Twitter Nostalgia

Twitter is like an indie band that did well and now is selling out stadiums across the world.

It’s interesting to me that when I first started using Twitter in 2006, the amount of “in-twitter” replies using the @ sign were low. If I came across someone using the @ sign more than a few times a day I tended to not follow or unfollow them because, at first, the platform wasn’t about conversing. Twitter was about answering the simple question of what we all were doing. It was interesting and amazing. The music and giddiness of something new was there.

Now, in 2008 and with 700k members, Twitter is less about telling people what we are doing and more about the “conversation” and follows the aesthetics of an IRC chat. Twitter has become a Rolling Stones-esque performance show with lead singers prancing around on the social stage clad like Bono and jubilant like Mic Jagger. It’s fun to watch, but after a few hours, I’m ready to go home and put the headphones on so I can enjoy the music like I did years ago.

I follow around 600 people, and now seeing a tweet without the @ sign is a rarity, but always gets my attention and makes me nostalgic for the good old days before Twitter made it to the cover of Rolling Stone and we practiced in a garage.

Then isn’t better than now, and the opposite is true. However, now is different than then. I don’t necessarily want Twitter to become a social network because I don’t need or want another social network. I do want to see what other people are doing, though.

Perhaps someone will make an @-less platform where we can just play our music and not have to worry about the crowds or the groupies or the roadies.

How about an acoustic Twitter album?

posted: 08 January 17
under: Online Marketing tips and tricks, Twitter, web2.0

  • I'm not sure if you follow the T.V. show lost but one of the characters (killed off but doesn't mean he won't still be on there in a flashback, etc.) was Charlie of the band, Driveshaft. They're hit song was, "You All Everybody" and that title reminds me of Twitter!
  • lol... thanks, LinkerJPatrick. Lost is probably my fav tv show and the analogy is perfect (as much as I hated Charlie and that song even though it was stuck in my head for weeks after first hearing it on the show).
  • moto62
    sam,
    i've only been twittering since around fall 2007 and even i have seen a major difference since i started. if i see too many @'s when deciding to follow someone, i don't follow them. i almost feel like i'm intruding on the conversation they already have going and i would't be able to follow it anyway cause i came to the party too late!
    great blog,
    sue
  • Interesting view on Twitter! You could always change your settings to block all @'s if you'd like..........check out the blog post I wrote on this:
    http://googtweetblog.edublogs.org/2008/01/12/ea...

    Remember, this is coming from a brand-new Twitter user, I just started at the end of December!

    @kolson29
  • Merredith
    Well, late to the conversation as usual... but saw this post and it's so thoughtfully written; you've given me something to ponder. The analogy is apt, even for those of us who watched the beginnings of Twitter from the sidelines. I definitely get who the Bonos and Jaggers are; and it's a bit of a headspin, following all the @s. I'm trying to figure it out as I go along - and now I'll be figuring it out wondering if it's time to "go home and put my headphones on..."

    Thanks for the great blog,
    Merredith
blog comments powered by Disqus