Usually, I’m a pretty early adopter for new technologies and what-not. I started blogging before it was really “blogging,” for example. But sometimes I resist new things, usually for no good reason. Services like Twitter and Tumblr just didn’t seem to make sense to me. I already had a blog — why would I want a micro-blog (Twitter) or a mini-blog (Tumblr)? Then I found a few interesting Tumblogs and signed up for one myself. Then I tried out Twitter and was instantly hooked. How did I not latch on to these earlier?
So I’m now addicted to Twitter. I’ve already hooked a couple friends on it and am actively working on a couple more to catch the wave. I tried to explain it to my wife, but that didn’t go over as well as I’d hoped. Regardless, I’m now a Twitterer (Tweeter?) and completely hooked.
I’ve already started following some of my fellow bloggers and some of you have already found my Twitter feed, but those of you interested in seeing what the fuss is and want to follow the absolutely riveting minutia of my day-to-day life, can follow me on Twitter here.
Beyond Twitter, I’ve looked into Friendfeed, which basically becomes a life-stream of everything I do online. It borders on creepy-stalkerish, and it is complete information overload. I actually hesitate to post a link to my Friendfeed, because it’s a little weird. Does anyone really care what stories I digg? Or what video I recently favorited on YouTube? Maybe someone does. For the truly intrepid, my Friendfeed is here.
Finally, I’ve recently been following a handful of people’s shared items in Google Reader. It’s a great way to find information other people find useful. I haven’t been using it as often as I’d like, but if you’re interested in seeing things I’m sharing, my Google Reader Shared Items feed is here. Yet another form of micro-blogging.
Do you Twitter? Do you Tumbl? Do you share? As resistant as I was at first, now I can’t get enough. Let me know what services you use/like. And of course post links to Twitter feeds and the like in the comments.
I do indeed Tweet (twitt?). http://twitter.com/jeffool
Though I’m still unsure how I’m going to use it. Dunno if I’ll be going with the ‘status update’, which I figure no one cares about but could be fun, or the supplemental blog element, which I’m leaning toward. Of course, sometimes you get a phrase that’s just too good to pass up, like ” When life gives you lemons, paint that shit gold.” 😀
Friendfeed is awesome, thanks for the hookup. I’ve tried a couple of other aggregation services but haven’t been terribly impressed. Too much focus on flash. I don’t want flash, I just want function.
Now, for their next trick… I would like to be able to upload a photo and decide which services to push it out to, from Flickr and Picassa to my blog. Anyway, here I am: http://friendfeed.com/corvus
I have a hard enough time as it is just doing one or two blog posts a week. Plus, I’m not at a computer as much as I used to be.
The “posts” for these type of things are to be smaller. It appears quick, dirty, and easy.
Blogging for the masses…or the lazy. I think it’s great that it opens up a lot of new areas of communication.
How much of it is fluff–even in blogging for that matter?
I HAD a Twitter account. For about 10 minutes, then realized no one would read it, and I didn’t feel like updating it all time.
When I first got high speed, I was in internet hermit. The internet was “read only” to me. Didn’t participate in forums, never left comments on news articles etc. Now I actually have several instant messenger accounts, use IRC, etc.
I got a Flickr account a few days ago, but was sorely disappointed when I found I had to pay a yearly fee to have more than 3 sets. Also, you have like +500 pictures of your kids on your Flickr account!
@Jeffool – Funny thing about status updates that “no one cares about” are exactly what make Twitter fun. Catchy phrases work, too!
@Corvus – Friendfeed subscription get! No one can get enough Corvus!
@Nat – a large percentage is definitely fluff, but it’s the fluff that makes Twitter interesting. Blogs, not so much.
@FS – Yeah, Flickr is greatly enhanced by going “Pro” — if you can afford it, I recommend it.
I actively avoid all the social networking sites, not for any other reason than I don’t want an account that is not being used. I may cave in and try Twitter soon though. A few people have been tempting me with it lately, and I feel my willpower caving in, …