Twitter 23 February 2008

After several false starts, I have finally got the hang, (and the addiction), of Twitter.

Like the Facebook feature, of the “status update”, Twitter lets you send “updates” of up to 140 characters of text to the Twitter website. You can use the site to do this, or SMS, IM or third-party applications. You can also follow other people, and receive their updates on the website, via RSS or using an application like the OS X client Twitterrific, created by The Iconfactory.

Without it I would have not been told by Jon Hicks about the existence of more than one Lemon Jelly album. I have also managed to tie my Facebook status and Twitter together using the TwitterSync application, and at some point I will also be adding Twitter updates to this site, following Paul’s tutorial.

Through Twitter, the world has learnt about my lusting over Sky News presenter Faye Barker, my pub quiz winning genius of finding Gillian Anderson in anagram ‘No Aliens Darling’, and my thoughts on Kirsten Dunst looking like a Praying Mantis.

Since January 2nd I have also twittered:

• Amused to find that Harold Lloyd, (died 1971) has an official website… (January 14)
• Could it be they only named Bond 22, “Quantum of Solace” so they got the 007 logo? (January 24)
• Keira Knightley: “I’m too dark in my soul to ever do a comedic role. I’m afraid I’d make a fool of myself.” You thought Pirates was serious? (January 30)
• So, X-Files boxed set arrived today… that’s 8874 minutes of Alien hunting goodness. See you next month. (January 23)

Simply put, I have found myself noting down the strange thoughts that drift though my brain, that would otherwise have been lost in the mists of time. Not that I actually expect anyone to be interested in them, although I have two loyal followers Andre Deminiac, and Paul Stamatiou.

I have found downtime a problem, particularly in January when the Macworld keynote address wiped out the service for a few hours. However, I really don’t know what the appeal of Twitter really is, but I am glad that finally I have learned to love it.