Twitter is Like Blogging in a Whisper

Web 2.0

I was a late starter when it came to blogging. I had heard about it, I had even read a few blogs, but I just kept away. I didn’t want blogging to be on my radar. But then, at some point, I started to pay more attention. I started to listen … and read.

And then I became curious.

I was fascinated by the way ideas spread across the web — from blog to blog, and corporate site to personal blog and back again, there was certainly an energy that attracted my interest. But while I would normally call myself an "early adopter", I still resisted.

BUT

Since I started blogging, my timeline to adoption has decreased. I am now much more likely to jump on a new technology faster. Not only can I discover more about technology sooner, I can learn how others are using and adapting it … I can trial technology vicariously and then choose my own direction with a limited time investment.

I had been keeping an eye on Twitter over the last week or so … and then, during SXSW it seemed to go nuts. But it wasn’t until David Armano talked to me about it that I really decided to have a closer look. And the more I dig into it, the more I like it … but for unexpected reasons.

You see, Twitter allows you whisper your ideas and your thoughts to your friends and it acts like a form of instant messaging. But there is a broadcast function in operation … you see, if one of your friends has a Twitter Timeline embedded (like I have) in their blog/website, then your whisper will reach your friends’ readers. And your Twitter conversation will be coloured by this new CONTEXT.

Is that good or bad? Depends on your friends. Or on you. But either way, it certainly represents a shift in the way that we hold conversations.

7 thoughts on “Twitter is Like Blogging in a Whisper”

  1. I love the way that converstions leave footprints in the blogsphere, and, as Paul would say- whispers make people lean in to hear what is being said….

  3. Fad or personal taste? I’m so easily distracted by warm conversation and general silliness (and waffles mmmmm) that I really can’t expose myself to the Twitterat, keep blogging and my job all at the same time.
    I think anything that promotes connection has legs so my vote is it’ll probably stick around.

  5. The interesting thing about Twitter is that you can “eavesdrop” on other conversations … so it is going beyong being a voyeur, allowing us to understand the anatomy of other people’s thought processes. Scary. Fascinating. Hmmm

  6. Well, my first instinct is to say that Twitter is a passing fad–I just don’t see the long term purpose of it. Don’t we have enough things in our lives taking our attention away from what we’re doing? (You know, I’m looking at it from a productivity angle, not necessarily a conversation angle.)
    With that said, I have seen lots of folks using it, and if Gavin is doing it then it MUST be the hot new thing ;-).
    So, I’m going to take the plunge soon, I think.

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