Confessions of a Twitter Newbie

So I joined twitter a couple of months ago. It took a while to get the hang of it, but now it’s rather fun. And it’s all anyone can see to talk about – online or off.

There really are interesting things happening in the twittersphere. In the past couple of weeks I have witnessed two marriage proposals and laughed at countless witty blog posts.

I’ve also gotten plenty of article ideas, learned a time-saving tip for my business operations and found a new client. All in spare moments when I pop in to check on the tweethearts.

All very pleasant, entertaining or useful, right?

Not quite.

The endless debates about the possibilities of twitter and the character of those who use it are becoming a bit dull. Some swear it’s the best thing that ever happened to their businesses. Others claim you have to be a complete narcissist with severe ADD to participate in it.

As with any public forum, you find a complete range of personalities, cultures, assumptions and behaviors. I’ve seen it all, from self proclaimed experts to major sucking up to uncalled for personal attacks.

Including a woman who joked about killing her child. That caused quite a stir, especially after she publicly berated the people who tried to help her.

Frankly, I think twitter is just like any other tool. Fun for some, frustrating for others. Some people, those who are good at such things, will get a lot out of it – business or personal or both. Some won’t see the potential and some just won’t like it. And some will try it then slowly lose interest.

And like most other things on this side of life, what goes in is what comes out.