I've always considered myself a practical person, especially when it comes to technology. I didn't warm to computers right away, until I started to see real benefits. I don't really "play" with technology.
So, that brings me to Twitter. I've been struggling with the idea of Twitter for a while now. I have to admit, I don't really get it. For those of you who don't know, Twitter is a social networking tool that let's you log very short (140 characters) entries. Your friends can subscribe to your Twitter, and know your every move, should you be inclined to post updates regularly. Many Twitter'ers (?) use cell phones and PDAs to post tweats wherever they might be.
Similar to blogs when they first became popular, Twitters are known for being fairly banal. Have a good dinner? Send out a tweet to all your followers. Bored? Let the world know.
I noted my favorite useful application of Twitter during the last fire season. I can see some uses at work, for example, you could use a Twitter like application to let your co-workers and/or boss know where you are and what you're doing every minute of the day. Hmm, that has its downsides, too.
I'm making an effort to revisit Twitter as a result of a couple of blogs on the topic of Twitter and KM: LawyerKM has a Twitter. Kevin at Lexblog claims that there are actually law firms on Twitter in his entry, Twitter use among legal professionals is growing. He claims Twitter grows on you. Okay, well, we'll see.
I'm going to try to Twitter for a week. I promise not to tweet about missing my train, or the sandwich I'm having for lunch. But I WILL try to note various and sundry thoughts that cross my mind about topics similar to the ones covered in this blog. It is probably inevitable that I include a few dog-related tweats. I'll embed my Twitter stream here, and you, my fair readers, can tell me if you think Twitter is a useful tool, or a waste of time.
If you know nothing about Twitter, and are wondering how to get started, here's a Common Craft video, Twitter in Plain English:
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