Does Anyone Use Twitter?

[Kelli Combs (admin)]

Twitter seems to be so popular and I hear about it all the time. I guess I don't quite understand how it works or why. I just watched a mini video about it. I like to keep up on the latest technology because I find it interesting.

Are there any users of Twitter that can explain it a little more? I feel a bit lost on the concept.

[Kelli Combs (admin)]

What is that about what you say here is on Google or Yahoo? I saw something someone said on her on Google. Totally blew me away. What is that all about? Why does it end up there and why would anyone care?

[Jennie Ann]

Kelli, I don't think Google can pull up the MY PAGE of our members at CSRnation. I think you have to be logged in to see the MY PAGE.

If you use certain keywords on Google, like say "Kelli Combs" and "court reporter," with those keywords in quotes, it will bring you right here.

Personally, it doesn't bother me that anyone can see my contributions to this forum. I have no personal information here.

We are an industry forum, and that's a good thing. Hey, if there's people bored enough to track me down via an industry forum and follow my every move, God bless 'em. They must lead a more boring life than I do. LOL

Of course, there's nothing wrong with a Boring lifestyle if you work here!

[Glen Warner]

Heh ... yes, I'm also on FB (forced to by my graduating class, and a pushy ex-roomie).

Like on Twitter, I don't tell folks what I'm doing every minute of the day ("EATING A TURKEY SANDWICH WITH CHIPOTLE BBQ SAUCE FROM TACO TIME!") ... but at the same time, I don't play any of the games on there. Probably a bad decision, as a rather cute woman I knew back in my elementary school days invited me to a pillow fight!

Ah, well ....

Kelli --

You should Google yourself sometime! Some of your comments here will probably show up.

[Reid Bryce Robbins]

I use Twitter along with Facebook and Myspace. I have preferred Facebook until recently. The thing about Twitter, you can link it to your other accounts and have whatever update you use on one go to the others as well. You can also text a one line phrase in from your cell phone and it posts. Is it really useful for anything? I have no idea. I guess it is all in how much you feel you have to say. It is not like you are forcing anybody to read it. You can pick up postings from csrnation and other services that subscribe to twitter. I have picked up a few jobs that way. You just "follow" those as well.

[Audrey Ricks]

I'm with Rich -- I use it just for on-the-ground info, a little comedy, see what friends are up to (which most friends are on FB anyway), but it's more of a promotion/stalking site -- promote what you've got going on; allow others to cyberstalk you in the mere chance they might find you interesting enough to do so.

I use it to post about Boxers needing adoption or related events (one of my favorite causes -- Boxer rescue), I follow professional photographers and learn about workshops and new things going on, and there are a few local happenings that will post "Free Jamba Juice if you say 'Tweet' when you order," "Mention 'Twitter' and receive 20% off photography class," etc. So you might find it useful/fun if you search out individuals or groups/companies that interest you, whether it be art, food/wine, yoga, book clubs, etc. But if you are followed by a Cadillac car salesman in Seattle, unless you find this guy highly interesting or funny, are you really going to care what he posts from day to day? "2010 CTX ranked #1 by Car & Driver" -- Woohoo! There's an "unfollow" button for that!

I didn't realize Mark K was on there -- might be worth following him just for the briefs, but I've yet to gain any court reporting connections/knowledge from Twitter in the past year I've been on it. I've connected with a few court reporters in other states, even a few attorneys, but unless I'm getting referrals/work assignments or useful information from these folks, I have no interest in reading about what they're having for lunch or how far they've progressed on their diets, picking up little Sally from school, yada-yada. We have CR forums for that; right? LOL

If you're into reading the tabloids or knowing what certain celebs/athletes are doing, it's good for that! A lot of celebs will tweet things throughout the day, and this allows their fans to gain info long before the news or other media release it -- even photos! Example: Demi Moore tweets a lot. She even uploads photos from time to time. "Just broke mic cord at David Letterman backstage," then she'll post a photo from her phone. (Big deal, I know.) But if you're into that, it's there. Beware -- a lot of celebs have someone tweeting for them now, so you're getting a censored-through-the-publicist/promotional tweet versus from the ... uh ... horse's hooves (?)

FB, to me, is more of a friends/family place to share; Twitter, a place for the general public. I have an FB friend who likes to rant about politics, hour after hour. His FB friends are tired of it. He connected on Twitter, and now he has found a venue (and an audience) to post several times a day about how frustrated he is with certain things in politics. In return, he now has thousands of followers (even the Cadillac salesman in Seattle) who tweet with him every day about whatever cause he's ranting about. It's perfect for him, and we don't have to see all his posts on FB about it! It can also backfire on him. He's a personal trainer by profession, so I believe he should be posting about health, nutrition, working out, etc. If you're going to hire him as a personal trainer, you'll know by his Twitter page that you'll probably end up having to listen to his political rants at each training session. No thanks! He just lost a potential client.

Another good friend of mine is a wedding planner. She enjoys promoting her business and connecting/tweeting with other wedding planners across the globe, and she MOSTLY tweets about wedding-related topics. I don't follow her on Twitter because I could care less what the latest winter wedding colors are going to be or what the average bride spends on a wedding gown. I follow her on FB to see the photos of her kids, hear about her holidays, etc. The "backfire" Twitter situation for her is that her business is highly competitive, and too much information leads to others undermining her business by finding out who her vendors are, her assistants, etc., and soon they're attempting to take business away from her. It's somewhat of a double-edged sword for her -- she has to Twitter to remain mainstream, but she has to be extremely careful about what she posts so that others don't gain too much information that will later damage her business. If she has a phone conversation with a potential client and says she's not available Friday because she has a previously-scheduled rehearsal dinner to attend, then later she posts that she is enjoying Pizza night out with her husband and kids . . . well, you get the picture.

Personally, it's too "connected" for me! I like to step away from the electronics a few hours a day and LIVE versus living vicariously, but that's just me. I do, however, think it's a good marketing and promotions "tool" to keep things mainstream. I think it would be a good venue to post things new on CSRnation for any followers -- a quick micro blog to say "New feature," or "Check out this discussion," etc. I think it's a form of technology that shows others that you're "current" and with the times on technology, but I often wonder how long it will last. I get bored with it very quickly. If you're going to do that, I suggest googling "twitter etiquitte" or "Rules of Twitter" before heading out there blindly. It's good info.



I read an article once that described Twitter as feeling like you're at a cocktail party with lots of people in the room -- you don't really know very many people there, but you're politely engaging in and eavesdropping in on everyone's conversations.

[Glen Warner]

Hey, Steph --!

You know why that is ... you're a Famous Reporter™!

[Kelli Combs (admin)]

I guess there is no such thing as privacy anymore.

[Glen Warner]

Sure there is ...!

Unfortunately, I think you may have to become one of the Amish.

[Rhoda Collins]

I don't tweet. FB is enough to do.

[Audrey Ricks]

Just read an article that said "Twitter" is one of the top words used for 2009.
(Along with H1N1) LOL