Now this is the weirdest question so far for the blog ASSignments (no offence to Kevin or his classes and yada yada!). More of such weird questions please!!!! *batters my eyelids*
Before this assignment oh sorry ASSignment I have never even heard of Twitter and even if someone did send me an invite I would have deleted that invitation without a second’s thought. As fate would have it, I am now forced to join Twitter, and I am asked if I consider it an online community.
ONLINE COMMUNITY?
First of all, what is an online community? According to Wikepedia (Online Community) it ‘is a group of people that may or may not primarily or initially communicate or interact via the Internet’. A community’s sole purpose is to ensure that the morals of man are not lost. Communities thrive on communication between its members. Here members discuss, converse, examine things of interest, which could range from travel to food. Humans being social animals would make and join communities they think they belong in wherever they go. Be it offline or online.
WHAT DA HECK IT TWITTER?
No no, its not a flock of birds. It is the most simplified forum/chat that I have seen in my life. It is too simple that I did not how to use it! Here users ‘chat’ with their friends. To me it seems like a mid point between our IMs and forums. We leave messages for our friends and when they read it they will leave another message in reply. The more friends one has the more messages one will receive and the more one will send. Born in 2006, it is now all the rage in the US. We think out loud and update our page hoping that someone will reply or answer to your post. The posts are similar to SMSes, in which there is a word limit.
Twitter is a social networking service that allows members to inform each other about what they are doing and what they think. It allows users to send messages via phone or instant messaging. Two SMS gateway numbers are available - one for USA, and one UK number for international use. Users can receive updates from other selected users via web, IM, or SMS. It made its debut at South by Southwest Interactive in March 2005. Its an example of a Micro-Blogging platform.
IS IT A COMMUNITY?
We certainly do not consider SMS or SMSing a community, so I do not think that Twitter is a community. At the first glance, Twitter might seem to be a community. Here people from all over the world (usually USA) add each other as friends and ‘chat’. From my personal experience in Twitter thus far, no discussions or proper conversation has taken place. Conversations updated during classes such, as “We are dying” and “hahahaha….is she teaching at all” are examples of students using is like a chat room. It reminds me of a bulletin board in a class, where students could update or just ‘think-out-loud”. Conversations are not in-depth and have no focus. Topics change as the members post up different things.
However, I believe Twitter has potential. It can be used by small business to update their customers on what is happening. Production Houses could search for actors, camera persons and companies could advertise their services and products. News could be spread about anything in a flash.
Twitter is playground of opportunities for those who seek. This is where adventures can start and where ideas will be born. Give it a few months and POOF we would not be able to recognise it anymore!!!
Wikipedia, Online Community (2007), Retrieved on 13th March 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_community
Wikipedia, Twitter (2007), Retrieved on 15th March 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter
an Fernback & Brad Thompson. (May,2005). Virtual Communities: Abort, Retry, Failure? Retrieved March 15, 2007, from http://www.rheingold.com/texts/techpolitix/VCcivil.html
Before this assignment oh sorry ASSignment I have never even heard of Twitter and even if someone did send me an invite I would have deleted that invitation without a second’s thought. As fate would have it, I am now forced to join Twitter, and I am asked if I consider it an online community.
ONLINE COMMUNITY?
First of all, what is an online community? According to Wikepedia (Online Community) it ‘is a group of people that may or may not primarily or initially communicate or interact via the Internet’. A community’s sole purpose is to ensure that the morals of man are not lost. Communities thrive on communication between its members. Here members discuss, converse, examine things of interest, which could range from travel to food. Humans being social animals would make and join communities they think they belong in wherever they go. Be it offline or online.
WHAT DA HECK IT TWITTER?
No no, its not a flock of birds. It is the most simplified forum/chat that I have seen in my life. It is too simple that I did not how to use it! Here users ‘chat’ with their friends. To me it seems like a mid point between our IMs and forums. We leave messages for our friends and when they read it they will leave another message in reply. The more friends one has the more messages one will receive and the more one will send. Born in 2006, it is now all the rage in the US. We think out loud and update our page hoping that someone will reply or answer to your post. The posts are similar to SMSes, in which there is a word limit.
Twitter is a social networking service that allows members to inform each other about what they are doing and what they think. It allows users to send messages via phone or instant messaging. Two SMS gateway numbers are available - one for USA, and one UK number for international use. Users can receive updates from other selected users via web, IM, or SMS. It made its debut at South by Southwest Interactive in March 2005. Its an example of a Micro-Blogging platform.
IS IT A COMMUNITY?
We certainly do not consider SMS or SMSing a community, so I do not think that Twitter is a community. At the first glance, Twitter might seem to be a community. Here people from all over the world (usually USA) add each other as friends and ‘chat’. From my personal experience in Twitter thus far, no discussions or proper conversation has taken place. Conversations updated during classes such, as “We are dying” and “hahahaha….is she teaching at all” are examples of students using is like a chat room. It reminds me of a bulletin board in a class, where students could update or just ‘think-out-loud”. Conversations are not in-depth and have no focus. Topics change as the members post up different things.
However, I believe Twitter has potential. It can be used by small business to update their customers on what is happening. Production Houses could search for actors, camera persons and companies could advertise their services and products. News could be spread about anything in a flash.
Twitter is playground of opportunities for those who seek. This is where adventures can start and where ideas will be born. Give it a few months and POOF we would not be able to recognise it anymore!!!
Wikipedia, Online Community (2007), Retrieved on 13th March 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_community
Wikipedia, Twitter (2007), Retrieved on 15th March 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter
an Fernback & Brad Thompson. (May,2005). Virtual Communities: Abort, Retry, Failure? Retrieved March 15, 2007, from http://www.rheingold.com/texts/techpolitix/VCcivil.html
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