Why shouldn’t we just quit Twitter?

12/15/2011 By 46 Comments

I guess I’m here tonight fishing for an answer to that question. Looking for someone to give me one good reason – a reason that really isn’t mitigated wholly or in part by negatives.

But your friends are on it!

Some are, true. But what’s also true is that I don’t really communicate with any of them on it. We sort of talk near each other. Our words may occasionally glance those of the other, but that’s about it. There’s no substantive communicative there there. And that’s true for everyone who uses the thing 99.9% of the time, I’d reckon.

But it’s a great promotional tool for bloggers!

Really? I hardly get any of my blog traffic through twitter, and that seems to be true for most bloggers I talk to.

You just aren’t a real ‘professional’ as a blogger if you don’t do it. It’s *required* now.

Maybe you’ve heard of Sweet Juniper? And Pacing The Panic Room? (Who I recently communicated with on the this very topic, and I must say, he makes a very seductive-sounding case.)

I could go on and on like this, and I have, with increasing frequency, in my own mind. I haven’t hid my disdain for Twitter in the past and I’ve gone on at length before about why I think it’s a horrendous timesuck (and I feel similarly about Facebook to be perfectly honest… but I suppose I could summon a small measure of enthusiasm about Facebook if pressed to – at least you can say things at a length greater than 140 characters). Moreover, it seems that the less I use it, the more time I have to actually do things. Write. Post on this blog. Be creative. Make out with my boyfriend. Whatever. But, you know, things that matter. Things that don’t just get swept away on the ephemeral digital stream into the ether three seconds after I post them. Things with some permanence and substance to them.

I realize some of you might enjoy Twitter and find it entertaining, and more power to you. But for those of you who, like me, are less than thrilled with it, why do you stay? When you talk to yourself about it, what kind of case do you make for still doing it? What’s the compelling argument for it that keeps you going back? Is there one? Or has it just become something compulsive?

Really, why shouldn’t we just quit Twitter?

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  • http://www.sweetney.com Sweetney

    Oh and I should add – note, I’m adding this in comments, not on twitter – that one of the worst things about Twitter is how it’s become how people comment on your posts. If you post a link *to your post* on Twitter, rather than commenting in the actual comments section on the post they just read, they instead go back to Twitter to comment on that post ON TWITTER. As though that makes perfect sense, since you posted the link to the post on Twitter, right? GAH.

    And that sort of underscores why I think Twitter is all in or all out. (And also YET ANOTHER REASON I CAN’T STAND IT.)

    • http://www.fromtracie.com From Tracie

      YES! I think I hate that more than anything else about twitter. It drives me crazy.

      • http://www.sweetney.com Sweetney

        I’d wager every single blogger you know feels the EXACT same way. It’s really almost single-handedly destroyed in-depth, thoughtful conversation in comments.

        This is actually one of many changes I’m making in my blog life. And just about all the changes have to do with going, in effect Old School. Using Google Reader A LOT and keeping up with blogs AND commenting on them. Really trying to be responsive and engaged. GOD, REMEMBER WHEN WE WERE ALL THAT, and not just doing things because we felt like we HAD to?

        And the truth is, the more I follow this line of thought, the more I love blogging again.

  • http://www.citizenofthemonth.com Neil Kramer

    If I left Twitter, I would instantly lose touch with 75% of everyone I know online. But the more I think about it, maybe that’s not so terrible, and it would improve my relationships with my closer friends. But I have a feeling that unless you have a strong following already, it is not the wisest decision. Most readers DO find out about a new post via Twitter and Facebook nowadays, and not Google Reader.

    • http://www.sweetney.com Sweetney

      Do you find that you get most of your traffic through social media? I just wonder if those people wouldn’t actually subscribe to your feed if you were on Twitter. I mean, like in olden days?

      So is the value then primarily as a New Post Alert System? If that’s the case, then maybe just run your feed to it, right?

      • http://www.citizenofthemonth.com Neil Kramer

        But you are absolutely correct that we would all write more and be a helluva lot more productive if we dumped Twitter.

  • Linda Sharps

    I sometimes feel like it would be nice to completely unplug, but I also find comfort in the never-ending chatter happening on Twitter — maybe because I have like zero adult company these days? There’s something very powerful about being able to post something (a question, maybe, or just a venting comment) and hear back from a crowd of people immediately, too.

    But why even question it, if you’re not enjoying it? Why would you try to look for someone to give you a reason to do something you don’t find rewarding?

    • http://www.sweetney.com Sweetney

      I guess I miss the days of more in-depth back-and-forth. Like, in comments! And even over email. People spend so much time tweeting and FB status updating that they don’t engage in comments like they used to, they don’t have time for long email conversations. That trade-off seems like… a bad one. Like trading depth for breadth. Reach for substance.

      And really, I’m interesting in hearing about what people who aren’t into it find it good for. Because based on a number of conversations I’ve had recently, a fair-sized swath of people on twitter don’t really like it, but still do it. I don’t want to throw the baby out with the bathwater if I’m missing something, I guess. *shrug*

  • http://www.fromtracie.com From Tracie

    I don’t get much traffic from Twitter either (but I do get a lot from facebook) and I thought I was the only one. Maybe the wrong people are following me?

    I log into my twitter when I’m having a slow day and chat a bit, or I use it to talk to the few friends I have who use it for their primary social-ness if I’m trying to get in touch quickly. But I’m not on there everyday the way I was in the first few months I had it.

  • http://twitter.com/xtremeparnthood Sunday Stilwell

    I have to admit that I really like Twitter. But I’d wager my reasons for liking it are a bit more unique than most. As a parent with two sons with autism I don’t get out much. Neither do the majority of the other parents I talk to under the #autism hashtag. For us Twitter is a kind of virtual support group. We can’t get out to a real one so we all hang on Twitter and Facebook and ask our questions, vent our frustrations, and connect in the only way we really can.

    Also, my largest source of traffic for my blog also comes from Twitter but that is most likely because of the number of posts I write about autism and promote under that hashtag.

  • http://twitter.com/jodifur jodi

    I honestly get a lot of blog traffic from twitter. And I like twitter. But they way you feel about twitter is the way I feel about Facebook.

    That being said, I find myself on it less and less. I still use my google reader a lot, and am trying to get back into CLICKING OVER TO BLOGS AND COMMENTING. The problem I find is that I read from my phone and my ipad, where clicking and commenting is a pain.

    I think the general problem is just the noise. There is too much noise. I need to get back to the time where I read the 20-30 blogs I loved and commented religiously, not 100.

  • http://thecheekofgod.wordpress.com/ Brian

    Hmm . . . There are times when Twitter has been fun. Like when I need a plethora of answers to a quick question. Those times are fun. But lately, most of my feed is marketing. And I’m not on Twitter for that. I guess I could weed out the accounts that bug me and keep only the ones of people I enjoy reading, but then I’d find that nearly all of them are already on FB, so why not just go there? What little blog traffic I do get is not from Twitter.

    I guess if there is an advantage, at least everyone gets to see your feed. FB seems to be weeding out stuff lately, and I’m sure there are those who don’t see that I have a new post up.

    And about comments: I find it interesting that the comments on FB take on a life of their own, even when it’s about a blog post. And I can’t do two conversations all that well.

    Only recently have I begun to pay attention to my Reader account. I need to weed it out as well, but who has time for that?! ;-)

    I remember when I started by blog. I read a lot of blogs and commented a lot. And my blog his a peak late in 2009. Lots of readers and interaction. And then I got on Twitter and Facebook and started hanging there more. And neglected my blog. And now I’m trying to build it up again, but finding it hard.

    Sorry to be rambling in your comments. But you’ve got me thinking before coffee, and that’s not good . . .

  • http://www.sweetney.com Sweetney

    By the way, I need to apologize to everyone: I mistakenly had my DISQUS account set up so only DISQUS users could comment, and I didn’t even realize it. D’OH! Now you should be able to easily login using several different account methods, including Google, Facebook, and yes, even Twitter :)

    Anyway, sorry about that. See, I get all uppity about being TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED AND SHIT, and then realize: oops, I suck!

    • http://www.twitter.com/bstephenson Brad Stephenson

      Rock on. I thought it was just an issue with the mobile version. Thanks!

  • http://www.twitter.com/bstephenson Brad Stephenson

    I have a list of about 20-30 specific people I follow strictly for the comedy. There is something hilarious about a well-crafted 140 character joke. I also love 10-minute plays. Maybe it’s my short attention span.

    The other bajillion people I follow rarely get a glance from me.

    • http://www.sweetney.com Sweetney

      Right, and that’s the thing – most of the people who “follow” you don’t ever read a word you’re saying. That’s the reality now – with all the filtering and tweet deck groups and crap people use to weed out the vast majority of their stream and siphon it down to an actually manageable number. And then you figure even in that case, most people don’t see 3/4 of what you post because if they don’t happen to be online right when you post it, it gets pushed so far down their stream it’s like it never happened. It’s just a lot of effort to do what amounts to screaming into the void – at least for me it is.

  • http://profiles.google.com/catnip35 Annette Kiesow

    I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. I use twitter find news and keep up with the world but I hardly ever talk with anyone there anymore. I’ve definitely thought about dumping it and using my time differently but I’m almost afraid to. I really miss the way blogging and commenting used to be and it makes me very meh about social media in general right now, you know, since none of it is all that social. It is nice to know I’m not the only one feeling this way.

    • http://www.sweetney.com Sweetney

      “I really miss the way blogging and commenting used to be and it makes me very meh about social media in general right now, you know, since none of it is all that social.”

      BINGO.

      And here’s the thing – the vast majority of people I’ve talked to about twitter, especially bloggers, basically tell me they hardly read it. They post links to their blog posts to promote them, and then maybe a stray tweet here and there or respond to a random @-reply from someone to keep up appearances, so their stream really isn’t just self-promotional linking, and that’s it. But they’re really not using it for “socializing.” They’re not actively engaging. They’re doing what they feel they have to, must.

      I’m just being honest here, and on Twitter, when I announced this morning that I’m not going to be using it for social purposes anymore. That, in fact, it’s just going to be an update stream linking to writing elsewhere. And I feel like it’s good to be honest about that – I don’t want anyone to feel deceived about my presence over there and what it is, from here on out.

      I miss the old school blogging. The comments, like these. The thoughtful back-and-forth. THIS is what I feel Twitter hampers, or has replaced. And it’s sad and unfortunate, and my goal from now on is to in my own small way combat that. To engage. To connect. To reciprocate. The things that we naturally used to do, as part of being bloggers. What made our community once actually something like a “real” community.

      This is where my head is at. COMPLETELY get that other people don’t feel the same. But this is what I have to do, for me, my sanity, my sense of integrity, yanno?

  • Anonymous

    I’ve been too busy to be on Twitter much in the last two weeks, and I have to say, I haven’t missed it. I do really enjoy Twitter in a theoretical sense, though. I wonder if I would appreciate it more if I scaled way back on who I followed.

  • http://twitter.com/TheJulieMarsh Julie Marsh

    I like Twitter because I use lists to group my followers and those individual columns are manageable, not unwieldy like my home feed. It can still be a time suck, so I attempt to stay out of long drawn out convos and teh dramaz.

  • Anonymous

    I like Twitter, but I’ve fallen out of love with it. I do connect with people on there, but you also need to realize that I follow less than 500, so my feed is a lot of the same people all the time. There’s comfort in that for me and I do have actual conversations on there.

    I met my three best friends because of twitter. I’ll forever be grateful to it for that reason alone. However, that was years ago and we send a zillion emails/texts to each other a day and rarely use twitter to talk anymore.

    For me? I get bored at times, because I’m alone often and Twitter sometimes fills that void. Not as much anymore, but it got me through the worst of my divorce in a way that I can’t even begin to explain. I get on Twitter when I want too, not because I feel obligated.

    As for blogging, I think it’s affected it negatively. But then again, I’d place more blame on people only blogging for money. I miss old school blogging so much. I truly do. Part of me thinks it’s dead and part of me believes it’s going to make a comeback. Only time will tell.

    I will miss you on Twitter. However it will never stop me from reading and commenting. You’ve been in my reader for close to six years and that’s not going to change anytime soon. You do what you need too for you. That’s all that really matters.

    /rambly wordy comment. ;)

    • http://thecheekofgod.wordpress.com/ Brian

      All the really good and lasting friendships I’ve made online are a direct result of my blog. It came first, before Twitter, before Facebook. Those relationships have spilled over onto those forums, but the blog is still our main connection. It’s more work, but worth it …

  • Anonymous

    I don’t really use twitter with traffic in mind, because you’re right, Twitter is a dismal source for traffic. I look at it like a CB radio stream of people I know (that I have no time to realistically keep up with either via their blogs or email) just engaging in random chatter. This makes me feel connected, in the same way that sometimes I’m conpelled to listen to shitty commercial radio rather than my iPod in the car because I feel isolated from the world if there isn’t something “real time” that I am plugged into. I guess I’m needy for interaction and Twitter lets me take a quick hit of that whenever I need it.

  • http://fullofsnark.com kristabella

    This is a fascinating topic and one I’ve thought about a lot. Twitter has killed blogging, in my mind. The Old School Blogging you are talking about with the interactions and people reading and commenting and discussing things. I know, 9 times out of 10, I will share something on Twitter that would have normally been a longer blog post. So then I just end up not posting.

    Like someone mentioned, I do like the interaction on Twitter and the fact that I’m not talking to my cats at home, where I live alone. It makes me feel less solitary. Mostly because my cats don’t talk back to me. It’s nice as a spinster to have people to talk to, even if they are inside a computer.

    I also enjoy Twitter when I’m stuck without something to read on the bus/train, waiting for an appointment, etc. That’s when I use it the most. Out of shear boredom.

    But I feel like blogging has changed. It has gone away from the Old School, which sucks. Most of the people blogging now probably weren’t around when it was just blogs, none of this other crap. And they have a different mindset. It’s more about self-promotion and giveaways. It’s gone away from the writing. And that is sad.

    Sorry for the long comment!

  • http://twitter.com/CSRwire CSRwire

    I use Twitter but I’m not as crazy about it as I was in the early days. I get very little blog traffic anyway and very few comments come via Twitter. I wouldn’t dump it completely but I do need to weed down the list of people I follow so that it’s not just a whoosh of chatter going by. The people I engage with on Twitter are people I like talking to, that’s why I keep it.

  • Anonymous

    Oh I have those too. I’ve been blogging for six years. But I did meet my three best friends because of Twitter. Shrug.

    • Anonymous

      And that was supposed to be to the reply to my first comment. I think I suck at the Internet today.

  • Anonymous

    Personally, I like Twitter. It reminds me of new blog entries from people whose blogs I read, and I know (from various grumblings) not to post a blog comment on Twitter.

    Also, I live alone and it’s nice sometimes to know other people are out there that I can connect with. Yes, it can be banal, but I have had some interesting and very funny conversations on Twitter. I’ve gotten to better know some people whose blogs I read, and I have also “met” new friends and found new blogs I might not have otherwise.

    Of course, I only follow about 50 people and about the same number follow me. I’m not exactly an Internet sensation, but that’s by choice. Actually, the only thing about Twitter that truly annoys me is that they published my full, real name, so now I have to censor myself.

  • http://www.facebook.com/monica.bielanko Monica Bielanko

    I would dig Twitter if it was solely used as a place for people’s witticisms and thoughts. Sometimes I go back and read all the favorites tweets I have and I just laugh and laugh. But as far as actually communicating with other folks and throwing out blog links I think it sucks – except for news. I like having a constant news feed from CNN.

  • http://www.facebook.com/monica.bielanko Monica Bielanko

    I would dig Twitter if it was solely people’s random thoughts at witticisms. Sometimes I go back and read the tweets I have as favorites and I just laugh and laugh. But as far as communicating and linking, it sucks.

  • Beth Brooke

    I use it to keep up with industry news and friends I don’t get to see too often. Plus, some bloggers I follow post to Twitter so I feel like I know right when a new post is up. Other than that … I don’t actually use it that much. (I rarely type anything myself.)

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Beth-Rodgers-Adams/1076672331 Beth Rodgers Adams

    My frustration is with getting myself established back on the internets.

    Many bloggers do not remember me and if the do, they are not sure what I am up to (skeptical). I want to get people to read my web site and I am not sure how to do that anymore. Things have changed a lot in the past five years. How do I get people to link to me? Currently I do not have enough street cred and it seems that if you do not use Twitter or Facebook, it is all about who you know. What a freaking Conundrum. I would offer to link to others, but because I am not a known quantity quantity what I have to offer is not much.

    Twitter is hard for me anyway. I can’t follow the conversations and I have a hard time breaking my thoughts down into 140 little characters. And when I do comment, I often realize that I completely missed the point of what the Tweeter was trying to say. HELP!

    Thank you for writing this, Tracey! What a thought provoking Question you posed.

  • Michelle McCleod

    Twitter is a time suck. It’s like a bunch of narcissists all shouting at once, blind to everyone else. I do find it useful in making professional connections as a writer, but it is nowhere near as helpful or essential as the ‘experts’ say.

    M

  • http://moomettesmagnificents.com/blog Cindi @ Moomettes Magnificents

    I’m beginning to find I actually prefer StumbleUpon to discover new blogs and topics. At least it’s visual and I can discover topics through their content sections that I prefer. I can read the post, see the pictures, and then go into comment. Don’t even use my Reader any longer. SU for me. I’m only on Twitter for about 5 mins a day.

  • http://moomettesmagnificents.com/blog Cindi @ Moomettes Magnificents

    I’m finding that I prefer to discover new blogs through StumbleUpon. At least it’s visual and I can search through content and topics that interest me. I can see the photos, read the post and then thumbs up if I enjoy it. Then go into the blog post and comment. Never on Twitter any more than 5 min a day anymore, and I never use my RSS Reader. SU it is for me.

  • http://twitter.com/MomoFali Momo Fali

    I still love Twitter. Granted, it’s a time-suck and the thing where people leave their comment on Twitter instead of your blog is annoying as hell. BUT, if you use lists, it’s a much better place to hang out and have conversations. Come on, now…what would we have done without LOMGST?

    Twitter is where I get instant news from all over the world, faster than most news outlets can report it, and first-hand. Twitter is where I found a lot of the people in this comments section; Neil, Linda, Issa, Amber, and I’m better for the conversations I’ve had with them or even just for listening to their opinions without joining the conversation. Like when Karen Walrond asked the other day about how many people of another race are in your CLOSE circle of friends. GREAT question that, potentially, made thousands of people thing about diversity in their lives. I know it did that for me. Of course, she could have posted that on her blog and we could have left comments there, but like Jim said, that’s not realistic for random chatter and I probably would have never seen the question. It’s a way for me to stay connected with the bloggers I have come to gain as friends and know what they’re doing RIGHT now.

    I frequently ask for 7th grade homework help on Twitter and get a huge response from super-smart people. There is a guy working on my chimney right this minute who was referred to me in a tweet (and he’s half the cost of the guy I called without asking on Twitter first).

    There are good things about Twitter, but you have to manage it. And I, for one, will miss you if you’re not there.

  • melanie feehan

    I hate Twitter. Almost none of my blog traffic comes from Twitter, but I feel pressured by my blogging peers to be active and accumulate followers to make myself “more appealing” to the brands that might want to work with me. I have about 1,600 Twitter followers, but over 80,000 pageviews per month on my primary blog. Doesn’t that say enough? Unfortunately Twitter is the current greatest thing until the next greatest thing comes along and then I’ll have to waste my time building my presence up on that platform too. A time suck and a half.

  • Jane Gassner

    I’m always feeling guilty that I’m not more active on Twitter (and Facebook and now Google+). Like some other commenters, I used it more when I was first living alone. There would be me and my Twitter feed watching TV together. But I’ve moved on from that for a variety of reasons. One is that the place is just so damned crowded. Who are all these people?! Why are they trying to sell me programs, and words to the wise, and other such BS?! I’m envious of the way that Neil and Co have regular conversations on Twitter, but wow, that takes a lot of time and attention. I guess I’m seconding your points, Sweetney, and maybe the moral of this story is that I should stop feeling guilty.

  • Anonymous

    I tried Twitter and found it supremely frustrating. Twitter is almost completely useless unless you are already a known blogger. Then people will see on your blog that you are on Twitter and add you to their feed. I am not a known blogger (which is totally okay) and only an occassional commenter, and my voice is not heard at all on Twitter. Even when I reply to/retweet the bloggers with whom I hope to connect, it rarely garners even a simple acknowledgement because they don’t know who I am. I am just Random Replyer Who Is Two Hours Late To The Conversation. Of course, it doesn’t help that my favorite bloggers (you, Amalah, Her Bad Mother, and Chookooloonks) are massivly popular and AWESOME and everybody knows it.

    In the long run, Twitter only makes me feel ignored. My voice gets swept away–awash in the Twitter tide. I love Facebook, but I only use it to keep in touch with family and friends. My FB world and bloggers I follow do not intersect.

    As far as Old School blogging… I don’t even use a RSS feeder. I have my favorite blogs bookmarked. I check them nearly every day, or at the very least, I always catch up on the weekend. I don’t comment unless I really have something to add to the conversation or I really, really love the post. Quality over quantity.

    I replied to this thread because I appreciate that you are discussing this topic. I think I represent those blog readers who would love to chime into some of the discussions on the blogs I (we) love, but don’t because there are already so many people talking. The room already feels too crowded in many cases. Or maybe I just don’t try hard enough to put my thoughts out there.

    Either way, I appreciate that you are having this discussion.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1586611815 Beth Anne

    I said goodbye to Twitter more than 4 months ago. I don’t miss it at all and I’m getting more new traffic to my blog through Pinterest than I ever did through Twitter. It’s easy for us to feel pressure to continue with social networking but let’s keep it in proportion: Not so very long ago NONE of us networked socially online and we managed just fine. We met face to face or spoke on the phone. (Remember land lines?) People who only contact you on line cannot be considered friends. Friends will stay in touch with you even if they can’t reach you through their computers.

  • http://www.5minutesformom.com/ Susan (5 Minutes For Mom)

    I’m not quitting Twitter anytime soon, but I hear you.

  • Stephanie Precourt

    This very thing has been weighing on my heart for a while now, too. If I quit I guess I just feel like I would miss out on a lot of connections with people I enjoy and like, but right now what I’m getting anyway there is just junk food. It’s not even substance. If I quit twitter and spent less time on Facebook I think I’d actually work at getting to know the people I *think* I know. You know, make some effort to go deeper. I need that. And if it means I know less people, that’s probably better for my mind and heart any way. I want to give my energy to the people that actually matter and will do the same for me.

    Steph

  • Paula Sides

    I couldn’t stand twitter and I left twitter. I don’t miss it but I think that’s because I couldn’t stand it. I’ve always subscribed to blogs I enjoyed once I found them. I have a library’s worth in my google reader and I recently hooked that up to my feedly and that has simply sweetened the experience. Now I can add blogs to my google reader via feedly and I can categorize them in a way that appeals to my visual nature.

    As for my own blog? I still write it even if the traffic tapered off a while back. I don’t blame it on the social media I chose not to use though – I blame it on my refusal to spend hours and hours and hours feeling forced to read and comment and comment and read a long list of blogs. I read what I want and what appeals to me in the moment and when the matter speaks to me, I speak out.

    …So, I don’t get noticed so much anymore.

    It’s okay.

    The blog is mine and I know will continue to serve its purpose as my needs change and evolve.

  • http://jaimalaya.blogspot.com/ Jaime

    I use Twitter, but I don’t necessarily love it. And I don’t post on it often, mainly links to my blog. But most of my blog traffic (the whole 20 or so a day) comes from facebook. Those people I am more than likely related to. And most of them don’t seem to understand how the commenting process works and will comment on facebook instead of the actual blog. I usually attempt to get a discussion started yet the people who read my blog (family, remember) don’t get the whole blog thing and so don’t return until I post another link to a new post.
    And the people I do follow on twitter who have blogs I follow in my reader so don’t really need the link from twitter.
    Also, it really, really irritates me when people post multiple links to the same blog post in a single day. It just seems grabby.
    But sometimes, as a mom at home alone with two young children, it’s nice to peek in and get a laugh from a random tweeter (twitter user? twit aficionado?) Although it kind of sucks to read a hilarious tweet and while still smiling read a link to a news story about a multiple casualty plane wreck or earthquake. That kind of fucks with my head.

  • http://fathermuskrat.com/ muskrat

    I like it, as it’s quick and easy for me to share a thought or a laugh from the palm of my hand. I feel like I need 1-2 hours to write a blog post, and I need to be on my MacBook. I need 10 seconds to write a tweet, and I can do it from my iphone.

  • http://twitter.com/LaughItOff Rebecca Regnier

    I use Twitter for connections. Quick news. And lifestyle support. It is entirely possible to create our own tribe of people focused on achieving similar goals. In my case that’s weight loss and healthy lifestyle. I find I can reach people and they can connect with me via Twitter, and these are meaningful connections. If you’re just following famous people well okay – fine. Not so helpful. But if you’re looking for people outside of your own backyard to connect with and share with there’s a potential that’s just beginning to be tapped. And btw, I found this post through Twitter. :)