I have to admit that, at first, I had the same feelings as you do about Twitter. But then, I realized that "following" several news and PR updates was a quick and easy way to get real-time information. NYTimes , Women's Wear Daily , and Guy Kawasaki , are just a few that I really enjoy news wise.
And, of course, there are the ones that are just plain entertaining...Ashton Kutcher anyone?

I guess so, but I'm still of the old-fashioned mind that there's a time for being "plugged in" and a time for being "off grid," and I like to decide for myself which is which. It seems like with Twitter, you're just surrounded by Tweeting without reprieve -- like how you can't ride the subway anymore without hearing five different drum beats from five different iPods within 10 feet of you.

That's when I start daydreaming about living in a cabin in Saskatchewan.

Yeah, I think you're underestimating the utility of Twitter. There are all sorts of applications for it, from reader notifications to community interaction to meet-up coordination to simply letting off steam. I sort of look at it as a replacement for the over-the-cubicle/water cooler chatter that I miss out on by not being in a traditional office. Sure, there's plenty of pointless banalities, but there's also a lot of meaningful communication going on.

It sounds like I'd need to experience it to believe it. Much like a cell phone or high-speed Internet -- both things I swore many times I didn't need and would never have.

But I also don't have a TV, and until my girlfriend moved in, lived happily without a microwave... Now I use it, but I'm a little embarrassed every time I do.

Maybe this is why I'm averse to Twitter -- I'm afraid that if I try it, I'll like it, and then it'll be like my cell phone, my DSL, and now, my microwave -- I won't be able to live without it.

that is all together very possible, but hey, look what you could gain in the process: being more up-to-date on news than your friends, building a community with people you would otherwise never have met, and maybe even learning about some great events to attend (you could also easily and quickly let your friends know when you have a new blog post triggering them to check it out right then and there since they would have internet access when they receive the tweet), sold yet?

it's a way to exchange information, links, and keep up with the news, hot trends, and public opinion. it's a way to solicit advice or stay in touch with communities/social circles/contemporaries/peers. it's a way to brand yourself or stay in touch with your consumers/fans. if used properly, it's an amazing tool with endless possibilities.

AND ... it makes you/me really smart in how i use language. with only 140 characters, i start to really think about how i want to word something or have to go back and edit to get my point across more succinctly. .... i love my twitter! :)

I enjoy the ambient awareness twitter gives me of the dozen friends and family members I have on my list. In addition to them, I have weather updates and one news feed. I know if a close friend in another city is having a bad week, so I'm prompted to reach out to her without her having to ask. I know if my sister could use a break after work and I'll volunteer to babysit, without her having to ask. My mom knows I've gotten home after a late night without my having to call at 2 in the morning.


Twitter works for some people. I've no idea why that seems to upsets so the people it doesn't work for.

It's whatever you want to get out of it. I find that I check it a couple times a day and just read the tweets of the moment. I've actually had nerdy-tech problems solved by just posting a question that my co-workers and friends would not be able to help me with.

It's good to try to limit the pointless banter and don't follow people who spew it out (with the exception of funny folks like @hotdogsladies @joeschmitt or @phyllisstein).

Or maybe pointless banter is all you want! You can get it!

I'm still on the fence about Twitter. I've read good arguments from both sides, but I haven't gone over to the dark side yet. However, I opened an account last June. You know, just in case.