Wriging Thread: Gapingvoid: why I deleted my Twitter account

Gapingvoid: why I deleted my Twitter account

Kamigoroshi — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 04:02:50

although 99% could care less about what we are twittering.

I could say the same thing about blogging as well from my point of view. That being said, I've had people messaging me because of what I posted on Twitter as I have done the same to them because of their Tweets. People tend to notice, but like blogs it's got to be relevant to what they are doing at the moment.

There is using it right and abusing it. I cannot see how Twitter can ever replace what Blogging as always been, but I know the gap that Twitter bridges between an elaborated opinion and a thought of the moment.

I don't see a drop in the quality of blogs I read due to Twitter either. In fact though, it's served to improve the quality of my blogging because all the random thoughts in my head that would otherwise serve to cloud my thoughts get spilled on to Twitter.

Gapingvoid: why I deleted my Twitter account

katelynjane — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 02:10:49

Twitter is one of the few sites I haven't joined yet. Thanks for your comments on it, it'll help me have a more rounded view of the site when I look into it more!

Gapingvoid: why I deleted my Twitter account

shadowsun7 — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 11:03:51

I'm with Jphill: I don't mix blogging and twittering, so I don't understand the problem with the two. Comparing twitter and blogging is like comparing a notice board and a book - both serve different purposes and people aren't usually so dumb as to try to substitute one for the other.

I do understand that Scrivs is talking about this from a personal branding angle, but some people just want to maintain a notice board on their lives, and not write a book (or build an online presence). Of course you can say that where's the connection through a notice board, but that's just what some people want - an easy way to rant.

At any rate I don't see a drop in quality in the blogosphere because of twitter, so yeah. What's the problem?

Gapingvoid: why I deleted my Twitter account

Tyme — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 21:21:13

One thing I find interesting. With the whole Loren/Shel thing going on I can see him deleting the account but I think I would have registered the name to keep someone else from having it, especially since he had a presence on Twitter before.

Gapingvoid: why I deleted my Twitter account

Tyme — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 21:00:42

My primary form of communication with my readers is Tyme Said. Most of the people I follow on Twitter (which you can't see because I follow by RSS so I can keep up) I have their contact information anyway. If Twitter died, I would be just fine.

I think people started blogging because it was the popular thing at the time. Now that more casual tools have come out the serious bloggers will stay with their regular CMS and the casual bloggers will shift to the more casual tools. Absolutely nothing wrong with that because there is an audience for both types of communication.

Gapingvoid: why I deleted my Twitter account

davidhayes — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 20:33:41

When I saw this Note, I couldn't help thinking of something I tweeted yesterday.

Generally I agree with everything that's been said here. Twitter would never be the primary way that I would blog, but it's nice to have a place to share random tiny thoughts and see the same from others. I don't think that would ever become anything that I'd call "my blog" though.

Tumblr serve roughly the same purpose as Twitter, but because it's slightly longer and much less constrained it could certainly pass for "my blog."

There's a difference between longish writing and sharing little tidbits you think are interesting. Tumbler and Twitter are both ill-suited for the former but completely passable for the latter.

Gapingvoid: why I deleted my Twitter account

Gnorb — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 20:17:50

although 99% could care less about what we are twittering.

Exactly why I don't twitter (all that often). In fact, 90% of the time I'm confused at the cryptic stuff everyone else writes.

/Off to attempt writing another comic.
//Maybe someone will laugh this time.

Gapingvoid: why I deleted my Twitter account

JPhill — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 20:15:05

I never understood the whole ditching of your blog because of Twitter. I haven't written one thing on twitter that has ruined my thoughts of writing a blog.

Gapingvoid: why I deleted my Twitter account

Ozone42 — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 19:57:37

It's all about the onus of perception. The general perception of a blog is one of article length entries. It's true, nothing is truly stopping them, but now with tumblr and twitter they have "permission." It's what they're supposed to do in those mediums.

You're exactly right in that if they didn't want to use their blog like that in the first place, they probably shouldn't have started doing so. But the most obvious things are hardest to observe, especially when it comes to our own behavior.

I'm not advocating doing the easy thing over the better thing. Rather, I'm pointing out that when something is easy it's because it connects with a behavior or desire we already have... even if that behavior is laziness.

Gapingvoid: why I deleted my Twitter account

Scrivs — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 19:43:36

@Ozone: How am I missing it? Is Tumblr simply not a blog with short spurts? Why couldn't those people use the blog like that before? Nothing was stopping them. The point is people who used to write thought out entries stop because they are too busy twittering seems to be a conflict. If they didn't want to use their blog like that in the first place I'm not sure why they would start.

Gapingvoid: why I deleted my Twitter account

Scrivs — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 19:36:12

Well if anything this provides a good opportunity for some individuals to breakout in a niche where more and more bloggers seem to be putting their blogs to the side so they can focus on their Twitter. I guess it also helps to filter the signal vs. the noise.

Gapingvoid: why I deleted my Twitter account

Ozone42 — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 19:35:35

I have no disagreement, but I think you're missing a bit on the appeal of twitter.

I think in many cases, people began blogging because it was the best fit medium for what they wanted to do. It wasn't an exact fit. It was a worn down square peg that could be squeezed through the circle hole. Tumblr and twitter probably are closer to what those people actually wanted to do.

But if the person did want to share ideas in a detailed and thought out fashion, then they are certainly killing that concept by moving to tumblr or twitter. I have to think that the audiences of twitter and a blog are very different, though I'm sure there's plenty of overlap.

Gapingvoid: why I deleted my Twitter account

RightOn — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 19:30:40

I like a happy medium on Twitter and I filter who I follow by that rule.

I see Twitter as a way to involve your extended friend network in your daily life when they're not there to experience it. Now, that doesn't mean every fart/sneeze/hiccup needs to be involved I prefer moments and experiences that fit the small format of tweets.

Things that can be developed into well thought out blog posts should become so, not relegated to a tossed out though.

It drives me crazy to see a blog that is nothing but tweets and such, or a well written professional blog that contains tweets etc. Link to it, so if I like your style I can follow you, but don't muck your good work with small blips about how those burritos you devoured last night gave you the runs...

Gapingvoid: why I deleted my Twitter account

Tyme — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 19:24:56

Well, people easily slide into bad habits. Another one is not thinking before publishing something. The truth: people know how to talk but most do not know how to socialize.

Gapingvoid: why I deleted my Twitter account

Scrivs — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 18:54:26

Today I clipped a comic by Hugh McLeod that does a great job of showcasing my problem with Twitter and blogs. You can replace Twitter with Tumblr if you want as well. The issue I have is that people believe that a Twitter though replaces all original thinking or any deep thought that drives us to the people in the first place.

I have no problem with people that Twitter (reasonably). I have no problem with people who like to use Tumblr to showcase quick thoughts and items they have found across the web. What I find confusing is why people choose to have these replace their blog then they feel their blog is so important to them. Now I know we all blog for different reasons, but for the people who decided to do so to share their thoughts with the world with a bit of analysis what made you change?

Twitter is exactly that, too easy. It's too easy to get out a simple thought. You can't go beyond 140 chars and maybe it helps us fulfill our obligation of communicating with our audience although 99% could care less about what we are twittering. I have yet to meet the person that go famous or well-known by the people that follow them on Twitter. From my understanding the popular people on Twitter are that way because they have wonderful or well-followed blogs. Blogs that go a bit deeper than just a post title.

I'm not going to delete any Twitter account because so far I have a good balance between that and Expert Idiot, Emersian and 3by9. It's when I find myself thinking that my Twitter fulfills my obligation towards those sites and audiences that there will be a problem.