As some of my friends on Facebook may have noticed I have recently become slightly addicted to the use of Twitter. This experience of Tweeting has always been quite low down my list of “social media” thinking it as being clunky, strange and a constantly updating feed. However, having now actually started using it properly I can see the immense power that are behind ones 140 characters. Not only have I gone and Followed far too many people and organisations I have now nearly cracked the two dozen on people who are boring enough to follow me!
I have always viewed social media as a powerful source, reading about people getting sacked from Facebook, celebrity slip ups on Twitter and all the other ones out there that I don’t yet know or give a damn about. But, as a regular user of Facebook since 2009 or whenever they say I joined I can see the advantages and disadvantages behind said media. Facebook I feel has outgrown me. When I first started using it, it was relatively simple, straight forward, lacking adverts and promoted posts. Nowadays I go online only to see photoshopped pictures of grosque men with shirts off saying they bulked up using this strange and most likely illegal hormone replacement stuff. Or pages I should like. Or adverts for Renault or Citroen, T Mobile or IVA solutions. I am personally fed up with it. This is when I stumbled across Twitter.
I have played around with Twitter as most people did, giving it a try but rapidly loosing interest in it when you discover that noone is following you or gives a damn about what you have to say. My profile @sjprobinson has been around for a while now, but only had 4 followers. I have spent, rather sadly, the last week or so trying to build this up. I have managed to get to 22 now and still increasing at around the rate of 4 people a day following my every Tweet. It now gives me a sense of great excitment to get home to turn the computer on and get on the Internet, not like I used to by firstly checking my emails, but by going straight on to Twitter. It is like an addiction! I also think its rather sad.
But, now I am becoming a Twitter Mad Twit I have discovered something rather strange called TweetDeck. I think this is more designed for the power user or a business that has numerous accounts and plenty of activity to go on, but even for a small Twit like me, its amazing the amount of detail and information it gives you. I am also rather impressed with its automatic pop up notifications which alert me to someone new following me, or a retweet or whenever actually my name is mentioned. I love it! Its now always running on my computer and I love the fact that I never really have to log on to Facebook any more, as Twitter is connected to Facebook so whatever I tweet about goes straight to Facebook too, keeping those who are still religiously devoted to Facebook know what I’m up to.
Well enough ramblings about social media, but before I sign off (not for another few months like last time) please, if you’re on Twitter, FOLLOW ME!!!
