What is the point of twitter?

[EltonFrog]

I mean really, what is it for and why?

Does it make money for someone, if so how?

Why do silly footballers make stupid comments on it that they have to apologise for later? Why not keep schtum?

I have a twitter account, someone told me it was good for updating business contact etc, but I can't be arsed with it. I can't even remember what my @name is!

Is it a pointless application that will fade away in time?

 

[hotmetal]

I mean really, what is it for and why?

Does it make money for someone, if so how?
https://business.twitter.com/advertise/start/

Why do silly footballers make stupid comments on it that they have to apologise for later? Why not keep schtum?
Glib answer: cos they're silly. Serious answer: someone probably told them it keeps them in the public eye, and there's no such thing as bad publicity

I have a twitter account, someone told me it was good for updating business contact etc, but I can't be arsed with it. I can't even remember what my @name is!
I don't know what jobs people have that let them spout 140-character stream-of-consciousness ramblings during office hours, although in yer leisure time, maybe it's no worse than CC? I suspect LinkedIn is more useful for business contacts, although to be fair I am on LinkedIn and have never got any work out of it.

Is it a pointless application that will fade away in time?

Probably, but then people like me thought the same about Farcebook and look how many $m that's worth (even allowing for their overinflated stock market flotation debacle). Almost every client I produce work for wants "Like us on Farcebook" next to their corporate website or sign-off. It's clever marketing for companies, dressed up as a 'bit of fun' for the kids. My main worry is privacy so I avoid it.

 

[Nearly there]

Its everywhere this Twitter thing its an opportunity for everyday folks to try with not much joy to interact with the rich and slightly famous,I think famous folks enjoy the ego boost though.

 

[DRHysted]

All my local police forces, dog units, on roads policing units tweet. The local road camera network tweet. The local council tweet. and a few more local items.
I find out alot of local information via twitter.

 

[hotmetal]

Yes. What started off as (to me) a relatively pointless thing (140 characters to tell random strangers what you're having for tea) has now gained critical mass and has the traction to actually work quite well for organisations (be they commercial or council/police/whatever). Once you've got enough people tuned into a channel (be it BBC1, FB or tw@tter), it becomes an effective means of reaching the people who monitor it. Plus it's more cost effective to tweet than to get on primetime telly. I don't think it's going to fizzle out any time soon. Especially once they start making $$$ from advertising (or sponsoring "premium content providers" such as these footballers and so-called "celebs").

I'll tell you what might well turn out to be a fad though: those QR codes that you have to scan with your smartphone to access some content (usually an advert). But we'll see…

 

[The Jogger]

Surely it's more accessible for police forces to put their info on their website. I mean, where would you even begin to look for their stuff on twitter. Then it's only accessible if you have a twit account. I think in a few years time people will look back at twitter and laugh in the way they did at the filofax.

 

[avalon]

I have a twitter account but it does all seem to be a bit pointless. Great for stalking the rich and famous, if that's your thing but who cares what people like me think or do and why would I want to make it public anyway.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

One of my lecturers used it to post links to relevant articles relating to my post grad course, useful for that and easier for him than running and updating a website. I signed up to get those but didn't use it for anything else and I never tweeted, did pick up a couple of followers though...probably because my user name was the same as a brewery!

 

[EltonFrog]

Probably, but then people like me thought the same about Farcebook and look how many $m that's worth (even allowing for their overinflated stock market flotation debacle). Almost every client I produce work for wants "Like us on Farcebook" next to their corporate website or sign-off. It's clever marketing for companies, dressed up as a 'bit of fun' for the kids. My main worry is privacy so I avoid it.

Oh yes FaceAche, I forgot about that! An application for the delusional, and egotiscal, to publicise the irrelevant to the uninterested. I also fell into that advertising hell hole, and quickly realised that not only was I not in the least bit interested in my " friends" updates, they were even less interested in mine. I permenently deleted my account last year. Did it make any difference to my life? Yes, I get more cycling done.

 

[asterix]

All my local police forces, dog units, on roads policing units tweet. The local road camera network tweet. The local council tweet. and a few more local items.
I find out alot of local information via twitter.

This would be a new form of policing? You'd have to be a bit of a twit to be caught on twitter wouldn't you?

I may have signed up for twitter once, I can't recall. I know I have a facebook account but only logged on once, maybe twice. I have no doubt my cover has been blown on it by now through others.

...and checking the spam folder, I see I keep getting messages saying I have more friends on facebook which is nice to know.

 

[Fab Foodie]

...probably because my user name was the same as a brewery!

You are Jamie Theakston AICMFP!

 

[biggs682]

must admit i use to agree with this statement , but me and other half share an account and we follow the local news along with national news .

and announced today on local news twitter is that my employee is to make 90+ people redundant and yet no mention of it to us the employees !

wicked , lets just hope it dont effect me

 

[thom]

I mean really, what is it for and why?
It's not for everyone, it's for people who want to communicate with at most 140 characters... In a sense its a free form version of cyclechat on the whole of human existence but without smilies, likes, trophies and moderators.

Does it make money for someone, if so how?
Advertising and data streams (amongst other things I imagine ...). Businesses can pay money to get the full global tweet stream to do with as they wish.

Why do silly footballers make stupid comments on it that they have to apologise for later? Why not keep schtum?
The clue is in the question - they are silly and they are footballers.

I have a twitter account, someone told me it was good for updating business contact etc, but I can't be arsed with it. I can't even remember what my @name is!

Is it a pointless application that will fade away in time?
Most things have a finite lifespan but I think twitter will endure for longer than most because it is so free-form. My personal opinion is it is a great way to share information because it is beyond editorial control. Certain things happen now that used not to - take the Paul Kimmage defence fund for example. It is empowering, which is why it is popular.

Questions 1,2 & 5 could be aimed at CycleChat too...

 

[zizou]

Its good to follow friends or get a little behind the scenes insight into fields you are interested in (like pro cycling for me) and it is good for breaking news - whether it be for a big world event or a minor local one (for example last week there was very bright lightning in Glasgow that was not accompanied by thunder...i could go on twitter seconds after this happened and people were tweeting about it already so it wasn't just me imagining things and within minutes videos had been uploaded).

To get the most out of it you really need to use it in "real time" and also know how to use the search function properly (if on the desktop then tweetdeck is good for that). When you take the immediacy away then it is just a mountain of 140 character messages to sift through and as a result nothing much of value to see.

 

[jonny jeez]

Questions 1,2 & 5 could be aimed at CycleChat too...

Absolutely.

facebook, twitter and the like are no worse or better than cyclechat. We waste far too much time on each speaking to complete strangers.

At least with some social media like face book there is a pretence that you actually know the audience. Not that I'm a fan, I'm officially allergic to facebook and despise twatter

I prefer to believe that sites like ours (see how I feel ownership!) are more beneficial and do something to help.

but its still strangers talking to strangers...lots