Twitter

I've been hearing a lot about Twitter. If I may say so, there's been a lot of twitter about Twitter...

(sorry)

At the Computers In Libraries conference, many of the presenters had their laptops open to Twitter and said things like, "I can see there are a few audience members Twittering about my lecture now." I was amazed. It was like being back in school with kids passing notes behind the teacher's back, except now, the teacher can electronically catch all the notes! So I think it's time I explore the phenomenon (or as it's called in internet slang, the 'meme') of Twitter.

Twitter is a website that allows you to update your friends on what you're doing right now. It's designed to be used with your cell phone, but I just set it up online with my laptop. I think the site is mainly intended for the Millenial generation that ABSOLUTELY HAS to be in touch with their friends, 24/7. My friends couldn't really care less what I'm up to from one minute to the next.

The website is extremely basic. Once you create an account, all you do is enter whatever it is you're doing right now, and submit it. You're only allowed 140 characters for your description (a little bit more than you might be able to fit in a text message from your cell phone), so Twitter couldn't be called a blog - the entries are too short. It's like broadcasting slivers of your life from the point of view of a GPS tracker. And if your friends have Twitter accounts, you can follow their every move, like a lowjack.

If you're stuck on a deserted island or bedridden and are interested in my life, I have created a Twitter widget that goes in my Blogger sidebar. You can see it on the left, near the bottom of the sidebar. :D