It intensifies the fragmentation and superficiality of our information landscape and hence knowledge. It encourages the compartmentalization of our experiences. It will condition us to receive information in bite sized chunks and provide further distraction to the here and now. We reduce our entire universe into a ‘twitter’, one of many, all jostling and hoping to be noticed, each more cleverer, or wittier or funnier than your last or some other person’s one. It creates more distance than it draws people truly closer. Some may say that the same could be said of status messages on messengers. I disagree. The difference is that in the latter, you can chat the other person up and interact thus learning more about them. In twitter there is no such opportunity.
Fahri Azzat practices the dark arts of the law. Although he enjoys writing and reading, he doesn't enjoy writing his own little biographies of himself. Like this one. He wished somebody else would do it... More by Fahri Azzat
It does serve a purpose and provides us choice of communication for specific situations we are in and specific information appropriate for sharing in that manner. May I say, it's complementary to others. :-)
Actually, that's not true mate. I'm very close to my Twitter friends, and we meet up regularly. Even going on holiday with them. It's not much different than FB, to be honest. In fact, I love my Twitter more than my FB now as that has some retarded number of friends like close to 1000. People who share same interests, and who I need for work – but not necessarily ALL of them are "friends." On Twitter, I have but less than 30 people. Close friends who I let see my updates, they are privacy protected, and I love it. I am more myself there, than I can be on FB. I like the fact that it's 140 words – it's not about compartmentalizing, it's about being brief, and hey I'll catch you later for a beer :D
“The difference is that in the latter, you can chat the other person up and interact thus learning more about them. In twitter there is no such opportunity.”
That’s nonsense. You have direct message feature. You want more interactions? Write a blog to share your idea and tag the link and the person in a new tweet.
yc