Comments on: Twitter Should Be A Two-Way Conversation, Not One-Way Like Most Use It http://www.jimkukral.com/twitter-should-be-a-two-way-conversation-not-one-way-like-most-use-it/ Small Business Consultant Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:45:24 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: monawea http://www.jimkukral.com/twitter-should-be-a-two-way-conversation-not-one-way-like-most-use-it/comment-page-1/#comment-7416 monawea Mon, 17 Dec 2007 21:01:06 +0000 http://www.jimkukral.com/twitter-should-be-a-two-way-conversation-not-one-way-like-most-use-it/#comment-7416 I thought the who point of Twitter was to let everyone know what you are doing. That's what they ask you - "What are you doing". I have never thought of it as useful tool for two way communication. The whole setup is one sided in my opinion. But the one-sided conversation seems to be what attracts a lot of people to it. At first I was very confused by the whole twitter concept but then quickly became addicted. I am not sure how it happened but it did. When you "follow" someones twitters you are doing just that - following not necessarily conversing. I find it interesting to see what everyone is up to but don't usually respond. That's my opinion on the subject anyway ;) I thought the who point of Twitter was to let everyone know what you are doing. That’s what they ask you – “What are you doing”. I have never thought of it as useful tool for two way communication. The whole setup is one sided in my opinion. But the one-sided conversation seems to be what attracts a lot of people to it. At first I was very confused by the whole twitter concept but then quickly became addicted. I am not sure how it happened but it did.
When you “follow” someones twitters you are doing just that – following not necessarily conversing. I find it interesting to see what everyone is up to but don’t usually respond.
That’s my opinion on the subject anyway ;)

]]> By: Jim Kukral http://www.jimkukral.com/twitter-should-be-a-two-way-conversation-not-one-way-like-most-use-it/comment-page-1/#comment-7343 Jim Kukral Wed, 12 Dec 2007 19:15:16 +0000 http://www.jimkukral.com/twitter-should-be-a-two-way-conversation-not-one-way-like-most-use-it/#comment-7343 @Shawn, I meant friends. Although I think it's bogus to have people follow you and not refollow them, which is my point. @Shawn, I meant friends. Although I think it’s bogus to have people follow you and not refollow them, which is my point.

]]> By: Shawn Collins http://www.jimkukral.com/twitter-should-be-a-two-way-conversation-not-one-way-like-most-use-it/comment-page-1/#comment-7341 Shawn Collins Wed, 12 Dec 2007 18:15:58 +0000 http://www.jimkukral.com/twitter-should-be-a-two-way-conversation-not-one-way-like-most-use-it/#comment-7341 > I’m flirting with coming back with a 95% reduction in followers. You're going to block interested people from following you?! > I’m flirting with coming back with a 95% reduction in followers.

You’re going to block interested people from following you?!

]]> By: Jim Kukral http://www.jimkukral.com/twitter-should-be-a-two-way-conversation-not-one-way-like-most-use-it/comment-page-1/#comment-7340 Jim Kukral Wed, 12 Dec 2007 18:12:17 +0000 http://www.jimkukral.com/twitter-should-be-a-two-way-conversation-not-one-way-like-most-use-it/#comment-7340 @John, so you use Twitter to listen to what others have to say instead of just talking to them? I think that's great, not wrong. Thanks for stopping by. @aaron, I'm flirting with coming back with a 95% reduction in followers. @John, so you use Twitter to listen to what others have to say instead of just talking to them? I think that’s great, not wrong. Thanks for stopping by.

@aaron, I’m flirting with coming back with a 95% reduction in followers.

]]> By: John Dowdell http://www.jimkukral.com/twitter-should-be-a-two-way-conversation-not-one-way-like-most-use-it/comment-page-1/#comment-7339 John Dowdell Wed, 12 Dec 2007 17:59:38 +0000 http://www.jimkukral.com/twitter-should-be-a-two-way-conversation-not-one-way-like-most-use-it/#comment-7339 <em>"There are certain “big name” bloggers who have thousands of followers, but do not reciprocate, or follow, those users back... To me, that’s crap."</em> I use my single Twitter stream to track what other Adobe employees are doing. Do you think that's wrong? Using it as a chatroom doesn't tend to work too well, from what I've seen. (I think it'd be great if such "social software" offered various levels of engagement... multiple aggregation lists on Twitter, for instance.) jd/adobe “There are certain “big name” bloggers who have thousands of followers, but do not reciprocate, or follow, those users back… To me, that’s crap.”

I use my single Twitter stream to track what other Adobe employees are doing. Do you think that’s wrong?

Using it as a chatroom doesn’t tend to work too well, from what I’ve seen.

(I think it’d be great if such “social software” offered various levels of engagement… multiple aggregation lists on Twitter, for instance.)

jd/adobe

]]> By: Twitter Dave http://www.jimkukral.com/twitter-should-be-a-two-way-conversation-not-one-way-like-most-use-it/comment-page-1/#comment-7335 Twitter Dave Wed, 12 Dec 2007 07:07:44 +0000 http://www.jimkukral.com/twitter-should-be-a-two-way-conversation-not-one-way-like-most-use-it/#comment-7335 Well ... legislating how people communicate is not a great idea. Freedom is important. Some don't reciprocate, but why shouldn't Twitter resemble the real world? Everyone need to find their own way. If you're there, you can help them do it! Well … legislating how people communicate is not a great idea. Freedom is important. Some don’t reciprocate, but why shouldn’t Twitter resemble the real world? Everyone need to find their own way. If you’re there, you can help them do it!

]]> By: Aaron Brazell http://www.jimkukral.com/twitter-should-be-a-two-way-conversation-not-one-way-like-most-use-it/comment-page-1/#comment-7321 Aaron Brazell Wed, 12 Dec 2007 04:57:52 +0000 http://www.jimkukral.com/twitter-should-be-a-two-way-conversation-not-one-way-like-most-use-it/#comment-7321 Hey Jim- Come back to Twitter. Yeah there's big names that won't reciprocate. So what? Have your own conversations with those that do. I'm an example of someone who is not in the realms of a Scoble or Dave Winer or Shel Israel that has made Twitter a home for me and I do have ocnversations with people that DO reciprocate. Come on back and have a conversation with me... Aaron Hey Jim-

Come back to Twitter. Yeah there’s big names that won’t reciprocate. So what? Have your own conversations with those that do. I’m an example of someone who is not in the realms of a Scoble or Dave Winer or Shel Israel that has made Twitter a home for me and I do have ocnversations with people that DO reciprocate. Come on back and have a conversation with me…

Aaron

]]> By: Eric Rice http://www.jimkukral.com/twitter-should-be-a-two-way-conversation-not-one-way-like-most-use-it/comment-page-1/#comment-7319 Eric Rice Wed, 12 Dec 2007 03:23:16 +0000 http://www.jimkukral.com/twitter-should-be-a-two-way-conversation-not-one-way-like-most-use-it/#comment-7319 Yup, and I'm one of those that thunder Twitter. Not my fault there's no threading and not my fault that the API made it so MORE apps can be made for desktop apps that leave those SMS users who get vibed every nanosecond, in the minority. (SMS seems so one-way and minimal tech anyway, talk @ us all you like, technically. Hopefully you won't 'conceptually' talk @ us. Lots of big names do that.) I'm not unique in that, though. It's emergent behavior. Someone posts at Tweet and a few people respond, or respond with a question, and that's five times the amount of derivative traffic. Even worse is that Twitter's weird software design puts us in to a position to have to shout out to others to get someone's attention. (If you don't follow me, I can't send you a direct message). That will generate more traffic than needed. Since one post can cause a LOT of responses (just ask a question and watch how fast the answer comes in. One of the common answers to why people use twitter is 'that my friends are there' and that just sets the stage for activity. The problem that needs to be addressed is how it CAN be a timesuck and it CAN be a stage and, well, probably will be. "Just manage your time" is easier said than done. And now that the spammers have arrived, it's becoming weird. How many times do Lionel Trains need to follow me, sheesh. One other thing that peripheral services do-- allow for the auto-cross-posting. So every Utterz, every Seesmic, all of it, can be polluting our own streams unless we create multiple accounts (great for the numbers game, heh). I wrote a rather detailed 2 part piece called "Soylent Twitter" after hitting 10,000 tweets. I put that service through the paces and tried lots of weird experiments. It opens the door to a darker side of social media that we're in denial over, or just plain refuse to talk about. Good Luck, Jim! http://www.ericrice.com/blog/2007/11/25/soylent-twitter-playing-the-spin-expansion-pack/ Yup, and I’m one of those that thunder Twitter. Not my fault there’s no threading and not my fault that the API made it so MORE apps can be made for desktop apps that leave those SMS users who get vibed every nanosecond, in the minority. (SMS seems so one-way and minimal tech anyway, talk @ us all you like, technically. Hopefully you won’t ‘conceptually’ talk @ us. Lots of big names do that.)

I’m not unique in that, though. It’s emergent behavior. Someone posts at Tweet and a few people respond, or respond with a question, and that’s five times the amount of derivative traffic. Even worse is that Twitter’s weird software design puts us in to a position to have to shout out to others to get someone’s attention. (If you don’t follow me, I can’t send you a direct message). That will generate more traffic than needed. Since one post can cause a LOT of responses (just ask a question and watch how fast the answer comes in.

One of the common answers to why people use twitter is ‘that my friends are there’ and that just sets the stage for activity.

The problem that needs to be addressed is how it CAN be a timesuck and it CAN be a stage and, well, probably will be. “Just manage your time” is easier said than done. And now that the spammers have arrived, it’s becoming weird. How many times do Lionel Trains need to follow me, sheesh.

One other thing that peripheral services do– allow for the auto-cross-posting. So every Utterz, every Seesmic, all of it, can be polluting our own streams unless we create multiple accounts (great for the numbers game, heh).

I wrote a rather detailed 2 part piece called “Soylent Twitter” after hitting 10,000 tweets. I put that service through the paces and tried lots of weird experiments. It opens the door to a darker side of social media that we’re in denial over, or just plain refuse to talk about.

Good Luck, Jim!

http://www.ericrice.com/blog/2007/11/25/soylent-twitter-playing-the-spin-expansion-pack/

]]> By: Shawn Collins http://www.jimkukral.com/twitter-should-be-a-two-way-conversation-not-one-way-like-most-use-it/comment-page-1/#comment-7318 Shawn Collins Wed, 12 Dec 2007 02:28:02 +0000 http://www.jimkukral.com/twitter-should-be-a-two-way-conversation-not-one-way-like-most-use-it/#comment-7318 Hey Jim - I agree that it should be a two-way communication, and I try to follow most anybody who elects to follow me. But some folks are tweetaholics that hammer out many dozens of tweets per day. That's excessive to me and I typically unfollow them. Hey Jim -

I agree that it should be a two-way communication, and I try to follow most anybody who elects to follow me.

But some folks are tweetaholics that hammer out many dozens of tweets per day.

That’s excessive to me and I typically unfollow them.

]]> By: How Today Became Twitter Tuesday : Todd Earwood http://www.jimkukral.com/twitter-should-be-a-two-way-conversation-not-one-way-like-most-use-it/comment-page-1/#comment-7316 How Today Became Twitter Tuesday : Todd Earwood Wed, 12 Dec 2007 00:45:48 +0000 http://www.jimkukral.com/twitter-should-be-a-two-way-conversation-not-one-way-like-most-use-it/#comment-7316 [...] people talking about Twitter Tuesday: Nate, Nick, Dawn and Jim (who quit Twitter, but may come [...] [...] people talking about Twitter Tuesday: Nate, Nick, Dawn and Jim (who quit Twitter, but may come [...]

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