Nick Sabalausky wrote:
> 
>> "Walter Bright" <newshound1@digitalmars.com> wrote in message news:ghs5kf$9d7$1@digitalmars.com...
>>>I started one to see how that works out for D. http://twitter.com/WalterBright
>> 
>> Call me a curmudgeon, but does anyone ever read twitters? They seem to be enormously popular to write, though I've never understood why.
> 
> I made a Twitter account a while back, just to try. But I really have difficulty to keep up with other people's tweets: there is no serious threading whatsoever and 80% of the people tweet about entering/leaving the train, their meals, etc. As a result, if you have more than a few friends, it's impossible to catch up with Twitter, unless you make it a hourly activity.

Although some of those I follow are friends, I really only follow those with a common interest (ie mainly D) - I followed a couple of people that put in really personal stuff, whom I promptly disfollowed. The biggest potential issue as I see it, are "personal" (@nickname) messages that are publicized, since you very often have little or no way to relate to it when they aren't meant for you.

-- 
Lars Ivar Igesund
blog at http://larsivi.net
DSource, #d.tango & #D: larsivi
Dancing the Tango