Facebook or Twitter? Facebook and Twitter? Neither? YouTube?

That crack-like use is the part that scares me.

 

But that's on the person who follows to a degree.

If there's a beat writer overdoing it -- such as Tweeting about a mundane teleconference word-for-word -- I drop 'em.

But just like reading a story, if you like their voice, if you like their personality, multiple Tweets aren't that big of a deal.

Twitter also has the quirkiness. Stuff like the Iron Sheik's feed. Me? I thought it was a funny for a day or so, less funny the next day, and by the third day it was the same old shit and I dropped it.

But the amount of annoyance on your feed is always in your control. You can follow one or one million.

And I think Twitter helps my game story writing on deadline too, but that's another conversation.

 

I would hit that Twitter pipe too hard and too often. It's addictive.

Just talking about me. Others' mileage varies.

 

Do people feel Twitter is making us smarter or dumber? Be honest.

 

Smumter?

 

When I talk to people about Twitter, I always bring up Christine Brennan's Twitter potshots at Erin Andrews following the stalker incident. Brennan's later excuse was that Twitter is a limiting medium, etc.

That's incorrect.

Twitter forces us to get our point across in smaller bites. It requires a cleverness of expression that is not easy to adjust to, but if mastered, can bring great opportunities for conversation and expression.

Do I prefer Twitter now as opposed to longer material? Absolutely. I have to read way too much business-related writing for work, and so I like my news and my snark in little bites.

Twitter is not making anyone dumber or smarter. Individuals' use of Twitter is what makes that individual dumber or smarter, more informed or less informed. The medium is what each individual makes of it. Blaming Twitter (or other social media, or the Internet, etc.) is a crutch that people fall back on when they don;t want to take responsibility for their own choices.

 

Well said. Don't paint yourself into a corner because of idiots, Lugs. You're smarter than they are.

Also, even those idiots are better informed now because of Twitter.

 

Twitter beat AP on John Wooden's death by several days.

And AP still hasn't written a word on Don Shula's death.

 

They broke Cousy's death, too. [/Chris_L]

Seriously, Vers and Norrin, I keep going back to that NY Times series 'Your Brain on Computers,' and I guess I worry Twitter will make my brain less analytical...... But you two are not overly condensed in your writing here. So that's encouraging.

 

And, conversely, I'm not on Twitter.

 

#GoodCall

#TwitterIsFun

 

OK so I know there are other threads that have advice (I just read most of them) but I'm wondering, circa Jan. 2013, what's the latest way to collect Twitter followers? Any new techniques to be had.

I'm, um, asking for a friend. (Actually, asking because I'm involved in a new project and some of the people in it have 50K followers and some have 50, so I want to get the 50 to the 50K level!).