Well, I wasn't impressed. Pah, I thought. The status function of Facebook is one of its most irritating features (do I need to know that you love your boyfriend very much, coochy coochy coo? No, I think that's implied in the equally irritating Relationship Status, thanks) so who wants a website that's basically just status updates? Not me.
But in the name of work, I joined, tried to figure out how it worked and tried to quash flashacks of those awful chatrooms from when I discovered MSN as a teenager. I never used to write anything in chatrooms, because I was convinced they all knew each other and I'd be butting in - Twitter was a little like this at first, as I tried to look for tweets to reply to and tweeple to follow. But, save for a couple of weird ones who slightly stalked me and attempted to befriend me on Facebook (thank goodness for Block buttons), it didn't take long for me to feel part of the wave of the Twittering sea of people.
That was just over a year ago, and now, over 12,000 tweets later I cannot remember life B.T. (Before Twitter). What did I do when I had a random question? Who did I talk to at one in the morning when I was bored, awake and alone? How did I stay up to date with the very latest news? My year of Tweeting certainly made a dull 2009 a little less dull, for many reasons...
- Friends - Obviously, number one is the people. Or Tweeple, if you can say that without cringeing. I talk to some of my favourite Twitter folk on a daily basis - that's probably more than I speak to some of my own friends. Whether I need to laugh or cry, learn or help, they are there to make me giggle, think, dream and share. I've even met a few of them and they're as lovely in real life as they are in their tweets.
- Colleagues - As well as keeping in touch with past and current colleagues through the art of twittering, I have been introduced to new ones too. Someone who definitely falls under bullet-point one is Emma, who interned with us at Wahanda after messaging me, and has since become a great fellow writer, tweeter and friend who seems to know every website inside out. I've also discovered a brilliant bunch of writers who make me laugh out loud on a daily basis, and it's an honour to be listed with them in the slightly-old-already Twitter lists.
- Bloggers - I never knew there were so many blogs out there. Beauty blogs, fashion blogs, gadget blogs, dating blogs... there are so many to choose from and there's such quality writing to enjoy. I talk to a lot of bloggers through Wahanda to help exchange links, and have also met some inspirational people whose blogs have grown already in the year that I've known them.
- Charity - Penniless writer that I am, I rarely manage to contribute much to charity. But having spoken to some wonderfully inspirational people and hearing their stories of cancer survivals and battles, I just had to get involved for Breast Cancer Awareness month. From Pretty Stylish London's wonderful ladies night which Wahanda sponsored, to JJ's tweet up in Chelsea, through the power of Twitter money was raised for this fantastic cause and I was proud to be part of it. Let's continue to #kickcancer in 2010, starting with the Speed Dating!
- News - Where were you when you heard about Michael Jackson? I was on Tweetdeck. I saw one tweet about a suspected heart attack and all of a sudden, the All Friends column filled up with the shock of the nation and Twitter went down. Twitter has become my instant news resource, whether it's to tell us it's snowing in W1 or to reveal who's won X Factor. All very important to know as and when they happen.
- (Over) Sharing - Ah, the ultimate point of Twitter. To share stuff. I discovered Spotify and shared my playlists with friends through tweeting. I replaced drunk texts to people I really shouldn't text with drunk tweets to people who are happily entertained and not judgemental. I can tweet that I'm sad and a flood of support comes in; I can be excited and others want to hear the good news. I need a new dress, someone helps me find it, or sends me a discount code. If I don't know how to do something, I ask (this even involved me trying to figure out putting a bulb in my new lamp. Thanks guys). If X Factor's Jedward are driving me insane, I can rant, and tweeple rant with me. And, a great testament to how I started on Twitter, I can share Wahanda's MobDeals with people that I know love a bit of pampering or a cheap fitness class.
Special mentions...
I couldn't write this without pointing you to the friendly, funny, talented people I know through Twitter. Here's just a few (listed by Twitter name to make it easy for you to go follow them)Love_London
Tsunimee
Emma_Cossey
Lornamedia
LondonDarling
TeenyTinyLeanne
SteveTheBlack
GlennyT
HelenHenry
ElleTucker
Mullies
HelenWrites
JasonArnopp
LisaVen
Ok this will take a while. Just follow everyone I follow!
Xx
Image courtesy of http://www.chris-wallace.com/
Fabulous Post! Loved every word of it. If I wanted to explain why I love twitter so much, this post would express it better than I could ever hope to. It made me laugh and cry at the same time. I was on twitter too when the drama around Michael Jackson was unravelling. Lol for the snowing in W1. I personally didn't expect to be so much into twitter. It's crazy when I think about it too much. If 2009 was you and me the year when twitter reshaped our lives a little, what would be the big social thing in 2010? Tumblr... nah I don't think so. In the meantime, long live twitter and its fabulous twitterbirdies, as I like to call my 'tweeple'. Thank you for the lovely post, and for the mention, wahey :))))))
I'm definitely sticking with Twitter for as long as all you lovely people do - can't imagine not being in contact with everyone! xx
I second that! Fab post.
You were the first person to open my eyes to the opportunities to find work, friends and giggles on Twitter, so for that I am very thankful!