Some people will say that it’s “Just twitter“, but many can’t deny that the service has facilitated great friendships & by contrast has destroyed a few also.  It may be hard for some to appreciate how significant something that seems so fatuous is. But times have changed ( and continues to change) and the way we  communicate has evolved also. It does take some getting used to and many will probably never see the  value of it, because humans are creatures of habit and Twitter for many isn’t a habit and will probably never become one because of their unwillingness to change/adaption.

How different is it if you insult someone via twitter in contrast to insulting them in person? The medium may be different and unconventional, but the effect can be just the same ( hurtful). Therefore i think it’s wrong for people to say “It’s just twitter”. Like it or not twitter is apart of our generation and it has amassed quite a following in a short period of time ( Over 10 million people). So whether you choose to acknowledge it to be substantial or not it’s still there and behind many tweets are real people and prospective friendships to be made.

I’ve been fortunate enough to meet many great people  exclusively through twitter and i have developed timeless friendships with just as much. Some of these people I can name without a moment’s hesitation @aundra, @eddiane, @franarexic, @iamsbee, @MarcGrandmaison, @Zaineysmummy, @jamaipanese @MissBrownin et al.

So, the next time you say “It’s just twitter” remember that behind every username ( robots etc aside) is a REAL person with REAL feelings and anything you say to them there has the potential to help or hurt just as much as it would if you said it to their face.

N.B You can apply this to any other service that facilities human-to-human socialization online ( i.e facebook, tagged etc)

For those who are not familiar with twitter, Commoncraft.com has put together a brief video with an explanation, embedded below is the video:

Lovingly made on Monday, March 29th, 2010 at 8:31 pm. Filed under Interesting, Personal, Tech, Uncategorized, Webology.