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CARMEN'S CORNER: Twitter, Tweet, Twit?
- By Carmen Watkins
- Published 06/23/2009
- Editorial and Opinion
- Unrated
Carmen Watkins
Carmen Watkins is president and CEO of the African-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston.
View all articles by Carmen Watkins
I must admit where I had no interest in Facebook or any of its counterparts in the social networking system MySpace, etc. I am just a bit curious and intrigued with the use of Twitter. No only has it raised the bar, by being more than a designated site to meet someone new, but appears that its use is morphing into that of a “politico” type discussion site.
Twitter is a free service that allows you keep in touch with people through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?
I was just as cynical, after all, I am not interested in sharing that much with the world and further, if I saw or received one more listing of where someone was or what they were doing in any given day or weekend, I was going to scream. I grew tired of the blogging nightmares that always led to endless ranting and cursing by one user or the other. But thankfully, their have been a few to garner enough courage to find and finally exploit some meaningful use with the internet based social networking tool.
Not since our elections in America last fall, has the Twitter site been the most popular site for news and information as it has since the recent elections in Iran. Since the Iranian government imposed a “blackout” of mainstream news and imposed the threat of legal action against those who would dare express or organize dissent, sites like Twitter and Facebook, along with the use of the “camera phone” have become the greatest weapons to gain information and access to the latest information in Iran.
On the Twitter Web site the following message was posted, “It’s humbling to think that our two-year old company could be playing such a globally meaningful role that state officials find their way toward highlighting our significance. However, it’s important to note that the State Department does not have access to our decision making process. Nevertheless, we can both agree that the open exchange of information is a positive force in the world.”
No one would have imagined even ten years ago, that the “digital divide” would not only be about the access to technology. It appears that understanding and adapting to the ever changing available networking options is key to garnering a larger piece of the pie, both personally and professionally.
To stay relevant in the growing use of technology, assumes that you have the interest to stay current and use the applications available. It is indeed quite a devastation to our community. Although our youth seem to get the message of “what’s in and what’s out” long before most of us even know that it exists. And just when the rest of us choose to master “tweeting,” it will be time for something else. So keep your eyes open and your fingers moving and welcome to the “real information highway.”
Carmen
Twitter is a free service that allows you keep in touch with people through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?
I was just as cynical, after all, I am not interested in sharing that much with the world and further, if I saw or received one more listing of where someone was or what they were doing in any given day or weekend, I was going to scream. I grew tired of the blogging nightmares that always led to endless ranting and cursing by one user or the other. But thankfully, their have been a few to garner enough courage to find and finally exploit some meaningful use with the internet based social networking tool.
Not since our elections in America last fall, has the Twitter site been the most popular site for news and information as it has since the recent elections in Iran. Since the Iranian government imposed a “blackout” of mainstream news and imposed the threat of legal action against those who would dare express or organize dissent, sites like Twitter and Facebook, along with the use of the “camera phone” have become the greatest weapons to gain information and access to the latest information in Iran.
On the Twitter Web site the following message was posted, “It’s humbling to think that our two-year old company could be playing such a globally meaningful role that state officials find their way toward highlighting our significance. However, it’s important to note that the State Department does not have access to our decision making process. Nevertheless, we can both agree that the open exchange of information is a positive force in the world.”
No one would have imagined even ten years ago, that the “digital divide” would not only be about the access to technology. It appears that understanding and adapting to the ever changing available networking options is key to garnering a larger piece of the pie, both personally and professionally.
To stay relevant in the growing use of technology, assumes that you have the interest to stay current and use the applications available. It is indeed quite a devastation to our community. Although our youth seem to get the message of “what’s in and what’s out” long before most of us even know that it exists. And just when the rest of us choose to master “tweeting,” it will be time for something else. So keep your eyes open and your fingers moving and welcome to the “real information highway.”
Carmen