Like so many people, when I first showed up at Twitter I went, “I do what now?” and left after sixty seconds.
But I’ve got a friend who’s a power Twitter user and I followed her — literally. Now I more or less “get” Twitter.
I’ve been using The $5 Twitter Trick to learn more about how to use Twitter more efficiently and effectively, to:
- make contacts
- promote my writing
- keep up with the latest news and
- “meet” people from all over the world
Here’s what struck me today (and my apologies if I’m the millionth person to think of this):
Twitter is like the longest first date ever.
What I mean is:
(Almost) everybody seems to be on their best behaviour.
I’ve been blogging for nine years now, and been “on the web” a few years longer, and I’ve lost count of all the flame wars I’ve gotten mixed up in.
But on Twitter? I had one little flare up with a — get this — “bisexual virgin”, about gay marriage. So I blocked her. The end.
Otherwise, even the spammers seem to be going out of their way to be polite. Pushy, yes, but still polite.
Everyone’s trying to make a good impression. For days and weeks and months on end. Somehow, the “tone” of Twitter was established early on, and newcomers naturally fell into line or sodded off.
How long will this last?
No idea, of course. But so far, Twitter’s overall “vibe” makes for a nice change from other ports of call on the web, where corrosive hostility — which I’m as guilty of as the next person — is the order of the day.
Ooops! I almost forgot — you can follow me on Twitter at @kshaidle
