Meera Atkinson
My mission: to penetrate the not-so-secret society of Twitter.
First there was the clunky old Internet and we tentatively “surfed the web”, learning how to drive search engines. Things sped up; sites became more animated and dynamic. We discovered live chat and strangers all over the world started talking. Then it was Myspace, followed by Facebook — and now there is Twitter.
Twitter invites people to say, in 140 words or less, what they are doing now. This is relayed in “tweets” — though a tweet can do much more than simply report what the tweeter is up to. A tweet can share thoughts, converse directly with other tweeters, post links or songs, or reference tweet groups (tweeple who gather around a common topic).
People who twitter follow other twitters and are followed, though the following is not always mutual.
Suddenly it seems everyone is twittering. Kevin Rudd twitters, as do Oprah and Hugh Jackman.
Sean Swayze (Twitter name: sswayze) is a Canadian computer scientist and dedicated twitterer. He joined in December last year and is now a popular presence on Twitter with followers from all over the world, some of whom tweet to him in foreign languages.
“I like the positivity. Despite the GFC everybody has found solidarity outside national boundaries,” says Sean. “Sure, there’s a bit of nationalism but it’s not in the forefront because everyone is an individual.
“Everyone is interested in helping each other. People have a kind or supportive word if someone’s feeling grumpy. If you ask questions you get answers. It’s wonderful.”
Some twits appear obsessed with gaining a following and go to great lengths to drive up their numbers, sometimes launching campaigns to win followers. For sswayze it’s not about quantity but quality.
“It’s a bit weird, that drive to be famous. For me, I’d rather have all quality people that are interesting and give back.”
While Sean admits he spends a lot of time on Twitter and that Twitter could potentially be addictive, he doesn’t believe it’s having a negative impact on his life or ‘real life’ relationships.
In fact, Twitter can also be a way to meet new ‘real life’ friends. There are Twitter meet-ups taking place in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and, one imagines, all over the world. So far Sean has never met a Twitter acquaintance in person but he’s planning a summer Twitter get together in Niagara Falls, where he lives.
Many people and organisations are now using Twitter for marketing or to promote their work.
Spammers routinely follow genuine tweeple, though the refreshing thing about Twitter is that unlike other forms of media you have the option not to follow them in return, which means their tweets won’t show up in your tweet stream.
Not only do people who twitter follow each other individually, but they create groupings of like-minded tweeple. Christians are getting in on the Twitter act, using it to share the word and gather online.
There is a Christian “twibe”. A Twitter entity called Freedomist urges Christians to “stand up against religious bigots who believe your faith is not as important as their ideology”. ChristianLife Magazine has a presence on Twitter as does an entity called Ccoaliltion (Christian Coalition), a “US grassroots org dedicated to helping Christians impact the things they care about,” who are busy recruiting Facebook friends on Twitter.
In fact, even The Transit Lounge has gotten in on the Twitter act.
Not only does Twitter give non-profit groups and churches or other spiritual organisations the opportunity to directly transmit messages to a massive number of diverse people, it also provides a cost-free forum for advertising events and linking to resources. Unsurprisingly, Hillsong was quick to get on the bandwagon and has over 8,000 followers.
However, it’s also understandable that not every organisation is twittering: though a tweet only requires 140 characters or less maintaining a vibrant and consistent Twitter presence requires some time and labour.
It’s hard to say at this stage whether Twitter will be a passing fad, soon to be subsumed by the next net trend, or whether it will continue to gather momentum and evolve.
One thing is certain — for now the entire world’s a-twitter with 140 word jokes, banalities, flirtations and quotes.
As sswayze says, “It’s everybody’s personal soap box.”
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