Twitter

Microblogging is exactly what it sounds. Rather than posting entries that can be hundreds or thousands of words long, microblogging is a much smaller form of posts. Twitter is a perfect example of this.

People’s updates are limited to 140 characters, so the small amount of space has to be used wisely in order to fit the entire message into the update. Submitting a post is a short, complete thought or description of something.

Many social network sites use microblogging, such as Facebook, which allows people to update their own status while seeing their friends’ as well.

Facebook is much more than those statuses and has things like chats, games, applications, profiles, and messages. Facebook is much different, where most users are connected with just their friends and family members.

Twitter is almost purely for microblogging, with a few actual friend connections here and there. When I first heard about it, I thought it was a pointless idea and wouldn’t be successful. Now, I use it everyday and it has become a main source for finding news and information.

When I first joined, it seemed that people were just posting regular things about their day and what they were doing, which is what I thought it was going to be. I thought of it as Facebook minus all of the other things except statuses, which is basically what it is.

However, I found that I could control my own feed by following people and organizations that I am interested in. It became more than learning about my friends’ typical day. Instead, I can follow other people that I am interested in. I can quickly get the latest updates as to who is injured for the Sabres or when one of my favorite writers posts a new article.

Another nice thing about Twitter is the chance you have the ability to connect with more well-known people.

I think this can apply to many people when I say that it’s an exciting feeling when a well-known person or celebrity re-tweets you or replies to you. I have had a couple of NHL players tweet me, and I have Anna Graceman, one of the top 10 contestants from America’s Got Talent, following me.

Twitter is like a whole different world, where most of the people I talk to on there, I rarely see in person. I tend to follow a lot of sports writers and NHL players, broadcasters, and public relations people, so my actual friends are limited on there.

If I want to talk to my actual friends and people I know a little better, they are all on Facebook.

Twitter has become so much more than just socializing and talking to people. It works very well for microblogging about live events. I usually use it during Sabres games, updating people on the score or what I think about a specific player or team.

Twitter has also become a tool for news organizations and reporters can spread the news by posting a quick, simple update.

“Reporters now routinely tweet from all kinds of events — speeches, meetings and conferences, sports events. In February, a federal judge gave his blessing to Ron Sylvester of the Wichita Eagle to use Twitter to report on a trial of six suspected gang members, the first time tweeting had been permitted inside a federal courtroom. Sylvester tweeted frequently from the trial, providing a nearly contemporaneous account.” https://bscangel.sln.suny.edu/section/default.asp?id=201130-COM336-1977

I’m a daily user of Twitter and I use it more than just for socializing. I use it to help promote my own works of writing as well as posting updates about my life.

It’s a good tool to help promote my own blog and Twitter has accounted for 14% of my traffic. In other words, I’ve got a couple thousand views from Twitter just by linking my blog posts on it.

I think it’s a great way to help promote my writing. Being an aspiring journalist, I have already built up a following because of Twitter (just less than 500 followers) and my readers can connect with me through the site.

The best part of it is they do not have my entire profile to see, like they would on Facebook. They can only see my Tweets, along with any links or photos I put up.

If I do want to engage in a conversation with someone, Twitter is great for that to. I can reply to another user publicly or direct message them in order for privacy.

With Twitter, anyone can become a citizen journalist, and act as a reporter. With access to the internet now in our pockets, anybody can submit a status or report something as news.

There are problems that come with that. It hurts real reporters when everyone else is basically taking their job and posting the news first.

However, anyone can post anything, and they don’t even have to have a name associated with them. They can be completely anonymous. These people may not even post accurate, true information, leading others into a dangerous situation.

I have seen on Twitter, that people have posted news that isn’t true. Seeing that, some people and organizations jumped the gun, retweeting what that person said. Turns out that the news wasn’t true all along, and all of those who failed to verify it have now hurt their credibility.

No one can stop the citizen journalism from happening but it isn’t a bad thing, either. Twitter can be used as a call for help if someone is in a situation. Others have tweeted at events or in court rooms, letting their followers know in real time, what is developing.

I chose to follow the Buffalo State Men’s Hockey team because that is something that isn’t on Twitter. They have an overall athletic’s Facebook and Twitter account, but that fills up my feed and tells me about many of the other sports I don’t really care about. By doing just the hockey team, people will know what to expect and get information purely about the team, rather than the whole athletics department.