There is a new Twitter feed here to alert you to every future post on Newsosaur, if you happen to care.
But there is strong evidence that you may not, according to a new Harvard Business School study of 300,542 inviduals.
The research found that “most people” only tweet once in their lifetimes.
Among the precious few who stick with it, “half of all the people using Twitter updated their pages less than once every 74 days,” according to the study.
“It looks like a few people are creating content for a few people to read and share,” said Bill Heil, who carried out the work.
I have to admit that I am a Twitter slacker.
The only reason Newsosaur will be tweeting in the future is because search guru Danny Sullivan, who couldn't stand my recalcitrance any longer, set up the new, automatic feed.
Thanks, Danny.
P.S. In another technical breakthrough, this is my first airborne post. It is coming from 36,027 feet over the Utah-Colorado border, owing to a slick, $12.95 wifi connection on Virgin America. Now, if they only could master the technology of spacing the seats farther apart...
When you actually start to tweet rather than just feed in your blog posts, I'll follow you. If you do, let me know. @howardowens
ReplyDeleteThanks for covering this one. I've always questioned Twitter. Sure, I appreciate a punchy quip as much as the next blogger, but there aren't many worth reading to be found there.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to Twitter! I have found with both Facebook and Twitter that each seemed useless until you experience a personal moment of serendipity with it. Then - suddenly - it becomes magical.
ReplyDeleteGlad you are giving it a shot.
-Dan
I tweet at least three times a day, and I find Alan's use of the medium valuable. The value of having a notification by email and by tweet is helpful.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, people on Twitter use different search engines to find what is being tweeted about, and it is likely Alan will find new readers.
Now if I can read that catcha without my glasses.
i know when you post because i subscribed to the blog so i get email updates. i have never twittered before and do not plan too. I am 19 and just got beaten into joining face book recently. It helps me most to keep up with the people i am on the college paper with.
ReplyDeleteTweetering is great if you want to keep busy but don't want to actually do anything.
ReplyDeleteBruce Wood
Twitter is absolutely useless to our newspaper/online operation. We send e-mail blasts to those who want them and refuse to pay staffers for wasting more time on trivial pursuits such as Facebook, Myspace and Twitter. We have the tools we need and avoid the toys. I see a lot of editors and reporters playing around on sites when they should be working - or worrying about their paycheck.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the previous comment about twitter being useless for newspapers we need more people like you. not more people who know the social networks well.
ReplyDelete"Now, if they only could master the technology of spacing the seats farther apart...
ReplyDeleteHelp may be on the way: http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2009/06/15/taking_airline_seat_configurations_vertical/
Twitter is absolutely useless to our newspaper/online operation.
ReplyDeleteHow do you know that? Have you given it a good try?
I've just begun to figure out how to use Twitter. Among other uses, it's a great news tip source.
Yesterday, I was playing with Twitter during a break just to see what could be done with it. I saw that Tony Hawk, who is local to our newspaper, was at the White House for a Father's Day event. He even posted a photo of himself with Obama, wearing his skate shoes. I told my editors and we ran a story on it.
This was probably just luck, and I can't count on getting stories regularly like that. So now I'm going through Twitter more systematically to follow sources pertinent to our newspaper.
Twitter is extremely efficient: In 140 characters you have to get to the point. And if you have more to say, you link.
Those who simply dismiss social media as goofing off are going to miss out. Your readers and sources are there, so you should be there.
Tweetering is great if you want to keep busy but don't want to actually do anything.
ReplyDeleteMy 20 year old son just told me he doesn't even know what Twitter is. His roommate compares it to a "chat room." I find it incredibly annoying and don't engage. My company does, however, but it's run by thirty somethings and they respond. I think if I were to constantly tell people what I was doing and where, I'd go insane. It's probably useful for news flashes, such as Michael Jackson's sudden, unexpected death or the downing of a plane or things of interest. But for the everyday idiot, no.
ReplyDeleteTweetering is great.
ReplyDelete"Tweetering is great if you want to keep busy but don't want to actually do anything."
ReplyDeleteI totally agree!!!
I don't have a huge beef with twitter, other than asking that the verb form please, please not be "tweet". That just sounds too ridiculous for adults to be saying all the time. How bout just "twittering"?
ReplyDelete-good blog by the way
I'm a Twitter quitter. I really don't care if so and so noticed it was raining while taking the trash out.
ReplyDelete