Twalling for Twats

[MajGenl.Meade]

OK time to 'fess up.

Who here has used Twitter and why?

Who here "follows" someone (or more than one) on Twitter and why?

Freely admit that I'm biased - twitter is for twats. I don't even understand how one gets on to twitter (and please don't enlighten me).

[BoSoxGal]

I don't use Twitter, but I recognize that lots of people who do aren't twats.

Maybe a twat is somebody who gets old and curmudgeonly and spends all his time online criticizing 'kids these days', etc.

[MajGenl.Meade]

You kids! You never had it so good! Harrumph!

But thanks for the partial answer. You don't Tweet. Why not? (Old? Curmudgeonly?)

[Lord Jim]

It's not fair to criticize Major General Meade for being old fashioned...

He's not old fashioned; in fact he's the very model of a modern Major General. Here he is proving it (with his back-up group):

[MajGenl.Meade]

So far it's a tie - 1 non-twat and 1 twat

[Joe Guy]

But thanks for the partial answer. You don't Tweet. Why not? (Old? Curmudgeonly?)

You asked, "Who has used Twitter and why?" You didn't ask, "Who doesn't use Twitter and why not?"

I'm not interested in Twitter. It seems like the kind of place one would go for gossip, which is the Devil's radio.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Thanks, Joe! I couldn't remember what I'd asked and what I hadn't asked.

Thanks for answering what I hadn't asked - I wished I'd asked that now. Of course Twitter is a place for gossip and as such to be shunned like the Devil, with or without an appropriate apostrophe. We wouldn't want to gossip, would we? Mind you, I hear that LJ loves to gossip when he's not busy finding links for wesw. Did you hear anything about that?

[Crackpot]

Ive considered twitter but I don't think I need another distraction from the world around me.

[Guinevere]

So you don't use it, you don't understand it, but you condemn it anyway?

I tweet, but not a lot. It has its place and utility for something more interesting and useful than gossip.

[Joe Guy]

We wouldn't want to gossip, would we? Mind you, I hear that LJ loves to gossip when he's not busy finding links for wesw. Did you hear anything about that?

Well, now that you've asked... I heard from a friend who heard it from his brother's friend's sister that LJ's favorite subject when he is not posting on Plan B is... are your ready for this?.... Kim Kardashian!!

OMG! It's so decadent that it has to be true! I'm pretty sure it's true anyway but don't tell anyone where you heard it.

#LordJimKimKardashianFan

[Lord Jim]

You Shecky Greene wannabes shouldn't believe everything you read on Twitter...

I have an account I have used occasionally, mostly for business prospecting and client communication purposes...

It's just another communication medium, and it's hardly just the province of gossiping teenagers and 20 somethings...

Business professionals use it, journalists use it, politicos and celebrities use it, as just another way of reaching a market or audience segment. (Just like if you want to reach the market segment Meade occupies, you buy an ad that runs during a Golden Girls or Matlock episode )

ETA:

That having been said, I do like the line Max had about it on Two Broke Girls:

"Twitter is stupid, and Instagram is Twitter for people who can't read"...

[MajGenl.Meade]

So you don't use it, you don't understand it, but you condemn it anyway?

I tweet, but not a lot. It has its place and utility for something more interesting and useful than gossip.

It's not that I don't understand "it" - what I don't know is how one gets "it", but then I don't need to. I'd love to know how it is more useful than texting, for example.

Also no one is confessing to "following" anyone. Does that mean no one is?

And when it comes to e.g. Leonard Cohen... suppose "he" tweets; how do I know it's him and not a paid functionary and why do I care what either one of them thinks?

I see people tweet stupid messages to televised sports events: "gorogertennis. think roger wins if other guy loses". What are these insights that must be sent to the world?

[Lord Jim]

Also no one is confessing to "following" anyone.

I "follow" my sister's twitter account and several people I do business with.

None of them are sending out huge numbers of tweets.

[Gob]

I've used twitter but find it very limited.

[BoSoxGal]

I created an account several years ago when invited by a friend; never used it once. Just logged in today and getting it activated on my smaht phone. Guess I'll see what it's all about!

[Lord Jim]

on my smaht phone.

Looks like you still have a New England accent...

[MajGenl.Meade]

Damn, did I encourage another one to become a twat?

and Good spot LJ -funneee

[Joe Guy]

Damn, did I encourage another one to become a twat?

I believe that makes you a twatter.

[Guinevere]

I follow about 300 - friends or interesting people, news outlets, political stuff - you can get short punchy bits of information and decide if you want to get more information or keep on scrolling by. I currently have 130+ followers.

If you're following a famous person (I follow my Swiss boyfriend) they typically have a "verified" account denoted by a blue check mark.

And the difference is, for example, I use Facebook for connecting with people I know. It's far more personal so only people I allow to see me can read my feed. Twitter, at least my account (and most of them) is public and anyone can read it.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Thank you, Guin. That was informative. Shame about the Joker today... I was hoping for a much different outcome.