Growing up, I was both fiercely and frequently reminded that to be a follower was to fall behind.
"No one likes a follower," my mother informed me as I stomped my foot over a hooded Roxy sweatshirt that would never be mine. Apparently, Fruit of The Loom was somehow much more indicative of freethinking, and it was in a basic white crew-neck that I learned to embrace individuality. Ironic, I know.
Today, the first day at a new job. Wearing a new (old) blazer, in a new neighbourhood, I was asked to try and see 'following' in, yes, a new light.
"You've gotta just follow more people," I'm told. Pouring over a much heavier, much slower laptop than the rest of them, I quickly, nervously agree to follow as many people as my mouseless hand can click at. Of course, I am speaking of Twitter: the be-all-end-all of social media networking, and the death of normative interaction.
Twitpic, Twibes, Tags, RSS, Technorati, and then suddenly I’m 'Digging' for something. (Perhaps meaning?) A cyclone of cyber jargon whips around the beautiful room. The only thing blowing harder is the air conditioner. And still, I'm sweating, cross-legged on a gorgeous suede chair, wearing my glasses. I wore my glasses all day at my new job, as if to say ‘Yeah, I love the internet’, and heels, as if to say ‘Ok, maybe I just like to blog...’
My task is a little less html-intensive than the rest of the gang. A semi-sigh of relief. Occasionally, though, I must twit...tweet...? So, I sit. And I tap away at my keys, composing and erasing, trying to think of something that I can say, and also something someone else might care to read. The curser blinks.
I type. I am sitting here, in a room, wearing a new blazer, and my glasses, drinking a diet coke, trying to...twat? Backspace.
I don't really get it. Twitter is to me, as dancing is to the town's people in Footloose (1984). Nevermind.
Eventually this will all make more sense. Right? I'm sure of it. Sort of.
I hear no one uses ICQ anymore. 'Uh Oh!'
6 comments:
I'm skeptical about the importance of Twitter and how it's become such a hot topic as of late, because it is not necessarily a hot new thing, rather it has just reached critical mass.
I'm not even particularly fond of Twitter, simply because it seems pretty useless. What compelled you to start using it?
Here's a post a friend of mine did on Twitter, it includes an chuckle-worthy animation explaining Twitter. http://blog.bonetree.net/2009/04/the-twouble-with-twitter/
Well, Donna, its something I've had to start navigating as I just began working at a new site.
They're big on tweeting...?
Thanks for the link, though.
Hey Carli,
It's great to be on top of emerging/popular tech but also important to know what should be utilized to the advantage of the company/users.
Perhaps Twitter can be a powerful tool for you if used properly.
Let me know how that goes and if it does indeed become a beneficial tool for you.
You'll get the hang of "tweeting" on Twitter before you know it. Since you like to blog, maybe think of Twitter as "microblogging"? Alas, or just stick to blogging (since it's good content after all ;)
well you already have 80 followers so you're obviously doing something right.
woman.ca hey?
you're a witty blog writer, i'm sure you'll be a great twitterer too
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