Classroom Publication

Time Magazine may be naming Twitter its 2009 "Person of the Year". In a recent article by The Rumpus, this questions the meaning that social networking may actually have in our society-especially when its only competitor is The Economy.

It may be 2009's "Person of the Year", but many people still don't understand twitter. Though it is a tool largely used by businesses, journalists, and individuals who need to promote themselves and their product, some people feel it is a pointless micro-blogging tool that self centered people use to inform the public on minute details of their life. "It's a pointless fad that isn't going to last long," 19-year-old University at Albany student, Daniel Meyer said. "Who wants to read about someone eating a sandwich? Only insecure friendless people would use it."

But what about the celebrities, politicians, journalists, musicians, bloggers, small business owners, and other gurus who use twitter to interact with fans and promote their work? Kristi Gustafson, a staff writer for the Albany Times Union was told by her boss to begin using twitter in May of 2009. "I wasn't a fan of twitter at first," Kristi said. "I didn't really know anything about it. But then I saw what it did for my blog."

Kiristi has had a blog on the Times Union's website, On the Edge, since 2007. "Since I joined twitter, my readership has tripled. Not only is it a great way to promote the blog, it is also a way for me to communicate one on one with my readers. That way they feel like they are a part of something. They can send me questions and information that often become blog posts. Like that article on the breast support pillow…a reader sent that to me. I don't go around searching for that stuff on my own!"

Other people do not use twitter to promote anything at all. They simply like to follow others on twitter. Kaitlin Resler, 23, is a fashion blogger in Albany, NY and a columnist for All Over Albany. Unlike many fashion bloggers, she does not use twitter to promote her blog. "Initially I got one because it was trendy and I like being able to update from my phone," Kaitlin said. "I do use it to follow blogs and etsy shops and keep up with what's going on."

The general consensus still stands that twitter is an important tool for social networking. Over the last few years, as more professional, full time bloggers began to pop up all over the web along with websites specially geared towards social networking. Darren Rowse began the website ProBlogger in 2004, it consists of a blog, a forum, and a subscription only community filled with tips and information to help people make money from their blogs. He also published a book on the subject. Debbie Ridpath Ohi wrote a series of articles titled a Writer's Guide to Twitter in order to help writers get the most out of their twitter experience.