Twitter - One Year on

I’ve just realised I’ve now been on twitter for a year. In that time I’ve sent over 5,000 tweets, the majority of which admittedly have probably been of very little interest. However I was thinking last night about what I get out of twitter and thought I’d set them down in print,

Twitter gets a lot of bashing from some people – Piers Morgan for example says it’s one of the world’s most stupid inventions – perhaps reason in itself for everyone to sign up immediately. The general point of the naysayers is that people should interact more in real life and experience things first hand, rather than make transitory friendships through cyberspace whilst remaining alone in front of a computer or handheld device. Now I’d probably agree with that, but the two are certainly not mutually exclusive (I know of many instances in which people who have twittered each other have then met up), and also not everyone has the opportunity to be out meeting new people all the time. Surely socialising through a computer and feeling part of a community is better than not socialising at all?

Speaking for myself: as some will know, I’ve been ill for 15 sodding years with varying levels of severity. However the last 2 years have not been good and I’ve been stuck in the house, sometimes bedbound. Socialising is therefore not really a great option – I can’t just pop out to a pub or nightclub easily. I found twitter last January at a very low point and whilst I won’t claim it changed my life etc, it was great to be able to start actually “meeting” people and socialising in the only way I could at that point, even if I was stranded in the house.

Let’s look at some of the things I’ve done vicariously through twitter in the last year. I’ve been to America on holiday several times, I’ve taught in a US High School, I’ve lived in France, and Switzerland (where I worried about the minaret issue), I’ve been to see Cliff Richard and the Shadows in concert, hell I’ve been ON TOUR with Cliff Richard and the Shadows. I’ve been to see Simon Mayo and Mark Kermode LIVE on five live, I’ve talked about films and football more than is perhaps healthy, I’ve learnt about new bands, I’ve touched on politics and discussed the intricacies of the 1990s Vitalite advert, I’ve compared snowfall with tweeters in other parts of the country, mourned the loss of a dog with others, seen pictures of other people’s dogs (always a favourite), laughed, been grumpy, and generally enjoyed conversation with others. And this doesn't include the comedians I follow who can often come up with some great off the cuff stuff to make you smile.

Now it's true that I’ve experienced most of the above things through others rather than firsthand, but you could level the same accusation at movies, TV, plays, literature etc. If I’m reading War and Peace or watching Dr Zhivago, then I’m no more in Russia than I am if I was to follow the twitter stream of someone on holiday there. I’m not saying twitter’s up there with great literature by any means but, in a similar vein, it’s a way to experience things that one wouldn’t ordinarily experience.

It’s not perfect of course – you sometimes end up following someone you shouldn’t have, but it’s easily remedied by the unfollow button, and to date I’ve not had one nasty message addressed to me so no need to block anyone apart from spammers. At times it can make you feel a tad insecure when a day or so has gone by with no replies, but then I’ve realised it’s hopefully that other people are busy or talking to other people, and isn’t because they don’t like me (though that can understandably remain a possibility!)

Overall though, it’s been a positive experience and has turned a crappy year, if not into a good year, then into a slightly less crappier one. Which is pretty much all you can ask for.

So to all people I follow, or who follow me, a big thanks.

Right, now I can get back to my usual cynical self ;-)