The Two Uses of Twitter
I think Twitter has two basic uses — yes, you heard me, only two. Not three, four, 50, or 1000. For the most part, each of the new invented ways to use Twitter is a mash-up of other functions. The two functions I’ve noticed are (1) it’s primary use, a way to share thoughtful information and news. This is what it functions best as. Its capacity for transmission of a message across communities, its open-source communication style, and its link-crazed culture make it perfect for collaboration across a group of people. However, Twitter was not intended for such uses. Its own website claims its purpose is to ask a simple question: “What are you doing?” If this was the main purpose, why would the CDC have an account? A post such as “Is Zimbabwe ready for democracy? http://tinyurl.com/9320jd” would confuse the average user. Obviously, the dynamic culture of Twitter has moved beyond the company’s intentions, yet there are users that stay true to it’s original plan, which leads me to its second use, (2) a social tool. Tweets recounting past parties or lining up hiking trails are intriguing and great, but are they similar enough to the other dynamic to use the same service? In my view, Twitter should allow you to make lists, such as “work group,” “hiking group,” etc, and you could tweet different themed posts depending on the target audience. Obviously, my twitter friend in New Hampshire has no interest in Eugene’s great river trials, while my Eugene friends might find my academic and work interests increasingly dry.
Thoughts?