Twitter?

[PrettySquareGal]

I met some girls tonight who were on a Tweet Up


*yucky*

And they "tweet" about it, too. I only know because I saw it from the people I am following. It does give you that creepy feeling!

 

[dandelion-vint]

I like Twitter. I see the posts as mini chats or mini blogs. Ever see a photo or story online that you thought was interesting, but didn't have time or motivation to devote a whole blog post to it? You can just post the link quickly on Twitter to share it.
I use it for useless chatter, just to get thoughts out of my head and I use it to promote my business. I also find myself clicking on other people's promotional links whether they are selling something or promoting their blogs. I'm actually more likely to click on those links in Twitter then I am to seek out their sites or blog individually. I've discovered alot of great sellers and blogs through Twitter.
I think the time for Twitter is now though, because eventually people will tire of seeing links for sale items and blogs, just like people got tired of it on myspace.

I am here - http://twitter.com/dandelionvintag

 

[SamMarlowPI]

Are you kidding? I don't even own or use a cellular telephone! I am one of those 20th Century guys that doesn't want to talk or text while driving, shopping, bathing, or..........! If you can't leave a message on my home telephone and wait for a reply or, better yet, send an email and wait for a reply, you're moving way too fast for me anyway.-dixon cannon

i'm trying to get there...

the other day i left my cell at home and went to class and i had to call my father...

guess what...i just asked my professor if i could use her office phone...

when i get an office and home phone my cell is gone...

 

[Tomasso]

But what I dislike most about all this tweeting and texting is that there are now.......

...........a whole lot of Zombies roaming around.

 

[SamMarlowPI]

.........a whole lot of Zombies roaming around.

break out the apocalypse gear!!

aw shucks...you mean brain-dead...

 

[PrettySquareGal]

This ia a great use of Twitter!

http://twitter.com/CDCemergency

 

[JJWord]

Looks like great info on that twitter, but I don't know if I'd follow up. Hourly updates on swine flu outbreaks would probably end up depressing me.

I'm just now reading about the fake amber alerts sent via twitter. Outrageous what some people out there think is funny.

 

[Edward]

If you want to know what I'm doing call me so I can hear your voice at the very least.

I read in this morning's paper an article commenting on the online networking phenomenon. In particular, the article referenced that a number of pschologists and associated professionals now beleive that many people are becoming caught up in these to the exclusion of a "real" social life, with negative effects upon their pschological well-being. Interesting line of research. Obviously this sort of thing doesn't negate the total of the value of online networking. I have, however, seen an unfortunate trend among several groups of my own friends and acquaintances, wherein several of these have almost entirely replaced an form of direct contact with the others with blogs detailing the minutiae of their days, and the odd "lol" type comment on their friends' pages. Thing is, if you asked them it would be readily apparent that they genuinely believe that they are in constant touch with their friends, and yet they haven't actually spoken to some of them in several years. I'm not entirely opposed to online networknig in general (though I remain far from convinced of the value of Twitter), but it's no substitute for the real world.

 

[H.Johnson]

My research area includes the use of social software. Studies into the use of SS among young people tentatively confirms what Edward cites above.

Most worrying to me is that an experiment I conducted among students recently indicated that they believed erroneous information that was sent to them on Twitter more than they believed the correct information cited in a text book. They also indicated that, rather than try to find out something by direct experience (e.g. taking something apart to see how it worked) they would go 'online' and take a complete stranger's word. We set up some ridiculous (literally incredible) experiments to test their credulity, and the results (yet to be published) appear to show that if a 'friend' (who they may never have met and in this case does not even exist!) tells them something they accept it at greater value than a real authority or tutor. A side to the research showed that the amount of time the subjects actually spent in company or in public was reducing.

This is worrying equally to traditional educators like me and to the 'get a life' brigade.

 

[Feraud]

My research area includes the use of social software. Studies into the use of SS among young people tentatively confirms what Edward cites above.

Most worrying to me is that an experiment I conducted among students recently indicated that they believed erroneous information that was sent to them on Twitter more than they believed the correct information cited in a text book. They also indicated that, rather than try to find out something by direct experience (e.g. taking something apart to see how it worked) they would go 'online' and take a complete stranger's word. We set up some ridiculous (literally incredible) experiments to test their credulity, and the results (yet to be published) appear to show that if a 'friend' (who they may never have met and in this case does not even exist!) tells them something they accept it at greater value than a real authority or tutor. A side to the research showed that the amount of time the subjects actually spent in company or in public was reducing.

This is worrying equally to traditional educators like me and to the 'get a life' brigade.

Very interesting. The experiement you conducted reminds me of some of the hesitations people have with online blog sources versus traditional news sources. Blog readers appear to value the speed, lack of bias, and "on the scene" reporting they see as lacking in print news.

 

[Warden]

I am on it as homefrontfriend but thinking of coming off it.

I prefer Myspace and facebook

Harry

 

[H.Johnson]

With respect, it's only useful if there is a real emergency, and such messages usually tend to lack authoritative medical opinion and are rarely supported by any respectable analysis of the facts.

For instance -
Do they say that the present strain of 'swine flu' is a slightly different version of the common and long-established H1N1 virus? Not usually. 'Feeds' and news items usually make out that it is something completely new and therefore especially deadly*. Medical opinion has not yet established this reliably. Remember SARS and 'bird flu'?

How does this outbreak compare to previous outbreaks of infection caused by H1N1? They don't usually say, but the most deadly pandemic of H1N1 within recorded history, that of 1918-1920 (it killed my grandfather) had claimed more than two million victims in the time that the present outbreak claimed 200 lives. The final total has been estimated at 50 million. That's an emergency!

What are the health characteristics of those who succumbed to the disease? Are they old, infirm, living in unhealthy conditions or with weakend immune systems? Many of the Mexican victims fit into these categories, many of the survivors in other countries do not. There is evidence so far that fit people with appropriate medical attention have a high survival rate and the virus's effects appear to be attenuating with human to human contact.

And finally - do the deaths represent an increase on the 'normal' number dying from some form of influenza over the same period of previous years? People die of some form of influenza all the time. One strain 'substituting' for another doesn't make it an emergency.

Little of this type of analysis is ever given in brief messages about such outbreaks, yet we are potentially bombarded with newsfeeds, RSS feeds and 'tweets'. Most of which we do not have the time (or wisdom) to question. As an old, wise acquaintance of mine said recently, 'With all this texting, emailing and mobile phoning (I could add tweeting) when does anyone find the time to think about things? I entirely agree. I think Professor Charles Handy's 'Age of Unreason' has come about.

I offer an example - there has been an outbreak of H1N1 in Mexico, and an eathquake. In the UK there have been two cases of H1N1 (both doing well) and a (very small) earth tremor reported. In a national radio 'phone-in programme this morning the presenter asked an expert in seismology whether this was a coincidence! I respectfully suggest that if she thought in advance about how preposterous her link between influenza and earthquakes was, she wouldn't have needed to ask the stupid question!

* It appears to combine some of the characteristics of strains of the virus common in the USA with those common in Europe and Asia - a consequence of 'globalisation'?

This ia a great use of Twitter!

http://twitter.com/CDCemergency

 

[PrettySquareGal]

With respect, it's only useful if there is a real emergency, and such messages usually tend to lack authoritative medical opinion and are rarely supported by any respectable analysis of the facts.

For instance -
Do they say that the present strain of 'swine flu' is a slightly different version of the common and long-established H1N1 virus? Not usually. 'Feeds' and news items usually make out that it is something completely new and therefore especially deadly*. Medical opinion has not yet established this reliably. Remember SARS and 'bird flu'?

How does this outbreak compare to previous outbreaks of infection caused by H1N1? They don't usually say, but the most deadly pandemic of H1N1 within recorded history, that of 1918-1920 (it killed my grandfather) had claimed more than two million victims in the time that the present outbreak claimed 200 lives. The final total has been estimated at 50 million. That's an emergency!

What are the health characteristics of those who succumbed to the disease? Are they old, infirm, living in unhealthy conditions or with weakend immune systems? Many of the Mexican victims fit into these categories, many of the survivors in other countries do not. There is evidence so far that fit people with appropriate medical attention have a high survival rate and the virus's effects appear to be attenuating with human to human contact.

And finally - do the deaths represent an increase on the 'normal' number dying from some form of influenza over the same period of previous years? People die of some form of influenza all the time. One strain 'substituting' for another doesn't make it an emergency.

Little of this type of analysis is ever given in brief messages about such outbreaks, yet we are potentially bombarded with newsfeeds, RSS feeds and 'tweets'. Most of which we do not have the time (or wisdom) to question. As an old, wise acquaintance of mine said recently, 'With all this texting, emailing and mobile phoning (I could add tweeting) when does anyone find the time to think about things? I entirely agree. I think Professor Charles Handy's 'Age of Unreason' has come about.

I offer an example - there has been an outbreak of H1N1 in Mexico, and an eathquake. In the UK there have been two cases of H1N1 (both doing well) and a (very small) earth tremor reported. In a national radio 'phone-in programme this morning the presenter asked an expert in seismology whether this was a coincidence! I respectfully suggest that if she thought in advance about how preposterous her link between influenza and earthquakes was, she wouldn't have needed to ask the stupid question!

* It appears to combine some of the characteristics of strains of the virus common in the USA with those common in Europe and Asia - a consequence of 'globalisation'?

They provide links on twitter directing readers to detailed updates on the flu as they are available.

 

[katiemakeup]

I'll go on to a Twitter page or two to read up on information/news or the goings on of someone I am intrigued with, but I see no point (for me) to join.

My reluctance comes more from a place of welcoming less immediate forms of communication. I use MySpace more casualy, Facebook for personal friendships... I just need to draw a line somewhere!

But I do laugh at what BK was refering too-- It's one thing to chat with your friends or arrange events with a broad audience, but there are some people who live in a guilded mind that generously bestow the minutiae of their unfolding lives as a favor to thier public.

 

[Miss Caroline]

I am on Twitter, and facebook, and myspace.
I seem to be a victim of the social networking phenomenna.
I have to say, I don't update contantly... but I do get to follow Stephen Fry, which is quite a delight.


if anyone does want to follow me, they can find me here: carrievengeance

 

[ortega76]

I'm on Facebook and Twitter as ortega76 (Sal Ortega) and I update fairly often. I have a MySpace but rarely update MySpace.

 

[Brinybay]

But what I dislike most about all this tweeting and texting is that there are now.......

...........a whole lot of Zombies roaming around.

Twitter, MySpace, Facebook, texting, blogs, AIM, Yahoo Messenger - not interested in any of them! Like watching paint dry. I have no desire to display the details of my personal life for the entire WWW to view.

The pictures above remind me of this: Texting bus drivers

 

[PrettySquareGal]

I gave it the college try but I'm not feeling it so I'm deleting my account.

 

[Foofoogal]

http://twitter.com/foofoovintage

finally gave in like I don't have enough to do with 2 stores. :eusa_doh:
and blog and groups and forums and taking photos. Yowsa.

the Tias.com mall I have been on since 2002 sort of encouraged us. [huh]

 

[Inky]

I gave it the college try but I'm not feeling it so I'm deleting my account.

I felt the same and deleted my account last week. I just really don't need to read the random thoughts of other people (or share mine). I am on Facebook to keep in contact with faraway friends, and do have an old MySpace for a few folks not yet on Facebook.

All this immersion in various communication gizmos really kills the art of communicating, in my humble opinion, and reminds me of Gulliver's Travels where he visits the floating island and all the inhabitants are so mesmerized by their own thoughts that they need special assistants:

"The people of Laputa are entirely absorbed by mathematics, astronomy, and music, but have no practical talents. They are so distracted by theoretical thinking that they need attendants, called 'flappers', to rap them on their mouths or ears to signal when it is their turn to speak or listen."

People are not far from needing their own "flappers" to whack them upside the head when they come into direct contact with another human!