So, I decided today that I am going to start occasionally doing polls on my Twitter to get some feedback from the world on topics I would like to blog about. But before doing that, I want to go on a rant here for a minute. People say many things, take those with a grain of salt. A guy that I know, attempts to rub it in my face that I am addicted to Facebook / or this new "stupid" (the exact word he used) thing called Twitter. Say what you want, social networking is what I do. It is a great way of keeping in touch with folks from past and present. It is the way of the future. Adjust, or get out.

Anyway, the question that I Tweeted today was "What was your initial thought of Twitter? Has that changed? What do you think now? Responses may be used in a blog post."

Thank you all for your responses! I would like to focus on two...first the irritated tweeter. Ashley (Orlando, FL): "ugh...twitter...theres a limit on how long your private messages are so when im trying to catch up with a friend i havent seen in awhile its a pain in the ass plus the whole user interface could be organized a little better.. im just in a mood to complain" Good point, is it a little irritating at times with having a 140 character limit. But...I am a firm believer that it makes you be concise in your messages. Suggestion if you would like to have a detailed conversation with a long-lost friend, send them a message through another medium. There are many other ways to connect to people. Even if they do not have a Facebook or the dreaded MySpace, surely they have an e-mail address. In fact you have to inorder to use Twitter!

The second response I would like to focus on is the positive tweeter. Michelle (Atlanta, GA): "My initial thought of twitter was "what in the world is that? And why do people love it?" Now I think it's pretty awesome! . . . I like connecting to others....and twitter is just one more way to do it. It gets word spread quickly too!" This response coincides more with my initial thought. I did not know much about it at first, but now, I am very fond of it. It has connected me with some new people and has given me a closer connection with people that I am friends with and some that I see everyday!

One thing that I enjoy knowing is what my friends are up to. Twitter uses the internet to bring that information to me and in a way, it is sorta like being with that person, but physically not. Does that make sense? Twitter has much potential. I think that it needs to stay the way it is, I would hate for someone to come along and reuin it, just like Facebook and other social networks. Facebook attempted to do the same thing Twitter does in their recent update, but I am not very fond of it. Facebook should be more non-status based.

If you are not a Twitter user, I would encourage you to try it out!

-Ken

Labels: facebook, poll, rant, social networking, twitter, twitter poll

So, I am at a landmark place with my personal Twitter account. I almost have 1,000 updates. In my advancement of life, I have been able to see and be a part of the social networking spectrum. It seems as though the growth and advancement of the internet leads the way for the growth of social networking.

As with anything, we all find yourself settling with some type of social network that we are comfortable with, such as the types of clothes we wear. You would never wear clothes that are not favoring of your personal style. Currently, my favorite social networks are Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. I am most comfortable with those. I also use Google's Reader to subscribe to numerous blogs that are of interest to me.

Social networks are a great way of staying connected with current and past friends and colleagues...and in addition also a way of making new friends that you may have lived your life without ever meeting. It is very interesting some of the people that I have stumbled upon. I know, I know...what is going through your head at this point, "Oh my goodness, you shouldn't ever meet people online! That is dangerous!!" Yes, you have a point, but as long as you are smart and careful about it, everything should be fine.

In addition to following and meeting people, I believe the social networks have a great opportunity to convey information to groups of people. Such as school news, church events, or news media outlets (the good ones, at least). There is much potential for these networks to "bring" information to those that subscribe to them.

So...now it is your turn:
What are your views on social networking? What are your three favorites?

Labels: facebook, google reader, internet growth, linkedin, social networking, twitter, updates