Comments on: Would you follow you on Twitter?

By: Ann Marie van den Hurk, APR

Ann Marie van den Hurk, APR — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 02:53:00 +0000

Joe, you are spot on! I loved the hole in the wall pub feel of Twitter and it has become more like a mall food court. I miss that closeness and I too miss the tweet-up. They are non-existant where I currently live and the closest is an hour plus.

Perhaps Twitter will shift back once the shine has worn off. And we can return to the pub. I’ve made an effort return to conversation. And it is working for me. I’m actually enjoying Twitter again.

By: Ann Marie van den Hurk, APR

Ann Marie van den Hurk, APR — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 02:46:00 +0000

I agree with you… I’d follow me on some day while others yawn if you know what I mean.

By: Joe Cascio

Joe Cascio — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 11:52:00 +0000

I think I would still follow me on Twitter, but I’ve been having similar conversations to yours with friends, too. Twitter has changed. It’s become quite predictable most days and I don’t spend the time there I used to.

I’ve been on Twitter for over 5 years, longer than most people. For a long time, it was like that special hole-in-the-wall pub or restaurant where you met close friends and could talk freely and socialize without care. Now it’s more like the mall, where you’re constantly assaulted with marketing and the coolness factor is nearly nil. It’s become mainstream, which has its pluses and minuses. Mostly minuses for me. Unlike years past, I now have to worry about what I say.

Also, I find I’m not seeing Twitter people in the flesh nearly as much. We used to have lots of tweetups and other kinds of social and networking gatherings. Then people started not showing up as much. And now, it’s petered out almost altogether where I live (CT).

I think it’s basically that the novelty has worn off. We need the Next Big Thing to come along and bring all the Cool Kids, the Early Adopters, back together.

By: Diane Court

Diane Court — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 17:12:00 +0000

Love that and how Phil wrote about this, Ann Marie. Yours is a great question. Would I follow me? Only on certain days, if that were possible. I’m not certain if missing conversation – and I do – is pure nostalgia (what was it really like earlier on) or if the conversations have simply evolved or moved, spread out – taking place in other venues – Facebook walls and groups, and (shocker) Google+. 140 characters is wonderful brief exchanges, a catch-up, “Hello,” which may lead to a longer 1-to-1 folow-up conversation — elsewhere, by phone/skype for example. For group discussion, Twitter chats remain a favorite haunt of mine. Initially they were both a way of discovering people with common interests and exploring topics and issues in those areas together. When focused around an article or blog post shared in advance, their success in facilitating diverse perspectives in conversation is unique. Several I’ve helped start and participated in have been the source of off line friendships, trusted professional relationships and resources. As Phil remarked here earlier, Twitter is what we make of it. It evolves as do the ways we engage with each other on its platform.

By: Ann Marie van den Hurk, APR

Ann Marie van den Hurk, APR — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 15:16:00 +0000

Thanks, Phil! So true, everyone does need to figure where they belong at the social media table and who they wish to “dine” with so to speak.