Is this goodbye?
Goodbye, Twitter.
Our tweeting days are over.
I have been singing that old spiritual in my head for the past few days: Ain’t gonna tweet no more, no more, ain’t gonna tweet no more.
It really doesn’t have a tune that anyone could recognize, but it’s been buzzing around in my head just the same.
I’m going to try to put into words why I’m tweet-less from now on.
1) It feels good to simplify my on-line computer life. To concentrate on the applications/groups which seem to work for me.
2) I hardly ever stop over at Twitter.com to see what my 50-60 tweet-friends are doing.
3) Because: one line summaries are not really my thing.
4) Two line summaries aren’t either.
5) I met maybe one or two folks through Twitter that made the experience worthwhile. Yet, once introduced, we found one another’s blogs. That seemed a much better way to communicate. With multiple sentences.
6) OK, I admit in. I’m a bloggin’ fool. I love writing, meeting folks and communicating through blogging. None of the other avenues create the joy in my heart that I’ve found here on WordPress. (We’re not going to talk about Facebook today…I mean…ain’t gonna talk about Facebook today, ain’t gonna talk today…)
7) Posting all of my blog titles on Twitter for the past few months has not really increased readership here. Most days no one even stops by from Twitter. Maybe some days. Not usually.
8) The primary reason is that, if you’re going to succeed being a Twit–I mean, tweeting–you have to give back. You have to be re-tweeting the tweets of your friends, gaining a following, following the words of others. You have to be involved. You have to be visiting the site. You have to be working the system. I just don’t have enough energy or inclination to follow folks over there.
9) Thus…I decisively found Twitter this afternoon and searched for the button which would de-activate my account. It asked me: Do you really want to do that? Yes, I do. Goodbye, Twitter.
Light and shadow play
I have nothing against Twitter or those who like it. No bad unresolved feelings whatsoever. Some people adore that format; some people have found success; some people find their hearts a-twitter about Twitter. I waited and waited to see if that might happen, but, alas. It was fun to try it. Fun to see how it worked. But time to break up now…give back the ring…hope it doesn’t hurt anyone’s feelings. I wouldn’t want to be a Twit, you understand.
What about the rest of you? Do you like Twitter? Don’t like Twitter? Don’t care? Don’t know what a tweet is? 🙂
Lake Superior Spirit 
Kathy – First of all, I really, really, really like the photograph you used in the post! That said …
… the only tweeting I do is:
(a) automatic when I post my blog, or
(b) I push the word “tweet” when I’m given the opportunity to tweet someone else’s blog.
In my blog “stats” section I do see that I get a bit of looky-loo traffic from Twitter. I don’t believe an unknown Twitter person has ever left a comment, but that’s ok.
Smiling, Laurie, so you get “looky-loo” traffic? OK, I’m laughing. Love some of those phrases you share. Glad to hear that you’ve had a bit of looky-loo traffic. That may be reason enough for you to keep it.
I agree. Twitter is just not my thing. Although I have to admit, I did follow the Tour of California (bike race) on Twitter last spring and the Western States 100 run in June. It was fun to get ‘live’ news about the races. Don’t think I have been back since.
Emaclean, interesting. I never thought about following live events on Twitter. A new perspective! I just feel so good after making this decision…kind of like when you’re suddenly impelled to clean closets and throw or give things away that you no longer want/need.
Oh Kathy what can I say? I am one of those tweeting fools with 2,180 engaging followers where I am following 1,250 conversational tweet friends. But you are right. A person has to be willing to engage, put in the energy to say “hello” to retweet content that is valuable and of interest to those following. It is a particular style of engaging. I would say that a good 40 % of my readership comes from twitter and it may even be higher. We read each others blogs. We look at each others art. We read each others stories. I am in creative heaven on twitter. I like the quick quirky contact. I like the chatty nature of my tweet friends. Sometimes these friends comment on my blog but often they just tweet about it and share it with their tweet friends.
I respect your decision though Kathy… a day only has so many hours and we need to be where we thrive. I will always visit you here on your blog whether you throw shiny tweet pebbles in my tweet stream or not.
My goodness, Terrill, you are one of those tweeting…no, I will never ever call you a “fool”. It sounds to me like Twitter works for you. I suspect your large number of followers and your commitment to engaging makes it a good choice for you. I had hoped that Twitter would become like that for me…but twas not meant to be. I LOVE the way you talk about shiny tweet pebbles in your tweet (I mistakenly typed “street”) stream. Blessings to those pebbles–and to you!
You go girl!
I don’t get much personel traffic from Twitter….Just newsy stuff from a few…
Kim, the newsy stuff must be working for you. It just feels good to have found the pruning shears and pruned a little. A little less weight around!
I’ve often consider getting rid of my Twitter account for many of the same reasons. I just can’t seem to sum up my life (or even a moment in my life) in 140 characters or less (never could get the hang of brevity). I tried spending time there and following people and tweeting and re-tweeting, way back in the beginning when I first signed up. It’s never grabbed me the way it has others. I did manage to annoy a few people when I got hooked on Blipfm for a while, blipping/tweeting songs all over the place. But they got over it. 🙂
I’m not particularly enthralled with Facebook either. I continue with both because of a family. I see them more on Facebook than in real life (due to geographical distance). I can keep up with nieces and nephews, see how they’re growing and getting on in life. Twitter, though, does not serve any purpose, really, other than automatic notices when I blog.
And now that you mention it, I don’t think Twitter brings me much in the way of blog traffic.
Your light and shadow play photo is very cool. 🙂
You ‘n me both, Robin. Can’t get the hang of brevity, can we? It’s interesting how some things grab one person but not another. Haven’t ever heard of Blipfm! I keep going back & forth about Facebook, too. Last week felt like–finally–I had come to terms with it. This week–not so sure. I am hoping, someday, to get to a point of utter clarity with Facebook. Either A) yes, this is for me and this is how it works for me or B) no, forget it. It’s those family members and even some friends that have inspired me to keep it open. For now.
Does your break-up ditty at the start of your post happen to have the same tune as an old song my grandpa taught us; to wit:
It ain’t gonna rain no more, no more
It ain’t gonna rain no more.
Oh, how in the heck gonna wash my neck
if it ain’t gonna rain no more?
I don’t tweet except occasionally, when rising from sitting for too long a spell.
I did follow a Twitter thread -?- (don’t know proper terms) while I was on a quest one long evening looking for Northern Lights, and folks were tweeting away about latest sightings. I felt schizo just trying to keep up with all the activity. I really admire people who like this tool. Does not seem to be for me. But, I’m also not a fan of on-line chat. Too much coming at me at once and I actually feel frantic.
Goodness ~ that’s a lot of chirping from someone who is beneath a novice at all this tweety/twitter stuff.
Love, Love the photo … now, that’s something I could crow about!
Thank you, thank you, thank you Susan for identifying that refrain! I KNEW there was a ditty in that vein, but couldn’t pull up the song. Yes, schizo. That’s kind of how I felt on Twitter. Like my eyes crossed and turned inwards and bulged outwards. Pure confusion. I am also not a big fan of on-line chat. I thought I would scream the first time I chatted on-line. Have gotten used to it (usually only with Kiah) but only barely. I wonder if there is a correlation between non-chatters and non-Twitters. Whatcha think?
My apologies – I didn’t see the splotch of garble at bottom of my comment and I don’t see a feature for deleting and starting over 🙂
Comment updated! You, by the way, are one of the reasons I haven’t deleted Facebook. 🙂
I don’t tweet, I leave that to birds. Mind you, they don’t tweet much either, they cheep. Some honk (though only those who fly over the fields in the far distance).
By the way, if Twitter’s membership system is anything like Facebook’s membership system, deactivating doesn’t delete your account, it just deactivates it.
You are probably right, Val, about the deactivating scenario. My niece deactivated her Facebook, changed her mind, and then it all returned.
Speaking of honking, our geese are starting to fly south overhead. I love the sound of their fall honking. It fills me with joy mixed with sadness.
I joined Twitter a year or so ago. I went there once or twice, I think. That’s it. No more. Blogs are more interesting, family uses Facebook, can’t do it all.
Your ditty had a rhythm for me too – I think it’s the same one Susan D is thinking about.
And I love the photo! I see a fairy in there! Tinker Bell maybe?
Did you keep your Twitter account, Carol, or deactivate it? We can’t do it all…those words sure ring with truth.
Yes! I am sure it’s Tinker Bell. I knew one of you guys would know who it was. A spirit of light, anyway. 🙂
Never twitted…or tweeted? Thought about it on occasion…when I was a librarian and thought I needed to keep up with the youngsters. Or at least understand what they were talking about. That’s why I got on facebook too, though now I do keep up with distant family that way…though I don’t do a lot there either.
I agree, writing whole sentences is much more satisfying. For me anyway.
I wonder if the past tense of twit/tweet is…twat. I’ve never twat. No, probably not!
I think what feels so wonderful about blogging is developing ideas and marrying sentences. Marrying paragraphs. Marrying essays. Yes! That’s it! Is that what you like, too?
What I truly love is making pretty writing. When the words flow and they create music…
You make such pretty writing, too, Dawn. It’s not making pretty writing which gives me joy…it’s…somehow the newness and juxtaposition of words! It’s putting two strange ideas togethers in different ways and creating something new. (Although I do like pretty writing in my blog Simply Here. It creates a different kind of good feeling.)
I see what Carol sees in your light and shadow play…I’m sure Tinkerbell has popped in, no doubt to congratulate you on your break-up with Twitter!
For a while I was quite amuzed by Twitter myself, although I got over it very fast, for the same reasons you mention at #3 and #4. Blogging is sooo much more interesting.
Call me an old fogey if you like, but I absolutely HATE some of the language I see used, on both Twitter and Facebook. So inappropriate.
I’m seriously considering deleting my Twitter account, but I’ll keep Facebook, to keep in touch with family overseas. For the time being, anyway. 🙂
Joanne, maybe it was Tinkerbell who waved her magic wand and precipitated the break-up??!!
Okay, what’s to think about? I just deleted my Twitter account too. Thanks for the push in the right direction Kathy! 😀
Ohmygoodness, did you really, Joanne? Well, we’re both in the same twitterless boat today! I am glad to have provided incentive for something it sounds like you were ready to do anyway. (How many characters is this answer? lol…)
I don’t know what to think about Twitter. You are right, I really think you need to be “into” it to make it interesting. It hasn’t brought me much blog traffic at all. There are some funny people that I follow, so I’ll probably continue for that reason. I put the app for it on my iPod touch, so I usually
use it pass time – I rarely look it from the computer. Scott Thomas tweets some interesting photography articles too.
Hullo, Karma! So you have an iPod? That would be interesting…have never had one of those, although I think both kids do. I guess it comes down to the amount of time we want to spend on the computer. At least on your iPod it’s in a different setting.
I have never tweeted …. never had any interest, it is not my thing. Facebook, not so much, either. Hard to believe I suppose, because I am a techie geek at heart … just never cared for these social networking things. And, texting … I don’t do that either. (see my recent post: http://bearyweather.wordpress.com/2010/09/17/who-needs-adjectives-adverbs/)
Congratulations on being tweet-free .. it is the way to be!
Enjoyed your post, bearweather! Texting IS very similar to tweeting, isn’t it? I hope you are feeling better soon. Laryngitis doesn’t sound like fun.
Good for you. I am a new Twitterer, but my long-windedness is a better fit for blogging.
Slamdunk, are you another long-winded blogger? We are soul mates, then. 🙂
Like Carol, I joined but really haven’t done much with it. I kinda leave it there as a possible future option. I keep thinking I’ll get my Blackberry to work with Twitter, but it never quite works through the software/loading issues. Oh well. And what good is Twitter if you can’t use it on your phone?
What good indeed, Martha? You are lucky to have one of those modern cell phones. We don’t get cell phone service (very well anyway) here in the woods. So I bought a Tracfone for traveling and it didn’t have any of these new-fangled cool applications at all. Let me know if you ever fall in love with Twitter.
Kathy, you tried it. Stayed with it long enough to know that it wasn’t for you. Hope you will view my tweets (which can be seen from my blog) from time to time as I do send out some great links for photographers of all skill levels.
I also have fun when I travel with Twitter. Not sure if anyone is listening but I get a kick out of it. 🙂
Yep, Scott. I sure enough tried. I will surely look at your tweets from your blog when I’m a’visitin’. I think that “getting a kick out of it” is reason enough to do it. Just doing what brings us joy…a good way to live.
Never have, probably never will….I already have too much on my plate as it is! Fun blog – though once again, you (and Susan D.) have got a song stuck in my head….thanx! 🙂
Hi Cindy Lou! I hope Kathy doesn’t mind my asking this over at her blog (you can delete this comment if you’d like Kathy!) but I’m looking for an easy concord grape jam recipe – you came up with the easy pickle recipe this summer, so I just thought I’d check!
Hey, stick to the topic, Karma. 😉
😛 Scott! LOL! It is on topic – over at my blog! 😉
Karma, Kathy doesn’t mind. Waiting eagerly to see what–if anything–Cindy comes up with. Since she’s our resident recipe consultant!
Oh no, Cindy. You said “probably never will”. whenever I say something like that–especially if you say “never will”–you can count on doing it within the month. LOL!
I am watching the news last night and they reported that my city, Sacramento, CA is #4 in the nation for Tweeting! How they figured that out, I have no idea. However, I can assure you, I am not a part of that statistic. Apparently, this is ‘business’ tweets. Like ‘meeting in my office in 10 minutes!’ Arnie, our Governor tweets as well.
Erin
Erin, yes indeed…how DO they figure this out? Well, if I lived in California (my son lives in San Diego, by the way) I would join hands with you as non-tweeting Californian!
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