MeL's Point: Let's tweet!

By MeL on Sunday, March 29, 2009 - 17:35

“Hi, my name is MeL, and I’m slowly becoming a twitterholic.”

If you don’t understand what this means, don’t worry about me, it’s nothing serious. But you’re obviously not affected yet by the latest Web 2.0 feature: Twitter. Or – like me – you’re still a beginner and not accustomed to the language of the twitterverse yet. Because Twitter seems to have created a whole new language, and there are still times when I’m desperately looking for a dictionary. By now, I’ve learned that the updates are called “tweets”, that some Twitter users call each other “tweeple”, that RT means that you’re repeating someone else’s tweet (RT = re-tweet?), and that if you refer to someone’s profile, you but an “@” in front of his or her username, like, for example, mine: @everythingmel. But I’m still not sure whether the right verb is “to twitter” or “to tweet”.

MeL on Twitter

But what is Twitter? According to Wikipedia, Twitter “is a social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read other users' updates known as tweets”. Sounds boring? Apparently not to the millions of users who already do just that: tell people what they’re doing, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It seems like it’s THE thing at the moment, everybody’s talking about it, everybody’s writing about it, everybody tweets (or twitters?). And it’s not just about ordinary people letting their friends know what they’re doing anymore, and not just some celebrities you might have heard about, like Britney Spears (@britneyspears) and Ashton Kutcher (@aplusk), who feed their fans’ appetite for news about them. Newspapers, TV shows, internet websites, even politicians use Twitter to connect to their readers, customers, voters. Barack Obama (@BarackObama) used Twitter during last year’s election campaign, and you can even follow his opponent John McCain on Twitter, too (@SenJohnMcCain). And the No. 1 on the list of top twitter users as compiled by twitterholic.com is not even a person – it’s CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk).

Of course, Twitter has also found its way into the lesbian community. eurOut is on Twitter (@eurOut), as are its editors (@SandraShowtime, @Natazzz, @maxime68), and AfterEllen.com (@afterellen) just dedicated a whole new feature called “TwitterWatch” to the new phenomenon.

MeL on Twitter

What I like about Twitter as compared to, for example, social networks like Facebook or Xing, is that I can stay much more anonymous and private if I want to. I can choose whatever name I want to in order to create a profile, and I can protect my tweets if I want to. Because even after years of creating and writing for websites and blogs and being a moderator for an internet message board, I’m still careful about publishing details of my private life, especially my name or pictures of me, on the internet, and I’m constantly amazed by how willingly people make those things available for everyone to see, even if they don’t have to. They use their real name and a picture of them on their Twitter profile, and – without hesitation - write about very private stuff like their newest crush and their latest fight with their boyfriend, girlfriend, partner, husband, wife or even their boss. And as you cannot hide who you’re following on Twitter or who’s following you – unlike your tweets – people even reveal their sexual identity. Sure, there are probably a lot of straight people (or tweeple) who follow Rachel Maddow (@maddow) or Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow), but if you add eurOut, AfterEllen, lesbian blogger Dorothy Snarker (@dorothysnarker) or out comedian Liz Feldman (@Lizinhollywood) to the mix, it becomes pretty obvious, doesn't it?

It might not sound like that, but I AM a big fan of social networks, I think that they can be very useful. For example, I use Facebook to stay in touch with my friends in the U.S., where Facebook is so much more popular already than over here in Europe, I’ve met some great people through a queer group on Xing and only last week I even could use Twitter for my day job. It’s just that I think that those networks should come with a label that says “Handle with care!” so that there’s no bad awakening. For example, it’s a known fact that firms and headhunters who are recruiting people check the social networks for profiles of their candidates, and I’m sure that by now, Twitter is on their list as well.

But if we apply some caution, I think that there’s no need to shy away from those websites. After all, they’re are not only useful, but just too much fun to not use them.

So what are you waiting for?

MeL on Twitter

Tags: column

Aaah the things I miss when

Submitted by HAAPPY on March 29, 2009 - 19:01.

Aaah the things I miss when I am sleeping. Another great post, as always.

I don't understand why some people tweet about events that are personal either (breakups, make-ups, make-out) I generally don't pay attention to those. If I want to let someone know that information I'll message them "privately", and I'd expect the same from them. :)

Twitter, my latest obsession

Submitted by Natazzz on March 29, 2009 - 19:27.

MeL, I like how you start off by saying you are not writing about anything "lesbian", because in my opinion, Twitter is SO gay.

With that I mean that I am daily Twittering with dozens of lesbians, following news from lesbian websites, and basically being very gay.

I don't care so much for the privacy issue (everyone can decide that for themselves), but I love how Twitter is so fast and decreases the distance. I can follow anyone I want or unfollow, and it doesn't have to be mutual.

I might be posting an interesting link, and within minutes people are RT the link and commenting on it. People I know and those I don't know.

Come join us on Twitter, but I do warn you, us eurout editors tend to Tweet a lot....and not always about important stuff ;-)

- - - - - - - - - -

-Everyone is entitled to be stupid, but some abuse the privilege.

Who doesn't have a blog these days?

Twitter!

Submitted by aur on March 29, 2009 - 20:08.

I'm not Twitter yet. Actually I didn't really underdstand what it was until now Thanks Mel I'll post this comment and join Twitter :)

http://girlshavefun2.blogspot.com/

yes, let's!

Submitted by thinkpunk on March 29, 2009 - 21:21.

"What I like about Twitter as compared to, for example, social networks like Facebook or Xing, is that I can stay much more anonymous and private if I want to."

Yes, exactly that! I pretty much hate what social networks have done to "privacy" as a principle. I think in Germany with StudiVZ it's exceptionally bad, because the people running it are such idiots. So, my experiences with that put me off Facebook and Xing, although I can totally see that they are important and valuable sites.
With Twitter, people can get an idea of where I come from or what I like to do, but there is no getting linked to pictures, no demand for a real name or user pic and less information gathering in general.
I'm just starting to get into Twitter and so far it's fun. Following interesting people is quite interesting and I like how much links and info I'm getting. Now, I just wish some more of my friends would sign up and post, too.

mmm

Submitted by meg on March 30, 2009 - 00:46.

me twitter, you twitter, everyone a twitter twitter. :)

"Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society." ~Mark Twain

not in denial anymore

Submitted by GenderQ on March 30, 2009 - 04:46.

"hello i'm GenderQ and i'm a twitterholic"

you have to laugh at yourself because you'd cry your eyes out if you didn't.

http://twitter.com/GenderQ

the fascination

Submitted by maxime68 on March 30, 2009 - 05:17.

I agree with Natazz, my Twitterfeed is so gay, to me it feels like another universe ;)
The possibility to reach hundreds thanks to retweets certainly gives me a kick.
Sure there is also a downside to this, even though it's possible to delete a tweet, just make double sure what you write, cause there's always somebody out there, who might already have read it.

What I hate on twitter is this autofollowing option. To all of those who might now be signing up to twitter because of this column, don't get frustrated when people (especially those with thousands of followers) unfollow you shortly afterwards. Either they were just hunting for more followers or they picked up the wrong trigger-words.

A discussion about a certain french wine recently gained me several followers who are in the realtor business ;)

As to xing, I hate this platform with all my heart ;)

Except for that - what's keeping you? Come on, let's tweet *g

http://www.facebook.com/people/Maxime-Bruler/1622450857

TwitterTweet

Submitted by Chantal on March 30, 2009 - 14:51.

Yes, I am on twitter as well. Addicted to it actually. I believe I have every site I read on twitter (the ones that are actually on twitter). I've got a few editors on there anyone else that wants to add me can go right ahead. I enjoy reading the tweets.

http://twitter.com/asdotnet

http://www.alrightstill.net

"Hello, my name is

Submitted by Bioschokolade on March 30, 2009 - 19:11.

"Hello, my name is Bioschokolade (yes, weird name) and I am ... I am... It begins so slow and know, every day when I get up I have to read the new tweeps and in the evening I tell people who I don't knowwhat I am eating and watching on tv ....even when I can watch soccer, I tweet about it ...I am ... yes, I think I ....I am a twitterholic."

And just because it is funny (and kind of true):

http://current.com/items/89891774/supernews_twouble_with_twitters.htm

Happiness isn´t getting what you want, it´s wanting what you´ve got.

Twitter is so gay? Who would have thought.

Submitted by MeL on March 30, 2009 - 23:19.

Here I thought that I wasn't writing about something specifically lesbian, and then it turns out that I am! Must be why I was attracted to join Twitter in the first place ;-)

Great comments, everyone, seems like most of us are already lost. Maybe we should start forming self-help groups for twitterholics, sponsored by eurOut. ;-)

I agree with maxime, it took me a while to understand why some people started to follow me and then quickly unfollowed me again, until I started to look at their profiles. It seems that to some people, it's just about the number of people they can get to follow them. Honestly, if you follow over 1,000 people, the whole purpose of Twitter is lost because there's no way you can actually "follow" all of them as in reading and reacting to what the tweet.

*************************************

MeL's blog: Everything MeL

Follow me on Twitter: "I Tweet, Therefore I Am"

Submitted by Bente on April 1, 2009 - 13:00.

I'm getting started with the whole twitter thing. I'm just a bit slow. I guess it comes with age... It takes time to adjust to new technology.

Anyway, regarding Facebook. I don't get it why people are so concerned with the privacy issue. It's just a matter of thinking Ooh Ah Just A Little Bit (Just a Eurovision reference).

On Facebook I use my real name, and all my friends are people I know. I use FB to keep in touch with people I've met through school, work and traveling. So I wouldn't ad any of you (no offence) cause I wouldn't recognize you if I passed you on the street.
I don't write stuff or post pictures that I wouldn't want my boss to see.

I laugh out loud every time someone askes me for my msn-adress on AE. I would never give it to a complete stranger.

Paranoid, but then again not so.

not paranoid

Submitted by maxime68 on April 1, 2009 - 15:18.

you made some good points especially regarding the privacy stuff. I wouldn't call it paranoia but common sense.

e.g. I was required to sign up to xing for business reasons and despite knowing all people personnally I'm very restrictive abouth information I give out, even to colleagues. When I use the plattform at all, cause I hate it.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Maxime-Bruler/1622450857

spread the common sense around

Submitted by Bente on April 1, 2009 - 16:16.

I guess it depends on who you work with and where you work and what kind of network it is.

My main concern about FB (or other networks for that sake) is that others don't think about how pictures and comments can reveal stuff about a third person. Like my "sister-in-law " once posted a picture of me in my work outfit and that's a No-go!

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