Come Twitter your time away

July 13, 2009

Well hello there.  Nice to see you online.

Here’s the deal:  You need us.  Twitter is totally the perfect forum for you.  For your sparkling wit.  For those lonely, bleak moments, chained to your cubicle, when you’re suddenly struck with the genius of your own humor.

Only there’s no one around to impress share it with.  Your cubemate is at lunch and the “team” in Hydrabad hasn’t logged on yet.  But we are here, tweeting, waiting to burst into raucous laughter at your one liner.  Or sentimental tears at your words of inspiration.

And also, we need you.  I understand and can name your insecurity, the whole “why does anyone care what I’m doing right now” fear.  Well if I didn’t care, I wouldn’t be writing this.  Geez.  I’m not going to beg you.  I’m just pleading.  There’s totally a difference.

You know me.  When it comes to this stuff, I am the most resistant person ever.  And I’ve written again and againabout how flummoxed I felt joining the social media craze.  So pretty much if I’m pressuring you, all signs point to you being way behind the curve.  And I fully admit that I’m asking you to join the twittosphere for purely selfish reasons – I want your funny selves to brighten my day.

There’s another weird side benefit of Twitter that I’m kinda (very) hesitant to mention because it really makes me sound like a bit of a stalker, or that maybe I think I’m too good.  Well, actually both.  It has to do with this little known dynamic in human relationships wherein if you don’t find someone interesting or, you know, like them, chances are good that you don’t really want to be their bff.

Well on Twitter, you can follow people who tweet in ways that you enjoy, and they don’t have to follow you.  And the opposite is true, too.  People can relish your tweets and you can ignore their tweeting series on the silly antics of their wonderdog.  (Okay, that *might* be me.)

To be clear though, this is really only a teeny, tiny indirect benefit.  The real awesomeness that is Twitter comes from participating in a real connection with people, in an invigorating, life-enhancing two-way, or nineteen-way, banter.  (That’s right, I am not ashamed to admit that I think Twitter is life-enhancing.)

And I’m not suggesting you become some kind of Twitter groupie.  Only that there’s a possibility  for the wit and wisdom of some complete stranger  to bring joy to your day.  And I am so not a Twitter groupie.  Of @pistachio or @jonathanfields or @pamslim or …

(Okay, you really must go follow these people immediately.  Especially @pistachio.  She, like, wrote the book on Twitter.  No, I’m totally freaking serious, not kidding.  She wrote the book on Twitter.)

And these are really only the personal and social benefits of Twitter.  I haven’t even mentioned Twitter’s potential for helping you find your people.  You know, the people who need what you have to offer and the people who are offering what you happen to need.  So just know that the potential exists and it’s huge.

There is also a group of you who actually are on Twitter, you just never say a single thing.  Now really, this is the new version of blog lurking.  And it’s fine.  But I can basically guarantee that we will both have a better time if you speak up now and again.

If you have questions about how to tweet, or want to learn the do’s and don’ts, check out this super insightful how-to.  Then set up a profile and tell all of your (bright & funny, sweet & wise) friends.

I’m @BrianaAldrich and I’ll introduce you to all the cool kids.  Not that they know I exist.  That’s part of the genius – we get to follow them and hope their awesome, clever, insightful fairy dust sprinkles off on us.

K.  See you there.

{ 2 trackbacks }

Exhaustion: who knew there are perks? — blisscovery
July 31, 2009 at 9:01 am
This is me. And this is social media.
January 8, 2010 at 11:12 am

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