Twittering is...

[Liberal_in_LA]

Poll question: Twittering is...

What do you think about twittering?

[vaberella]

1. I voted "stupid." n/t

[Maru Kitteh]

2. I do not

[Warren DeMontague]

3. The poll assumes one "thinks" about twittering.

I don't. It's not a mode of communication I favor, but then, I don't really care if other people do.

No one has made me twitter or twittered me or twitted my personal space with unwelcome twittage, so, why would I care? :shrug:

[smalll]

10. With that kind of attitude about things you have there, let me ask --

why do you (like the rest of us) hang around DISCUSSION BOARDS like DU? The poll doesn't imply some kind of attempt to use the heavy hand of the State to take away people's inalienable right to be annoying through twatting. It's just a discussion. You know, on, like um, a discussion board? :eyes:

[Warren DeMontague]

38. I answered the question.

"I don't do it, but I don't give a shit if other people do" wasn't one of the poll options.

[Zavulon]

36. As you were finishing your post, did you by any chance

ask yourself why people should care about your noncommittal opinion?

I'll never understand why people actually take the time to open opinion polls to let the world know they really don't have an opinion either way. :eyes:

For my part, Twittering is pure narcissism - so I went with "stupid."

[Warren DeMontague]

41. So, I either need to LOVE "twittering", or abhor it?

I don't get it-- "I don't do it, but I don't give a shit if you do" IS an opinion.

And it's an important opinion, too, because to me, one of the biggest problems the world faces isn't twittering or "narcissism", it's people who spend altogether too much time (IMHO) worrying & finger-wagging about relatively harmless activities their neighbors are engaged in, be they recreational drug use, consenting adult gay sex, or even twittage.


And yes, we get three or four threads a day, and newspaper articles, too, now, about how twits and facebook are making "Gen Y" -of which I'm not a part- excessively "narcissistic". Just like my own Gen X was supposed to be "lazy". :eyes:

People have complained about "dangerous" new technologies "destroying the social fabric" as long as they've complained about "these kids today".

I call bullshit.

[The Hope Mobile]

61. Agreed! nt

[question everything]

37. You should care because if a Democratic Senator chooses to twit

while the President address the nation, we should not complain if the networks will choose not to broadcast these events live.

[Warren DeMontague]

39. Wait... what? Is this a real problem, or something you just made up?

So... let me get this straight.. a Democratic Senator "twitted" during Obama's speech, and the networks did what?

Huh?

Sorry, I don't get it.

[question everything]

56. There was a different thread that said that after Fox did not carry

Obama's recent press conference, that they may follow thru, 'cause they lost $30 millions when they pre-empted their regular programs.

And since Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) twitted during Obama's State of the Union-type speech, which, in my opinion shows disrespect, I can see why the networks would use this as an excuse.

[Jeep789]

4. Seems a bit silly to me

but I am not into inane chit chat and others seem to be. I see no harm in it.

[Lena inRI]

5. TWITTER-DEE-DEE. . .TWITTER-DEE-DUM

:silly: :silly: :silly: :silly: :silly:

[Raine]

6. Stupid along with dangerous

by telling what you are doing, when and where you are etc.

[sandyj999]

7. A huge waste of time.

And in my opinion so is Facebook.

[smalll]

8. Stupid, AND more trendily annoying than an arugula-garnished Mac carried in a ....

"This Is Not A Plastic Bag" bag by an organic vegan on a recumbent bicycle.

Can you get more latte than "Twitter?" Possibly, but it would certainly be a challenge.

[Fumesucker]

9. Other: Something I give not the slightest damn about either, or any, way.. n/t

[asteroid2003QQ47]

11. Twitter's stupid enough to be a big hit in America!

"As the 21st century began, human evolution was at a turning point. Natural selection, the process by which the strongest, the smartest, the fastest, reproduced in greater numbers than the rest, a process which had once favored the noblest traits of man, now began to favor different traits. Most science fiction of the day predicted a future that was more civilized and more intelligent. But as time went on, things seemed to be heading in the opposite direction. A dumbing down. How did this happen? Evolution does not necessarily reward intelligence. With no natural predators to thin the herd, it began to simply reward those who reproduced the most, and left the intelligent to become an endangered species."
--Narrator, IDIOCRACY

[choie]

12. not only stupid..

but narcissistic. Who the hell cares what the hell you are doing every second of the day?

[Liberal_in_LA]

32. I have a garden so I searched under "garden'. You get "I planted my garden today!" That's it!

No exchange of real information. Search under 'garden' under google or go to garden related forum and there is a wealth of info. Twitter is just plain stupid.

[Zavulon]

33. What Choie said. (NT)

[Lex]

48. But it's *not* about "what you are doing every second of the day."

It's very much like DU, but if Rachel Maddow posted here, for example.

[livvy]

13. It can be used as another venue to collect and spread information...

and I don't mean personal information. I use it as another source for breaking news or it lets me know when someone like MC Miller, Palast, Pitt or Greenwald publishes a new piece. I use it also to check on what has been published on Raw Story, Truthout, or After Downing Street. In turn, I might "retweet" the piece, or when I find something of interest here or elsewhere, I post the link to share it with those that are following me. Some of them may repost it, and thus the news gets around. It depends on who you follow and how many are following you.

I don't use it as a personal venue at all. I don't think anyone really cares what I'm doing at any particular moment, but for those that do use it that way, so what? If it floats their boat, let 'em have fun sailing.

[Chemisse]

14. I am trying it but so far cannot understand the attraction

[Kahuna]

17. The media types seem to prefer it as a means of accepting input from

viewers and readers. So, I guess that it's good for letting them know how you feel about their reporting.

I personally don't belong to any of the social network sites including Twitter, because I don't want to invite the spyware that they will affix to my hard drive.

[On the Road]

19. I Suspect They Like It

largely because of the 150-character limit.

[Kahuna]

27. That makes sense. nt

[realisticphish]

25. No one I know has ever had a problem with the major SN sites

Facebook, MySpace, Twitter. They're all professional corporate sites, and there's really no problem with mal or spyware. If you download applications for them from third parties or something like that, well, on your own head be it

[Liberal_in_LA]

31. I can't either. Glad I'm not alone.

:grouphug:

[Angleae]

15. Isn't that what Bambi was?

Oh, wait, that was twitterpated.

[Stevenmarc]

16. Twitter=Brain Lint

[sendero]

18. I have only a passing familiarity with Twitter..

... but, as it turns out, I have no desire to learn more.

I don't think it is "stupid" or anything else, I just don't think it is remotely necessary.

[rucky]

20. Great, because it gives narcissists an outlet that I can choose to ignore. nt

[Lex]

46. Like Rachel Maddow and Al Gore?

Folks like that?

[Solly Mack]

21. Never did it

Not sure what I'd think about it if I had a use for it. Which I don't.

[Heidi]

22. Neither my sense of self-importance nor the size of my fan base necessitate "tweeting."

Truth be told, my cat is the only one who'd "follow" me if I joined Twitter, but he does that already, so I don't see what would be gained.

[Dem2theMax]

47. I LOVE your reply.

:)

[Lex]

49. It's more about who you choose to read (follow) than others reading you.

I follow Rachel Maddow, Michael Moore, Al Gore, Democracy_Now, Ana Marie Cox, and others along that line. It can be interesting from time to time.

[realisticphish]

23. I think it's cool

If you follow the right people, it's like a little parade of bon mots. I don't get how people think it's "stupid" just because it's a different form of communication. I update mine once every couple days, tops, whenever I have something to say. For the most part, no, it's not "I took a crap this morning." It's people commenting on their lives, observations about the world.

Kind of like, I don't know, DEMOCRATIC UNDERGROUND. I love the fact that people who post on a message board are hating on something that is very similar

[Lex]

44. The people who hate it have such misconceptions about it that it's funny.

But, I'm not surprised.

[realisticphish]

50. i guess i just don't get the HATRED

why does anyone care how other people communicate?

[Warren DeMontague]

58. Christ on a pogo stick, you get the HATRED if you even say you don't care

that other people do it!

For some folks, I guess, wagging that ol' finger is the best exercise.

[Dorian Gray]

24. I would have voted

"a waste of time. Not interested."

[Kingofalldems]

26. Is what we do here Twittering?

[Gidney N Cloyd]

28. Here people can express a thought with as many characters as it requires.

Sometimes they're brief like this one. Other times they go into quite a bit of detail.

[NYCGirl]

29. Yes. Less succinct and often more self-indulgent, though. NT

[Liberal_in_LA]

30. No, not at all. Out of curiousity I signed up for twittering last night. With 5 minutes I realized

HOW STUPID it is. Twittering is short little non stop communications from people about the boring activities of their lives "I'm in Trader Joes, melons on sale!". The communications are limited to a certain number of characters (maybe about a sentence worth).

No wonder twitter usage falls off the cliff after sign up.

[Warren DeMontague]

42. Wait- Trader Joes has melons on sale?

Fuck. Gotta go.

[Lex]

45. You should follow smarter people then.

Who the hell would follow someone saying they are at Trader Joes?

[Liberal_in_LA]

51. Search under 'trader joes'. Lots of people reporting their shopping sprees.

That was my intro to twittering. lol. Even in the DU lounge, folks don't post that kinda of crap

[Lex]

53. Yes, but you don't follow those people. Do you follow every messageboard

or just the ones you are interested in reading? It's like that. You control what you are exposed to, just like choosing messageboards to read.

[question everything]

34. At best, an act of self promotion

you cannot twit unless you have followers.

At worst - a show o disrespect. If the President comes to Congress to address the nation, the least senators from his own party can listen.

But, then, since twitting is a desperate act of self promotion, why would they bother to listen to someone else?

And if Senators from his own party ignore him, why should we compalin if networks will not carry these events live?

[Gabi Hayes]

35. 21st Century narcissism 2.0

what's next?

[bridgit]

40. the next kitschy little zip-gun to dilute: the 4th estate

[HughMoran]

43. No choice but "Other" for those of us who know what it is, but don't participate

:shrug:

[Liberal_in_LA]

52. Oh, you are right. sorry.

[baldguy]

54. Broadcasting every stray thought is something children do.

[Lex]

59. And that is not what Twitter is about any more

than putting every stray thought on a messageboard is what all messageboards are about.

[alfredo]

55. Akin to masturbating with ground glass.

[MedleyMisty]

57. I voted other

Because I don't give a damn what other people do with their free time and don't have a stick up my ass.

[Mnemosyne]

60. It's shallow. n/t

[Marr]

62. I don't get twittering at all.

I really don't get it. Twittering seems like blabbing inane thoughts into the ether for other idiots to read. Even the word "twitter"... it kind of implies shallow blather. I thought it was dumb a year ago, way before this current crop wannabee-hipster TV schmucks all latched onto it.

[petronius]

63. Of no use or interest to me, but if others like it or find it useful I am unperturbed

What I do like are flamewars, and I clicked this thread because I smell potential!

:)

[fishwax]

64. The hatred for twitter is a bit bizarre

I've never used it, but I can see where it might be useful and/or entertaining in certain ways. Maybe once my semester is over I'll have a chance to play around with it.

[SmileyRose]

65. is there any popcorn left? I got the munchies.

[NYC Liberal]

66. Hilarious if only to watch people blame it for the death of society and intellect everywhere

without realizing that pretty much every technological advancement, invention, etc. was derided in the same way. Radio, television, film, computers...rock and roll. The printing press even.

Is Twitter on par with those major technological achievements? No -- but it's really funny to watch some people here who seemingly don't really understand it.

You realize that it's not one-way right?

And that it isn't just people posting what they happen to be doing every minute of the day, right? People write about all sorts of things just like -- Here! Also, it can be a great way to get a quick message out to lots of people at once. (Hey, how about protests? That might actually be useful, but nah, we should just get *lots* of people to walk around everywhere handing out fliers and posting them, in hopes that they might show up. And of course have no way of knowing how many people plan on showing up, etc. Yup, fuck Twitter, that's much better).

[Norrin Radd]

67. Spot on.

It's a tool like any other. In the right hands it's useful.