The Twitterverse

I avoided Twitter in the same way that I avoided Facebook when it started. I thought it would be one of those time-wasting activities that would end up frustrating me beyond all reason. I was right. I joined one day because I could no longer resist the temptation: I discovered friends I haven’t seen since school, friends I’ve never met, and I discovered Farmville (told you I was right about the time wasting.) It was the same thing with Twitter. I was adamant that it wouldn’t suck me in as Facebook once did. Then I became a #Quinnycaster and I felt I needed to, to keep my end of the bargain. It was completely baffling. I found it baffling that it was baffling me. I had a moment where I worried that I had suddenly been left behind by technological advances. But then I took a deep breath and signed up.

photo credit

For days, I watched, trying to find the way in. I followed a few people. I was recommended more people by the automatic twitter thingummy, and followed them too. I read tweets that made me laugh, retweets that made me want to follow and posted the odd thought, not expecting a response. Then I worked out that I could tweet my blog posts. I plucked up the courage to remark on of Mocha Beanie Mummy‘s many, many posts. OK, I didn’t get a response, but I did feel good.

But there was still so much to understand. How did people respond so quickly? How did they post so frequently? What on earth are the hashtags for and how do they work? What was I missing that everyone seems to get? I’m not a completely stupid person, although I do have my moments. Fortunately a tweet about a post, a blog post about twitter, showed me the way. I realised that what I felt wasn’t unusual. I learned that it would come. So I relaxed. And it came. I retweeted, I entered competitions, I learned about hashtags and a few days ago got my first RT. From a complete stranger! How brilliant! I have set up tweetdeck, as advised by tiddlyompompom. OK, I need to figure out how to make the most of it now. There’s not a day goes by when I don’t gain a new follower. I still need to work on my twetiquette, but there is lots of help around on that. I need to understand #ff. I probably need to spend less time farting about online trying to figure it all out. But it keeps sucking me in. The tweeters keep sucking me in.There are so many people who are wonderfully diverting in a way that Farmville could never be.

Mocha Beanie Mummy: irreverent and completely unapologetic. Has a bizarre fondness for dipping chips in milkshakes.
Him Up North: always responds to tweets and my first #ff-er. Is witty and Northern. I might even forgive him for that.
Me, the Man and the Baby:  my first follower. Fellow Quinnycaster and training to run the marathon. So bonkers.
Kateab:  a raving tweeter. I envy her skill.
onlydanno: wonderfully acerbic wit.
Maison Cupcake: how I would love to cook like she does.

As part of my attempts at a better year, being a better blogger, I’m hoping to master Twitter, with the help of some of these lovely people. Then I’ll have to try and ‘get’ Stumble Upon. Before I get too old to understand technology.

Here are the other entries in this Twitter Carnival:

Nova at Cherished By Me posts Tweet Tweet

Hayley at Simply Hayley posts Twitter :: Tips to stay safe!

Heather at SAHM Loving It posts Twitter World – The Extended Friday Follow #ff

Cass at The Diary of a Frugal Family posts Twitterholics Anonymous….

Ghostwritermummy posts Twitter

Maggy at Red Ted Art posts Nothing To Do with Anything and Everything.

Ella at Notes From Home posts her Twitter for Beginners – 5 tips to getting started.