I tend to follow along with the social networking crowd. Many of my friends have begun using Twitter to send messages to each other and the world. So I've done it too. Right now, no one seems to be certain just what Twitter is supposed to be (though they are fairly certain what it is not). It's more than just Facebook-style status messages, but it's not a robust communication system or a full-fledged marketing tool yet. Based on the messages from my friends on my Twitter feed, it's a medium for incredibly brief thoughts, updates on events in peoples' lives, and the occasional promotional message. Twitter works well as a microblogging tool for instant response to events and feedback. During the Oscars, several friends and I sent Twitter messages (I don't like calling them "tweets" or "twits") to each other about the ceremony, the winners, and the presenters. It was like being part of a group live-blog but without the organization necessary to get everyone on the same site at the same time. One advantage of Twitter is that since the messages are limited to 140 characters, they can be sent and received as text messages on cell phones. I think I'd use it all the time if I had a phone with an unlimited text plan. As it is, I have two Twitter clients on my Mac, as well as the web site for all the other devices in my arsenal.
Of course, I still use Facebook, and sometimes I post the same message there as I do on Twitter. I also persist in maintaining this traditional blog, which feels more antiquated each day. I will resist the temptation to switch to Tumblr or some other format just because the crowd is moving that way. If you want to keep track of me by yet another technological means, you can find me at http://twitter.com/catelinp.
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