anyone else actually a little baffled by Twitter

Willow72 · Mar 8, 2011

I hate to out myself as the bumpkin I am, I mean really- I have a blog and I use facebook and I can actually attach pictures to emails without asking my kids to help me...but, Twitter! Really? I just don't freaking get it.

Why would I "follow" someone instead of just reading their facebook feed? Why would I want my mobile tweeting me feeds all hours of the day? Isn't it kind of stalkerish?

When I go to Twitter, it just doesn't make intuitive sense to me. that being said, I AM on Twitter, pathetically, randomly, only when harassed to do it.
Can anyone else commiserate with me? If not, please, oh Twitter mentors, show me that way!

JoNightshade · Mar 8, 2011

ME. I AM WITH YOU.

Yeah. I so don't "get" Twitter. I do Facebook, whatever else, I'm completely computer literate.

Maybe I'm too old? I'm not even 30!!!

cptwentworth · Mar 8, 2011

I never could figure out how to tweet. I think it's a passing fad.

Willow72 · Mar 8, 2011

JoNightshade said:
ME. I AM WITH YOU.

Yeah. I so don't "get" Twitter. I do Facebook, whatever else, I'm completely computer literate.

Maybe I'm too old? I'm not even 30!!!

God, thank you!
I'm a positively ancient 38, so you have given me some hope that maybe it's not me.

JRVogt · Mar 8, 2011

I only recently signed up for Twitter, but have actually been enjoying the experience so far. It can be different, but I think it's a tool that writers can use to great advantage, especially when coupled with things like Facebook, your blog, or otherwise.

It helps you get the word out on big announcements (like landing an agent, or getting a book contract). It's a quick way to share links and such that are fun, important, informative. I know you're probably thinking, "But I can do all that on Facebook!" Well, yes, but personally I find it more convenient to simply link my Tweets to my Facebook account so that whatever I tweet shows up on my updates. That way, I'm potentially reaching even a larger audience (those that follow me, and my FB friends). Plus, when I'm more active on Twitter, I'm more active on FB without having to do any sort of crossover or extra effort.

Twitter also gives you unique ways to engage in a broader community in much more real time than I personally believe Facebook lets you. (again, just my humble opinion)

If you want a little more thought on the issue, I did a post on Twitter from a writer's perspective here.

Hope this helps a bit.

Willow72 · Mar 8, 2011

That's a great post, JRVogt.
I'm still baffled, but it was great!
If I knew how to follow people on Twitter, I would totally follow you, just saying!

Izz · Mar 8, 2011

I've just started using twitter. I'm finding it useful for keeping up with industry information without having to read whole blog posts (some websites/mags post site updates via twitter--TOCs for upcoming issues, etc).

Occasionally i'll respond to someone's tweet, but not often.

jmarkbyrnes · Mar 8, 2011

JRVogt said:
Twitter also gives you unique ways to engage in a broader community in much more real time than I personally believe Facebook lets you.

Bingo!

Izz said:
I'm finding it useful for keeping up with industry information without having to read whole blog posts (some websites/mags post sites updates via twitter--TOCs for upcoming issues, etc).

Bingo again!

Twitter is just a tool, you either find it helpful or you don't, either way it's what works for you.

-jmarkbyrnes

BigWords · Mar 8, 2011

I really hope it's not a passing fad, or I would be forced to write or work during the day - at the moment I can sit in my office and tweet whenever I get fed up of answering the 'phone or fixing things...

AyJay · Mar 8, 2011

OK JR, you convinced me to keep giving the Twitter thing a try. The tough thing for me is having the time to tweet/read people's tweets/retweet. Guess little by little is allright.

Deleted member 42 · Mar 8, 2011

It's not a passing fad, and I quite like it. It's a great way to keep in touch with good friends who know each other, and to track specific interests--in my case, beer, wine and birds.

I keep a list of AW folk here.

benbradley · Mar 8, 2011

Willow72 said:
God, thank you!
I'm a positively ancient 38, so you have given me some hope that maybe it's not me.

OMG, you young whipper-snapper! Am I ever OLD!!!1!

I'm sticking to email and newsgroups. This dubya-dubya-dubya/WEB thing is just a fad. Besides, even at the once-unimaginable speeds of DSL, it still takes several seconds for webpages to load - emails or Usenet posts were virtually instant even on dialup, and I can start reading the message and move on, rather than watching a 179k GIF load, only to see it contains a four-word, horribly misspelled LOLcat. "Mai WEB, Mai WEB! I caute u n mai WEB!"

I feel so old-fashioned. I should go back to using the dash and call it e-mail. I should read and send it with a 5-level Baudot TTY.

IceCreamEmpress · Mar 8, 2011

I use Twitter and Facebook for very different things. For me, Twitter is great for bite-sized professional updates and links of interest, and Facebook is great for seeing photos of other people's children and more detailed updates on their lives.

And I'm 46! Though I have been doing this stuff since the BBS days.

JRVogt · Mar 8, 2011

The key I find with Twitter is that you need a purpose to be on it. A way to give yourself some boundaries...otherwise yes, it does just become a jumbled mess and a timesink. Ask yourself what you might wish to gain from an experience with Twitter.

Writing friends to discover encouragement and commiseration? They're there.
Insight into publishing from editors, agents and authors? They're there.
The ability to share writing resources, learn about how ebooks/epublishing is changing the industry, and otherwise putting a finger to the vein of both the business and craft of writing? That's all there.

It does take some work to winnow through all the dross, and you do have to be careful to not let it take over your life. But the same could be said for this forum too!

With any of my social media, FB, Twitter, my blog, Write-Strong.com or otherwise, if I let any of them distract me from my actual writing, then that's a problem. They can enhance it, give me connections in freelancing, help me spread the word about my fiction...but they should never take priority over the actual work.

JRVogt · Mar 8, 2011

Willow72 said:
That's a great post, JRVogt.
I'm still baffled, but it was great!
If I knew how to follow people on Twitter, I would totally follow you, just saying!

Thanks, Willow! To follow on Twitter, it does require a Twitter account. It's kind of like friending someone on FB, and then having their updates and msgs appear on your Wall.

Chumplet · Mar 8, 2011

I resisted Twitter for a while, but I finally joined a couple of years ago. It's like being at a big party with people you are interested in, and you jump in and contribute to conversations as they happen.

You only "follow" the people with like interests, and can group them into lists. If you want to see how Publishing is going, check the list. If you feel like a break and want to check sports, you follow that list for a while. Or just let 'er all rip and jump in when you feel like it.

I have received a few agent requests through Twitter. The trick is to be accessible without being intrusive. It's a fine balance.

It can also be addictive to us writers who constantly crave validation, LOL. I can't count how many times I tweeted something I thought was witty, and was disappointed nobody recognized my genius.

jmarkbyrnes · Mar 8, 2011

benbradley said:
newsgroups.

Wow, you ARE ancient!

-jmarkbyrnes

muravyets · Mar 8, 2011

I have not yet twittered. Tweeted. Twitted. Whatever. I know it's a useful tool. I think about getting an account. But I just can't quite get posting on Twitter off my "intern list" -- the list of basic business tasks that I really need to assign to an intern, when I get one. I'll do it one of these days.

STKlingaman · Mar 9, 2011

Nope . . .
Never done it
Never read it

Perks · Mar 9, 2011

I will cop to being Twitterboggled. I am old.

Jamiekswriter · Mar 9, 2011

Here's what boggles me about twitter: What's up with the #FF hashtag? I know it's Friday Friend Follow or something like that, but I don't get why you do it. I mean I've friended most of my friends so why would seeing all their names in my twitter feed do anything?

And I don't know how to add a comment to a retweet. Do you just cut and paste the original tweet and then add in your own comments?

::scratches head::

Connie Briscoe · Mar 9, 2011

Put me down as another one who is baffled about Twitter. I don't get it. And believe me I've tried. I figure if it's so popular maybe I'm missing something?

sheadakota · Mar 9, 2011

I don't get twitter either- i tried but I really don't get it

COchick · Mar 9, 2011

I'm another of the lost who doesn't get twitter. I have an account, and I'm following a few people, but other than that...I just don't get it.

Williebee · Mar 9, 2011

Jamiekswriter said:
Here's what boggles me about twitter: What's up with the #FF hashtag? I know it's Friday Friend Follow or something like that, but I don't get why you do it. I mean I've friended most of my friends so why would seeing all their names in my twitter feed do anything?

And I don't know how to add a comment to a retweet. Do you just cut and paste the original tweet and then add in your own comments?

::scratches head::

Think about hashtags (the #) as a way of keeping track of a conversation or topic. If you "Follow" a hashtag, then whenever anyone includes that hashtag in their "tweet", their message will show up in your window.

It's kind of like subscribing to a thread here at AW. But let's say you're in the great "Ice-apalooza" or "Snowpocalypse" or whatever it got called in your area, and you want to know what's open, what's closed, and how to get there. By following "#holycrapit'ssnowinghere" (or whatever it got called in your area), you get real time information, from real people. And, after the snow's over, or you are on the plane headed for the beach, you can stop following it and ignore those poor fools still stuck there,.

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