Its been a good six months since SXSW, where it seems like Twitter exploded in the Technosphere’s stream of consciousness, and if Alexa is any indication (barring all its faults), it seems like its usage has leveled off a bit.
I haven’t been keeping up with Twitter usage myself, as I just didn’t “get” it before, but I am finding myself drawn back into Twitter as my presence-management-tool du jour, not only as something I will be reading (well, following others), but something I plan on participating in.
Here’s why.
As fellow tech bloggers already know, many people carry out conversations on Twitter. In that way, its like an instant messaging tool, although Twitter’s original use seemed to be quite different: letting people know what you’re doing when you’re doing it, particularly since you can Twitter through your mobile, thereby actually *being* somewhere when you’re Twittering.
No, I think its real usage — from a bloggers point of view — is at its least, far more voyeuristic, and that’s to monitor other people’s conversations. And as Marshall Kirkpatrick notes: its one way to read about news real fast. Like its-breaking-now-fast.
But the latter would be something that *I* might take advantage of, as in, I am a back-and-forth between Marshall and some other Twitterer.
On the other hand, it can also be used as a one-to-many instant messaging tool, where you can send out messages into your group. Queries for help. Broadcasts about a recent post. And so on. Instant feedback.
So, I do wonder if Twitter is maturing as a medium in a way, perhaps, that its founders hadn’t intended. And in that way, I do wonder whether or not Twitter is poised for some new growth.
Not just because people are using it differently, but also because of BlogWorld Expo. Something I am not actually attending, but, many other bloggers who are Twittering *will* be.
Will BlogWorld Expo cause the same kind of mini-explosion in growth that Twitter saw at SXSW? Probably not in the same scope of things, but its possible it might, particularly as people blog about it more, and /or people who run the event and speakers *at* the event tell people about it.
Like if Jeremy Wright, CEO of b5media told his audience today “Tris just told me that my fly is open via Twitter“.
Not earth shattering, but it would certainly get people talking about it. ;)
Other bellweathers? A-list blogger Chris Garrett is talking about this very topic today. Or rather, yesterday. Close enough.
PS: If you’re interested in following my Tweets, I’m interested in hearing/ reading about yours. Twitter me at tonyhung (or http://twitter.com/tonyhung)!
