Like many living in the digital age, I sometimes get annoyed with the endless torrent of cyber-slang and internet terminology that sneaks its way into people’s everyday conversations. Whether it’s people audibly saying “lol” when something is funny, or someone promising to “tweet the deets” of a particular event, I just can’t stand it sometimes.
Now don’t get me wrong, I love technology and the internet as much as the next guy, but If there’s one thing I can’t stand about all this post modern, socially-networked, digi-culture BS, it’s Twitter and its clownish band of tweeters.
Sure, Twitter has proven itself useful in various social upheavals (Moldova, Iran, and more recently in Egypt), and provides users with an innovative way to spread news. It’s also a great tool for publishers and bloggers to post links to their work. But despite all its useful applications, I still think it is stupid. Here’s why:
First of all, I cant put my finger on it, but something about the name just pisses me off.
Second, it’s completely public. Unlike Facebook, where status updates are only shared with people you’re friends with, every tweet is visible to the public. I don’t know about you, but I’m paranoid enough about the government watching me with satellites, my cell phone, GPS, and a myriad of other surveillance technologies– so I typically shy away from broadcasting what I’m doing on the internet. Not only is Facebook superior if you’re looking for privacy, it’s also far more dynamic in the ways it allows users to share media with one another.
Third, Twitter is full of nonsense. Although some would argue that the site is a useful source of independent news and information, the overwhelming majority of tweets are useless babble. I have enough trouble sifting through all of the bull on the internet already – I don’t need more.
Twitter has become a playground for sleazy marketers, idiotic attention seekers, and D-list celebrities desperately looking for validation. Who the hell cares what Ashton Kutcher is doing anyway? If what you’re after is informative, useful information and news, I suggest using RSS feeds which are a webformat for frequently updated content. They’re expandable, not restricted to 140 characters, private and don’t have any goofy jargon associated with them.
So in a nutshell, I suppose what I’m trying to say is that Facebook is better for social networking, and RSS is better for news. So if you’re ever thinking about hopping on the Twitter bandwagon, take a step back and consider my argument.
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