I started twittering (@smsaideman) not that long ago--after I started blogging. I have contrasted the various media before, but listening to the Reduced Shakespeare Company's podcast on tweating (@reduced) got me to thinking. Why I am on twitter and what I am posting in 140 characters or less?
For the first question, I am mostly a follower. Folks use twitter like how they use facebook updates--to share links around the internet that are amusing/interesting/handy. I have gotten more than a few blog ideas from the links people have posted. I follow a random selection of people: people who follow me, authors (Bill Simmons, Chuck Klosterman), bloggers I know (Jacob Levy, Dan Drezner, Marc Lynch) and those I don't (Mike Lombardi) comic folk (Jeff Ross, Collegehumor, Stephen Colbert, The Onion, Rainn Wilson), friends, family, former students.
Notably, I don't use twitter to follow the news directly nor do I follow any corporate types unless either Bill Simmons or Colbert count. I follow about 45 or so folks, and have dropped a few people who tweat too much despite some enjoyable posts (Jason Whitlock, Michael Ian Black).
Who follows me? Family, friends, former students, colleagues, random people who have not seemed block-worthy.
What do I tweet? Mostly responses to the tweets I follow. Occasionally plugs to this here blog. Posting links to interesting articles. I can occasionally summon a pithy line that stands on its own, but not so much yet. I guess I save my creativity for the blog. I do find myself posting the same stuff in twitter as I put into my FB status box a fair amount of the time. Thus far, tweeting remains a distant third behind the blog and facebook in terms of my attention and effort.
Any changes in your tweat-age since you started?
Facebook is kind of an invitation to pry into your personal life (with pictures, the wall), while Twitter is more of an "I am intrigued by your ideas and would like to subscribe to your newsletter" sort of thing. Professionally, Twitter is very useful because you get a lot of ideas and reactions quickly, especially if you follow the right people. Plus there's just less clutter than Facebook, which with the advent of "Farmville" and its ilk is turning into MySpace. Keeping things simple and providing lots of links = Twitter success.
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