Thinking back about a year ago, or so, most of us (including myself) didn’t understand how to use Twitter and what its purpose was. I started a Twitter account sometime in January 2009, but kept it idle for the longest time because I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to tweet about. Plus, I was unsure of who I should be following, and more importantly, why.
After following some experienced tweeters, mostly media like the WSJ, NYTimes, CNN, some self-proclaimed experts, and other business publications, I gradually figured out that Twitter is what you make of it. Just like at a party or at work, the quality the conversation you follow or engage in is really up to you. But on Twitter, you can choose to follow these conversations, or walk away from them without feeling embarrassed.
A year later, I still come across the annoying tweets about who had what for breakfast and why someone chose cinnamon coffee over hazelnut. That’s not why I stay current on Twitter. I’m noticing that the garbage tweets (as I call them) are still out there, but deteriorating. I also think the network has become more of a news forum, or, at the very least least, it provides an opportunity to share info quickly and efficiently. I find out about many headlines on Twitter before I open www.nytimes.com some days. It’s fascinating.
On the other hand, there is etiquette that users should follow… For instance, those who link to other Twitter pages and not the actual article is just mean. It’s an instant reason to unfollow or never retweet anything by that user. Other etiquette includes friendly DMs without the constant sales push. Saying “thanks for the RT” is also very polite.
My prediction is that Twitter may start becoming a little more personal in 2010, as it continues to evolve. I’m not sure how much more Twitter can grow, but perhaps growing should not be the focus right now, but instead evaluating the quality of its content should be what’s important this year. And to make Twitter credible and full of accurate, interesting information will depend on how its users share it.