Why Twitter?

Posted: April 30th, 2009 | Author: Karolijn | Filed under: Social Media, Twitter | Tags: Social Media, Twitter | 2 Comments »

At Podcamp London, I attended a session by Will Spaetzel called Twitter For Newbies. Will did a great job of explaining the What and the How of Twitter to people that were interested but weren’t sure how to get started.

I didn’t go to learn how to use Twitter – I’ve been cheating on my beloved LiveJournal with it since last Fall. I went because the popular disdain for it confuses me. I wanted insight into the 60% attrition rate and the seemingly evangelical dismissal by those that have left (or never even tried it).

The problems / concerns people have with Twitter seem to be:

• It’s narcissistic
  • Nobody cares what I had for lunch
  • I don’t have anything important enough to say
• I don’t “get it”
  • Isn’t it just like a Facebook status without the rest of it?
  • Isn’t it just for PR people and celebrities?
  • I can call/text/email someone if I have something to say
  • I tried it once and wasn’t interested
• What about privacy?
• I only know a couple people on it
• My ideas can’t be limited to 140 characters

With these in mind, I’ve been struggling to answer the ‘Why?’ question for people that don’t “get it”. I don’t think the challenge is explaining what Twitter is. The challenge is defining Twitter’s position in the social-media landscape.

It’s easy to see how online social space emulates real-life social space. Dating sites, career pages, meetups, and professional blogs correspond to clubs and speed dating, job centres, networking and social clubs, and newspapers respectively.

I would even argue that Facebook is little more than the annual Christmas update letter – an impersonal way for users to ‘keep in touch’ through generic life-updates and pictures.

And Twitter is the online coffee shop.

Using this analogy, I think the ‘Why’ becomes much clearer and the criticisms above are easy to address.

The Why?

Coffee shop dialogues and Twitter conversations have:

Focus on Dialogue
Twitter is a dialogue. There are no pictures, no movies, no quizzes. Just ideas.

If 140 characters seems like too little to ‘express yourself’ ask yourself this: how many words do you say at any one time in an average conversation? Probably no more than 140 characters worth.

Organic conversations
Conversations come and go, subjects change, people move from discussion to discussion depending on their interests. Sometimes a fiery debate will spark – sometimes you just chat about weekend plans. Sometimes nobody else is there so you leave.

New relationships are natural
In a public space others can be overheard. You don’t need to be talking to be part of a conversation. Distant acquaintances might get drawn into a discussion. Instead of reading about a person and asking their a/s/l and what music they like – social engagement is easy and natural.

Enhance relationships
Relationships evolve through engagement with people. “Going out for coffee” is synonymous with “sitting down and talking to people”. Discussion might be trivial or it might be profound – but there’s something irreplaceable about a good discussion.

Twitter fulfils the ideal third space online (maybe more on this later).

Addressing the ‘Why Nots’

If we accept that Twitter is the coffee shop of the web, the common ‘Why Nots’ become easy to address.

It’s not all about you
Talking to yourself is boring. Tweets are contributions to the dialogue. Sometimes they are disjointed from the existing conversation (maybe there is a lull in the conversation), often they respond to the ongoing discussion.

Twitter profiles are remarkably sparse compared to most social-media sites and for good reason. On twitter, you meet people by talking with them, not talking about yourself.

Twitter is public
Being able to hear what people around you are talking about can be an invitation to engage – but it is also not private. If you wouldn’t say something in a public space, don’t say it on Twitter. Simple.

Twitter is not a broadcast medium
A Facebook status is a statement, a tweet is a piece of a conversation. Tweeting without participating is like talking without listening. A few people may hear you, most will ignore you, and none will engage with you (hear that, Oprah?). This issue is a post in itself, but without engagement there really is “no point” in twitter. You can make coffee at home too.

It doesn’t matter if you don’t know anyone
It’s always nice to go to a new place with a few friends in tow. But it’s not a requirement – you may even meet more people that way. Unlike adding someone you don’t know to your address book (Facebook) you can introduce yourself on Twitter – as long as you have something useful to say, there’s usually room in a conversation for one more.

Twitter is extremely social. Business people can meet clients, existing friends can catch up, new friendships can be found and communities can be strengthened and created.

It isn’t for everyone. But there is something fundamentally authentic and real about the relationships and discussions that take place in the Internet’s new cafe.

That’s Why.

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