Todd Hiestand

May 1, 2008

Why and How I Use Twitter

I’ve been using Twitter for quite a while now.  I, like most people, signed up and then didn’t use it for a few months but a while back I started using it more and more.  For those of you who don’t know what Twitter is, its essentially a micro blog.  Essentially write short 140 character updates which people can then view.  The best part about Twitter is its social networking feature. You can have friends that you follow their updates and they follow yours.  For someone like me who spends a lot of time along in my office on the computer, this is a helpful because it keeps me in some kind of community with others.

Here are some of my thoughts about Twitter:

Twitterrific is essential for Twitter
This little application allows me to publish updates and see my friends’ updates from my desktop.  This means I don’t need to visit the Twitter website in order to use it. If i did, I probably wouldn’t use it as it would be a big waste of time.   There are other apps out there for PC users but I think Twitterrific is the best of the bunch.

Twitter + Facebook + AIM
With the use of Twitterrific & the twitter sync facebook app I am able to update all three of my status messages at the same time.   I am on AIM almost all day long and I used to always say stupid stuff on my status message.  I also use Facebook, albeit my use of it is very limited.  I mainly use it to keep in touch with people in my church but this allows them to see all my stupid updates too.

Updates or Stupid Thoughts?
Twitter posts are meant to be updates that answer the question, “What are you doing.”  I often post that but I also like to use it to just say stupid stuff.  I am not sure that people really need to know what I am doing all the time.

Twitter and my blog
With the use of a plug-in for WordPress called Twitter Tools I am able to put my latest update on the header of my blog.  This plug-in also allows me to notify my twitter friends when I write a new blog post.  This has really helped drive traffic to my blog and has increased the amount of interaction I’ve had in the comments (which, by the way, I really like!)

Twitter Friends
It’s interesting how I have made some new friends/acquaintances by using Twitter.  There are also a few long distance friends who I am able to be in in contact with more via AIM and Twitter than some of the people in my church.

Privacy & Twitter
Now, you might be thinking that you don’t really want people everywhere knowing what you are doing all the time.  That’s why is nice that Twitter allows you to protect your updates.  This means that only people who you let follow your updates can do so.  This is especially good when I am out of town and I don’t want the whole world knowing my family is home alone.

Twitter & Church
I first started using Twitter because I thought it would be cool to have a bunch of people from church on there.  I thought it would be a cool way to stay in touch and share prayer requests and stuff like that.  As of now, there are only about 4 people from my church using Twitter so that has not really worked.  But, if you are interested, The Well has a twitter account. I haven’t posted to it for a while because The Well doesn’t have any friends.  Maybe if it had friends, I would update it more…

So, there it is.  That’s most of why and how I use twitter.  Feel free to go ahead and ask to follow me if you already use twitter.  Unless you follow 1000 people I’ll likely accept your request.  If you don’t use twitter, sign up and give it a try (no, I don’t get any referral money for that suggestion!)