Ben Cotten » Twitter

Pet Peave #23: Self-Gratifying Twitter Users

Ben — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 10:30:04 +0000

Twitter is taking the web by storm and I’m glad. Not only is it the “next cool thing”, but it is having a real effect on internet culture, how we use the web, and it is beginning (in my view) to change our “offline” culture as well. But that’s another post, another day. Right now, I’d like to point out one thing that irritates me about some Twitter users.

It’s the same complaint that I had when blogging first hit the world like an atom bomb of inane “look at what my cat just did” carnage. Sure, everyone has a voice now, but should everyone really have a voice? I guess so. Honestly, it’s hard not to want to restrict that freedom when your buddy expects you to look at daily updates on the state of his back hair. Or your Aunt wants you to look at 23 pictures of her in the Snuggie she got for Christmas on Facebook. Sometimes it’s best to keep our narcissism to ourselves until we eventually discover that the world simply can’t revolve around more than one person at a time. Now, years later, it seems like some of the “Cat Blogging” has abated and the blogosphere has reached a little more equilibrium (well… mostly). Maybe we just had to get it out of our system for a while.

Now Twitter enters the scene and the immediacy of communication and life-share gets us all hot and bothered again. The problem is that life-share can quickly become over-share.

With this is mind, here’s my advice on Twitter (twittervice?). After all, while you’re reading this blog post the world revolves around me. Right?

CONTRIBUTE. The power of Twitter is not in making your world more centered around you. Twitter is about connecting to a collective conversation. The occasional “I’m bored” tweet is ok. I really am interested in what my friends are doing. But, if you never contribute anything original, never post a link to something interesting and valuable, never add anything to the “conversation” then you need to rethink this thing a little. Do you ever have a thought that isn’t about yourself? Post it. If someone you follow contributes something valuable, retweet it. Stop acting like Twitter is your birthday party where everyone came to see you.

Maybe Twitter is simply reflecting something about all of us that we hesitate to face up to. Maybe we are all far more narcissistic than we think.

That is all. You may return to your own planet’s orbit.

[tags]twitter, micro-blogging, tips, help[/tags]

Ben’s Twitter Roundup for Today

Ben — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 04:59:59 +0000

I’ve now picked up 2, and a possible 3, web jobs this week. Thank God or panic? #
@emilymitchell LOL! I want a picture… #
preparing teach my Amer Lit class today. Geez it’s been a while since I read Moby Dick… #
class went well. I’m home now tweaking my sermon for Sunday. #
The current lines at the gas station scream, “Sarah Palin for president!” Agree or not, the Mcain/Palin camp will benefit from this. #
Mark Driscoll interviews John Piper. Really cool interview, especially for dads and husbands. http://twurl.nl/xc50p2 #

Ben’s Twitter Roundup for Today

Ben — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 04:59:59 +0000

I’m absolutely loving Launchy. I’m finally liberated from my touchpad and mouse. Try it. http://snurl.com/3p3s2 #
Rubik’s Magic is back! Just saw the commercial. http://snurl.com/3p90c #
I’m teaching a Amer. Lit class once a wk in a homeschool coop. My class blog idea is actually working! http://snurl.com/3p915 #
Mark Driscoll’s new stuff on Spiritual Warfare is excellent. http://snurl.com/3p965 #
my cat has been sitting in the floor staring at me without blinking for 15 minutes. It’s creeping me out. #

Ben’s Twitter Roundup for Today

Ben — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 04:59:59 +0000

Working on part 2 of a sermon series on Spritual Gifts. Anyone know where I can get some rattlesnakes that don’t mind being handled? ;-) #
“Stop defining yourself by your worst moment. And stop defining others by theirs.” Erwin McManus OUCH! #

Ben’s Twitter Updates for 2008-09-09

Ben — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 04:59:59 +0000

Family movie night… watching Cinderella and eating ChicFilet with the kids on a blanket in the living room. Awesome. #
I'm in a fist fight with my To Do List and the list is kicking my tail. #
Finishing up a web job for a Methodist church in MN. Used joomla! CMS. http://www.aumfmn.org #
Looks like I’ll be starting a website refurb for these folks… http://www.edmistenheatingandcooling.com #

Twitters Never Lose

Ben — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 20:55:00 +0000

I’ve caved.Â I’m on Twitter now.Â When I first heard about Twitter, I thought the whole idea was really stupid.Â I called it the online version of The Hills.Â However, I’ve been thinking about this concept and I’ve changed my tune a bit.

The social networking craze has some positive aspects to it.Â Mainly, the ability to communicate and stay in touch with a lot of people in one place.Â The thing that I hate about Facebook and MySpace is that it creates an environment where I’m not in control of the flood of “communication” that comes at me.Â When someone writes on my wall in Facebook, there is an expectation that I respond.Â It’s like an invitation for everyone to put more emails in my inbox, whether I want them to or not.Â And let’s be honest, at least 70% of the communication that we all get from Facebook is junk.Â I just got “poked”!Â Well, now I’m expected to poke back?Â No thanks.

Twitter is social networking on my terms.Â You choose who you follow.Â And you aren’t their “friend”.Â There’s no expectation of some kind of inane back and forth emailing and messaging.Â If you want to know what’s going on with me, you check.Â Don’t care?Â No problem.Â You can not care and nobody gets hurt and I don’t get an inbox full of “friends” poking me and sending me virtual beer.

You can follow me here:Â http://twitter.com/bencotten

[tags]twitter, social networking, facebook, myspace[/tags]