Why I Joined Twitter

Last night, I caved and joined Twitter (@tasalone, for those who are aching to know). The reasons are twofold.

1) Throughout the debate season, I've been looking over SM's shoulder, constantly asking him to refresh his Twitter feed (he recently joined because it was mandatory for j-school students) to get the latest reactions and fact checks. From the comedians' commentary to the stats by various news outlets, I spent more time perusing the feed than looking at the tv screen. I thought it was about time I tap this sort of information myself.

2) I completed a job application yesterday on which they asked for my Twitter handle. Now, of course it wasn't necessary, that I have one or share it, but I thought it was an important reminder that social media is increasingly a large part of the news media market, and Twitter has become a skill that is valuable to have. If this is going to be a part of my job applications in the future, I'd better join now before I'm truly out of the loop.

When Twitter first started, my perception of the microblogging site was that it was just too much information about people's lives. I can't find the XKCD right now, but there's one where a guy basically tweets about his every move including the fact that he's on his way to the bathroom. The concept was enough to annoy me from afar and keep me away. Fortunately, the site has evolved into a tool for news and entertainment, and I think it's much better off. I'm not sure how much I'll tweet myself (beyond RTs), but I'm tentatively glad to be owning my own feed.