What Is So Good About Twitter?

[Parche]

:shrug: :hi:

[Jamastiene]

1. It makes some people feel good to know that people are waiting

breathlessly for their next move. It makes coke heads feel even more self important and adds to their assholish ego trips. Other than propping up egos, there are actually good uses too. Sometimes it's good for news items. :shrug:

[rd_kent]

2. I have yet to figure it out

Not sure whats so great about ANY of the "social networking" sites.

[ghostsofgiants]

4. Yet here you are, on a message board.

[kentauros]

5. Although social networking sites and message boards share similarities

they really aren't the same thing.

message board
social networking

I get far more useful information on a messageboard than I could ever glean from a social networking site. Those are really more about connecting with individuals, whether long-lost or new contacts and not so much as a community.

[ghostsofgiants]

8. See, I don't see it that way.

The message board, to me, is just the grandfather of more modern social networking. Facebook has all kinds of little subcommunities, it just has a broader scope than a site like DU so it is fragmented, obviously. And with a site like Twitter, all kinds of people can get in on conversations much like a message board.

[kentauros]

10. However, Twitter is more like a weird chat room

than a message board. It's far more dynamic, especially since it can be posted to by txt-messaging from a phone. (yes, people can post to a messageboard from a phone, but the amount of content is usually very limited.)

Of course, dynamics doesn't mean quality content. Some of the specialized forums around here have posts that are far better thought out before being posted than your average twitted post. You are right that the messageboard is the precursor to the likes of Twitter and Facebook, but that's about as similar as they get. The others just aren't the same, no matter how you look at it.

Here's how these things "feel" to me: Messageboards are for slower and broader communication. Social networking sites are for fast and ephemeral communication. They're like the conversations you have between co-workers while the messageboard is like the staff meetings where you get the minutes of the meeting and have to take notes for later re-use and referral ;)

[rd_kent]

6. apples and oranges maybe?

I come here to get informed and post my opinions on relevant subjects. Its a bit different from posting my every thought every minute of the day. I dont consider DU a "social networking" site, as I dont have "friends", "followers" or other such monikers here.

[ghostsofgiants]

7. DU has profiles, buddy lists, journals and the like.

Sure it's not as sophisticated in its individual connection aspect, but it is still, in a sense, social networking.

[rd_kent]

9. Ok, I see your point

It does have those features. Do you consider DU to be the same as facebook, twitter, myspace, etc? I do not. Not even the same category.

[datasuspect]

3. cool people already know the answer to that question

i guess yer not in the club yet