Computerlove™

August 17th, 2008

Put the 'Twit' in Twitter.

I don't know what the big deal is with Twitter. I understand that there is a 140 word limit to your posts, and that users are able to follow other users posts. I also understand that it is meant for people to post small updates on the things they are doing throughout the day. Now, I'm sorry, but the last thing that I need is the obligation to let everyone know when I'm working on a project, when I'm watching Dexter, and when I'm doing anything else throughout my 'relatively-boring-for-anyone-other-than-myself' day.

Usually I consider myself an early adopter with these kinds of things, but this one seems a little over the top for me. I was even a little sketched out about the whole facebook thing until I realized that it was a really great tool to keep you in touch with everyone. Which was followed immediately by graduation from university, and a massive decrease in the amount of interest/time available for reading about peoples current 'moods'. I just don't know how much personal information I want to publish anymore. My blog posts have become increasingly infrequent, and it's not because of my busy schedule, it's because I don't think people need or really want to know what I think. Usually I don't care what many peole think unless it interests me professionally.

There is just so much information floating around today, it's really overwhelming, how much of it is really necessary? As I mentioned in my previous post, I spend a lot of time online researching designers, applications, and social network developments. I read several designers web journals, and frequent many creative tutorial and portfolio sites. These things interest me, and they keep me up to date with what my favourite creative people are doing. Del.icio.us can keep me busy for hours, following links, and learning about whatever is out there. But it gets to a point where it's just too much.

Recently Go Media announced that they are going to start answering design questions (save of course the ever prominent "what's the easiest way to make something look really good, with minimal effort and or talent?") on Twitter. Aside from this, I really am having a hard time figuring out what Twitter does for people that makes it so popular. Unless it can put me in touch with creative professionals worldwide, I don't know if it's worth my time. And even if I'm in touch with these people, I would like to have a two sided, intellectual conversation with them, not just let them know that I'm heating up a bagel.