Do you use Twitter? If so, what do you think of it?

[derby378]

Is Twitter really that useful as a tool for grassroots political activism? Or do you find it an annoyance?

I know the 2010 midterms are just around the corner, and I know there's a lot of buzz over Twitter, but I just want to know if it's all hype or if you've actually been able to put it to good use.

[NightWatcher]

1. I wondered that too. I could see reading it, but I'd never post anything on it

...I'm eating a sandwich (12:35)
....it was good (12:40)
...I'm gonna take a nap (1:12)

I've seen some stupid people who post this kind of crap. Who cares about the minutia of your day?

[derby378]

7. Yeah, THAT seems like so much overkill

I was thinking more in terms of a rapid-response network.

[Warpy]

9. I've checked it out

during storms and other events where one line posts can be enlightening, but I'm afraid the everyday stuff would be crap.

The format doesn't lend itself to posting complete thoughts and discussions, only one line at a time.

I suppose there's a possibility for a work of art in there somewhere, a slow motion vers libre, but I'll skip it most of the time.

[NYCGirl]

2. I love Twitter. Use it mostly to keep up with web design trends, etc., so

many of the folks I "follow" are designers.

[PM Martin]

3. It has little value to me.

It is a variation of talking to someone.
If I am working, why do I want someone bothering me?

[Bunny]

4. I had a Twitter account for about a week. I followed political people and I posted

political stuff. I got bored with it pretty quickly, deleted my account yesterday actually. I think it's a lot of hype.

[bikebloke]

5. Pretty much a news feed for me.

There's not much I post, though I've posted just to post something. I've tried pimping the videos on my vlog. No takers.

[eShirl]

6. meh. I'd rather IRC.

[TheMightyFavog]

11. People still use IRC?

I haven't been on IRC in years.

[eShirl]

13. neither have I

but yes, it still exists

[Posteritatis]

20. I still use it a lot (nt)

[Xithras]

8. Twitter is just a blogging platform...for really brief people.

I use it and think it's a useful tool, but I'm a pessimist about whether it will last.

[sellitman]

10. I use it.

It's useful for keeping up with friends and news feeds.

[wicket]

12. Karl Rove is following me on twitter

It creeps me out. I think twitter is kinda stupid personally :)

[NYCGirl]

14. You can block him, you know. NT

[emulatorloo]

15. Lots of Republicans on it. They like the character limit: Good for Bumper Sticker Slogans

and Snark. Which is what they specialize in.

[Lex]

17. Lots of Democrats on it too. Rachel Maddow, Al Gore, the White House

has an official account, etc.

[NYCGirl]

27. Just found out Russ Feingold, Barbara Boxer and Dennis Kuchinich are, too.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10232667-2.html

[devilgrrl]

16. I don't get the appeal...

:crazy:

[Joe the Liberal]

18. I tried but I never caught on. n/t

[proud2BlibKansan]

19. I signed up because we were hiring a new supt and a board member was sending tweets

from the interviews.

It was neat.

Then we had a tornado here a couple weeks ago and the tweets sent out by a local reporter were more informative than the TV weather folks.

So far, I like it.

[question everything]

26. How would you like to be interviewed for a job

but instead of the interviewer(s) giving you their full attention, each one would be busy twitting?

[GentryDixon]

21. They are often on system overload.

I tried it to follow Jack Cafferty, Rick Sanchez & David Shuster. Too many people gabbing about nonsense, so it goes off-line.

No, unless they upgrade their capability, it will not serve the purpose you are envisioning.

[star anise]

22. Could someone who uses it explain to me why it's different/better

than simply updating your Facebook pages however many times per day with your little inane (or profound) comments? Or mass emailing comments to people? What makes it stand out?

[question everything]

23. No. First, you have to have followers

and it is an exercise in self promotion. You have followers and you twit;

-I am hungry

- boy, what a dump

- time to go to bed

etc.

When my mock attempt is close to the real thing, you know that this is bad.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=108x134762

[Lex]

24. Not even close.

nt

[Posteritatis]

25. People were programmed to hate it during Obama's address a few months back

The news mentioned Republicans using Twitter during and concerning it, so people fired up the guilt-by-association engine, decided it's intrinsically evil, and just happily ignore all the counterexamples to their claim.

[-..__...]

28. Personally...

I see it as the type of tripe that appeals to teenage girls, gossip junkies and readers of People magazine

[Lex]

30. That's because you haven't used it.

nt

[BlooInBloo]

29. As with any communications medium, it's excelllent for some purposes...

And not so excellent for others.

Uses I've found it to be great for: liveblogging (followed Olliver Willis' commentary on the newspaper hearings today - good stuff) and public health or other government announcements (pig flu, whitehouse, for example.

But it's the use of the medium by which the medium should be judged.

Those who thing it's dumb as a *blanket* matter are mostly either just unimaginative in the extreme, or throwbacks to some bygone era.