Do you use Twitter?

Zascar

Twitter is the latest in social networking type crazes. I work in the Web 2.0 industry so I have known about Twitter for some time, but I am amazed on a daily basis how fast it is growing - it seemed to explode onto the scene - mainly coming from the media etc and now everyone seems to have heard about it - whereas 6 months ago I was the only person i knew that knew what it was.

It was not too long ago when Facebook was quite new but nowadays absolutely everyone is on it. They reached 200 Million users the other day, growing from 100 Million users in just 8 months.

So, I'm wondering how many people have a twitter account and use it ever. It would be interesting I think to do this poll again in a year or so and see how things have changed...

What do you think of twitter? Do you think its an interesting channel for information or just a waste of time?

FearDark

I am sick to death of hearing about twitter, its bloody everywhere lately, its utter sh1te.

biko

No, I just text everyone all the time.
*Having hamburger for lunch*
*Going to the cinema*
*Pints tonight with the lads*
*...*

Zascar

IMO that is a big misconception with twitter. I never update it with bullsh1t things like "Moring" or "Eating Lunch" etc - but I do post interesting links etc or pieces of information i think are worth shaing.

You can also ask questions and you'd be surprised with the good responces you get!

BaconZombie

http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2008/4/23/

Jemmy

Have one rarely use it, dont see the point tbh who wants to know what im doing all the time! :rolleyes:

Santa Claus

I think most people on twitter are just using it to follow celebrities like @wossy and @sterphenfry etc in a voyeuristic kind of way. Can't see it being as popular another year down the road as "hype" will have worn off but I suppose there is a useful side to it for sharing info with friends.

bobcar61

I signed up to it but don't use it.

I don't like the fact that anyone anywhere can "follow" you,and why would you want to tell the whole world what your thinking?

Loomis

Do I have an account? Yes.
Do I use it? No.
Just like MySpace and Facebook.

Actually canceled my MySpace account yesterday and what a long winded process that was...

luckylucky

Poll isn't that extensive really. I signed up to Twitter a couple of weeks ago as someone I knew invited me, but I haven't started using it, and know little about it, except it seems to be getting real big.

Executive Steve

i use it, it's great!

once you get past the idea that the best way to use it is to use external sites like www.twitterfall.com to properly curate all the information on it.

Highsider

Don't do twitter,facebook or any of those types of sites. Why the hell would you want everyone knowing what you where doing all day long. "Oh look it's 11.34am and i'm on the toilet with the runs".

Hazys

Its becoming huge but I don't see the point of it...

Shaquille O'Neal recently updated his twitter account at halftime during a game :eek:

Basq

Signed up ages ago.. don't like it!

http://twitter.com/basquille (hence the lack of updates)

MooseJam

no

winston82

MooseJam wrote: »

no

no

Heisenberg.

This post has been deleted.

anniehoo

I signed up but dont use it. Im addicted enough to boards/facebook/email without adding another time wasting thing

Basq

Scien wrote: »

Have one but rarely use it. Facebook pretty much covers my tweeting needs.
There's a scary digital footprint issue with it also. i.e: you cant make your 'profile' private so everything you say is searchable.

(says the guy with over 5,000 searchable posts on boards! :rolleyes:)

Google doesn't index Facebook pages though, does it?

Never have a term I searched for return anyone's Twitter page.

Loomis

Scien wrote: »

Have one but rarely use it. Facebook pretty much covers my tweeting needs.
There's a scary digital footprint issue with it also. i.e: you cant make your 'profile' private so everything you say is searchable.

(says the guy with over 5,000 searchable posts on boards! :rolleyes:)

And there's not with Facebook? The things they can do with your information is frightening.

dr.bollocko

I never signed up to any of them bebo myspace yokes. I have a facebook account which is now only in existance to untag photos people keep putting up of me. Really hate facebook.
I am not a twitterer or a tweeter or whatever the hell it is called. I am on tweet.ie for the goss and the latest whenever boards goes down.

Biggins

No.

Its a monentary fad.

Basq

Mr. Anderson wrote: »

And there's not with Facebook? The things they can do with your information is frightening.

But your Facebook is private.. and viewable only to friends (unless otherwise specified) AFAIK!

Loomis

basquille wrote: »

But your Facebook is private.. and viewable only to friends (unless otherwise specified) AFAIK!

I actually mean what Facebook as a company do with your info, not people stumbling upon your profile content.
Signing up to any of these social networking sites is a bad idea to me. No one reads the terms and conditions and we sign away anyway. They can basically take a picture of you and your girlfriend together that you upload, stick a caption on it and plaster it across a city to advertise the site if they wish. Tremendous.

Linku

You can have a private Twitter account where you have to confirm followers, why is everyone saying otherwise?

I use it, it's handy for sharing links with friends, getting updates from musicians I like, and I use it to follow some websites like a cut-down form of RSS. Not that many people update on every little thing during their day, and I don't follow them anyway.

It's also a fast way to get breaking news before the traditional sources, use something like www.tweetgrid.com to search keywords

Edit: Also, with the App I use on my iPhone you can read public tweets from the surrounding area, 2/5/10km, which is pretty cool when people are talking about local stuff

Zascar

I actually mean what Facebook as a company do with your info, not people stumbling upon your profile content.
Signing up to any of these social networking sites is a bad idea to me. No one reads the terms and conditions and we sign away anyway. They can basically take a picture of you and your girlfriend together that you upload, stick a caption on it and plaster it across a city to advertise the site if they wish. Tremendous.

There are 200 million people on it. Chances of them using my photo is pretty low.

For the rewards it gives me I'm willing to take the risk...

Actually I'm surprised that the tinfoil hat brigade don't go on about this more in the Conspiracy Theories forum...

AnonoBoy

I spend most of my time trying to not let people know what I'm doing. Why would I advertise what I'm up to?

Ego-stroking nonsense.

Zascar

Linku wrote: »

Edit: Also, with the App I use on my iPhone you can read public tweets from the surrounding area, 2/5/10km, which is pretty cool when people are talking about local stuff

Exactly. A lot of news is now breaking in twitter well before the new agencies get hold of it. That mess in India and the plane in the Hudson river are two examples off hand..

Tabnabs

Just watching that http://twitterfall.com/ link posted here, seems twitter is inhabited by the banal and freaky krisjans :eek:

Xavi6

Zero interest in using it and minus interest in knowing what some clown had for lunch.

Zascar

When I post a new article to my blog it automatically posts a tweet so my followers can read it. I get good traffic that way.

Many other apps are building in tweet ability too. I'm on an online radio station and I can tweet when I am broadcasting so people know when to listen etc

Basq

Xavi6 wrote: »

Zero interest in using it and minus interest in knowing what some clown had for lunch.

** tweet **

Club Sandwich

** tweet **

Kya1976

signed up but I've only posted once...

Never even heard of it.

Gone Drinking

Twitter can lick my hairy fcuking ball sack.

ChumpStain

When someone asked me a couple of months ago if I did Twitter I thought it was some cool new drug but apparently it's much less fun and more addictive than that so no i'll stick to my hard drugs thank you very much.

Ponster

I use twitter to update Boards.ie members of the puzzles and quizzes forum as to when I've posted a new quiz.

In the past some members have missed out on entering a quiz because one had been posted and completed between visits to the forum.

Loomis

Zascar wrote: »

There are 200 million people on it. Chances of them using my photo is pretty low.

For the rewards it gives me I'm willing to take the risk...

Actually I'm surprised that the tinfoil hat brigade don't go on about this more in the Conspiracy Theories forum...

Not really a theory. They can and do use your info. Presumably it's sent onto other companies.
Wanna get started on conspiracy theories? How about club cards in supermarkets? Terrifying.

Goodshape

Scien wrote: »

you cant make your 'profile' private so everything you say is searchable.

Yes you can.


Twitter is about the only 'social network' I actually use regularly. It might sound a bit condescending (sorry) but I do think that those who moan about it being pointless or "why would anyone want to know what you/I had for lunch" aren't really getting it.

Twitter is very much what you make of it. For some it's just a slightly voyeuristic way of keeping up to date with their fav celebs, as someone said above... personally, I can't really stand that ****e, so I don't follow many 'celebs'. Problem solved right there.

I work in the online/tech industry so that's mostly who I follow (along with actual friends) - my peers in the online/tech industry. They post links I'm usually interested in, ask questions I might be able to help with, and answer questions I might have myself.

If someone's just posting about their latest sandwich creation... no-one is forcing me to pay any attention to (i.e. 'follow') that person.

Mr E

We have 2 twitter accounts for our business (one for each product), and they have definitely resulted in new business for us. If used properly, they can be a terrific resource and a very easy way of publishing industry related news (and product news) to people who are following you.

For example, we use tweetlater to schedule a tip of the day.....

100% against crap like "I am now eating toast, yum." or "Give it 5 minutes lads, after that curry last night, it was a bad one...."

Zascar

Goodshape wrote: »

Twitter is about the only 'social network' I actually use regularly. It might sound a bit condescending (sorry) but I do think that those who moan about it being pointless or "why would anyone want to know what you/I had for lunch" aren't really getting it.

Twitter is very much what you make of it. For some it's just a slightly voyeuristic way of keeping up to date with their fav celebs, as someone said above... personally, I can't really stand that ****e, so I don't follow many 'celebs'. Problem solved right there.

I work in the online/tech industry so that's mostly who I follow (along with actual friends) - my peers in the online/tech industry. They post links I'm usually interested in, ask questions I might be able to help with, and answer questions I might have myself.

Exactly. Well said.

Funnily enough I've just got an email from my manager - he wants to start using twitter so that people can update management on what they are doing. Not in a big brother way, more like an FYI to everyone who has an interest. Send a tweet to the team so everyone knows where you are with a project or sale etc

Delirium

Linku wrote: »

You can have a private Twitter account where you have to confirm followers, why is everyone saying otherwise?

I use it, it's handy for sharing links with friends, getting updates from musicians I like, and I use it to follow some websites like a cut-down form of RSS. Not that many people update on every little thing during their day, and I don't follow them anyway.

It's also a fast way to get breaking news before the traditional sources, use something like www.tweetgrid.com to search keywords

Edit: Also, with the App I use on my iPhone you can read public tweets from the surrounding area, 2/5/10km, which is pretty cool when people are talking about local stuff

Pretty much the way I use twitter. Found out about a book signing before it was announced anywhere else.

Loomis

Zascar wrote: »

Exactly. Well said.

Funnily enough I've just got an email from my manager - he wants to start using twitter so that people can update management on what they are doing. Not in a big brother way, more like an FYI to everyone who has an interest. Send a tweet to the team so everyone knows where you are with a project or sale etc

Would company e-mail not do this?

Zascar

Of course but one of the things about email is that people are drowning in it.

Posting information to Twitter means people can go and look at it whenever they choose.

Email lands in your inbox whether you want it or not. You have to delete every email whereas you just browse a twitter page for multiple comments and take what you want from it...

Naikon

No

Loomis

Zascar wrote: »

Of course but one of the things about email is that people are drowning in it.

Posting information to Twitter means people can go and look at it whenever they choose.

Email lands in your inbox whether you want it or not. You have to delete every email whereas you just browse a twitter page for multiple comments and take what you want from it...

Eh, you can browse your inbox and take what you want from it.
Really don't see a need for it when e-mail does the exact same thing.

My name is URL

The idea is cool, but the pretentious assholes that use it only think they are

live2thewire

MooseJam wrote: »

no

some of da americanzzz are cringey on it. nobody should be that happy waking up birds singing or not

Aidric

Nope. Won't be signing up either.

shivvyban

I just can't help myself... also its one of the few sites not blocked at work!

stick-dan

I like the way some websites set up twitter accounts to update its users. Like doesn't boards use it when it goes into maintenance.

And also pix.ie does it to update the users on the photograph of the day.

It has more uses than updating people on what you ate